Introduction

China has undergone incredible changes over the last 75 years or so. From invasion and occupation by Japan, to the civil war between Chiang Kai-Sheck's Nationalists and Mao Zedong's Communists, through the convulsions and starvation of the Cultural Revolution, and finally to the "Reform and Opening" of Deng Xiaoping. As Deng famously said, ""It doesn't matter if the cat is white or black; if it catches mice, it's a good cat ... Socialism with Chinese Characteristics". China is much more pragmatic and entrepreneurial these days, and the promotion of F1 Boat Racing here is only one of many examples.

The first F1 race in China this year was held in Liuzhou. The season started in Qatar, and included Portugal, Finland, and Russia before coming to China. The last two races of the year will be held in the United Arab Republic.

In the Liuzhou photo to the left, F1 boats are launched in preparation for the race. On the right, a boat races past a pagoda on the rocky shore (I wasn't there: these are by Vittorio Ubertone-F1Boat).

I'm Terry King (terry@terryking.us), and I have covered the F1 Shenzhen Grand Prix for the past two years for the Shenzhen Daily, which is the only English language daily in mainland China. I am a "retired" IBM Engineer and Broadcast Journalist from Vermont, USA. Recently, my wife Mary Alice and I have lived in Africa for 3 years, and in China for 2, where she has been a Librarian at International Schools. It has been a great privilege to meet many different people and live in cultures so different from those we were used to in the USA.

The photo below is from last year's race. I'm the guy on the left, while a reporter from a different newspaper is looking over the Shenzhen Daily special edition with my photos of the day before.

Details of this year's race are in the "2008 F1 Race" section which you can click on here or at the top.

Here's a typical F1 boat, being tested the first day. These are amazing, light, powerful (350 - 400 HP) boats that can corner sharper and faster than any racing car on land. I had an unforgettable 100+ MPH ride in a one-off two-seat version of an F1 racer, and you can see the details of that experience by clicking "Incredible F1 Ride" here or at the top. Details of the F1 boats and F1 racing are shown in the section "All About F1 Racing" which you can click on here or at the top.

The Chinese government and the local F1 promoters put an incredible investment into this event, creating this new lake from a tidal mudflat along the edge of HouHai Wan. About 8000 spectators watched this year's race. More details are in the "China and Shenzhen" section that you can click on here or at the top.