India’s first-ever powerboat race hits Mumbai’s shores this weekend

Panther boats cut through the water near Mumbai’s Marine Drive during the qualifiers of the NEXA P1 Powerboat race in Mumbai. (Arijit Sen/HT Photo)

Updated on: Mar 04, 2017 1:17 AM IST

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Panther boats cut through the water near Mumbai’s Marine Drive during the qualifiers of the NEXA P1 Powerboat race in Mumbai. (Arijit Sen/HT Photo)

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Magnificent powerboats cut through the water near Marine Drive on Friday during a practice run. The NEXA P1 Powerboat Indian Grand Prix of the seas is being held in Mumbai between March 3 and March 5. (Vijayanand Gupta/HT Photo)

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Panther boats race off the Mumbai coast. The race exists in certain pockets of the world, but its format in Mumbai aims at giving the sport a structured shape. (Arijit Sen/HT Photo)

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The race’s format is similar to Formula One, with a race track and racing pits. In the main race, the winner is the one who completes a set number of laps first. (Vijayanand Gupta/HT Photo)

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A Panther boat zips past during the qualifier rounds of the NEXA P1 Powerboat race. The Panther boat is a specially designed 28-foot boat that can race in even in six feet of water. (Arijit Sen/HT Photo)

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The Panther powerboats can reach a speed of 120kmph on water — about the same as 240kmph on land. (Anshuman Poyrekar/HT Photo)

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Pilots drive their powerboats through the race course during a qualifying round on Friday. (Anshuman Poyrekar/HT Photo)

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The location of the race — just off the picturesque Marine Drive — saw passersby stop and take photos of the race. (Anshuman Poyrekar/HT Photo)

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The first Grand Prix will be contested between six teams, each with four members. The powerboat will have a pilot, a navigator and two more members as crew. (Satyabrata Tripathy/HT Photo)

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Jaykumar Rawal, Maharashtra’s tourism development minister, and Vice Admiral Girish Luthra, unveil the Viraat Rolling Trophy before the start of the race. (Anshuman Poyrekar/HT Photo)