meaning of powerboating

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Definition of powerboat

• stinkpot [ slang ]

Examples of powerboat in a Sentence

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'powerboat.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

1830, in the meaning defined above

Dictionary Entries Near powerboat

power brake

Cite this Entry

“Powerboat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/powerboat. Accessed 5 May. 2024.

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Meaning of powerboat in English

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• cabin cruiser
• dragon boat
• rubber dinghy
• F1 powerboats are like Formula One cars.  
• F1 powerboats move very fast on the water, too.  
• The powerboats speed around this course for about 45 minutes.  

powerboat | American Dictionary

Examples of powerboat, translations of powerboat.

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Definition of powerboat noun from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

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Powerboating as an activity has a lot of different types of fun things you can learn and enjoy doing during your free time. Powerboating as a sport could be mistaken for completely being about high-powered boat racing. Therefore, the meaning of powerboating is about more than just the boats that have high-performance motors. The fact is, when someone says powerboating, they could also be using the term to refer to such sports as waterskiing and wakeboarding.

The Term Powerboating can be Used for Leisure and Sport

When discussing the topic of powerboating, and particularly the boats that participate in powerboat activities - leisure or sport, there are different types of boats that are used. They all have powered motors but could have a different hull shape. For example, the V-hulls are designed to better hydroplane across the water. Therefore, for all driving sports or fast water sports that take place in or behind these boats, professionals will suggest that a person consider taking courses on how to safely drive and manage this type of boat before actually doing so.

In order to give you a better perspective of other activities in which the term powerboating could be a reference to during a conversation, here are some different framed powerboats and other purposes they can be used for:

Designed to float in shallow water, these boats have a deep hull and are shorter in length. It has an outboard powered motor that lifts up so fishermen can scope out fish in low lined water areas. These are fun boats for a casual fishing day.

Bowrider Boats

A Bowrider is also shorter in length, however, has a greater depth of room for families and is why they are a popular pick for families who love a day out on the water. They have platforms on the back of the boat which make it easy to stand on in order to strap on a pair of water skis and take off.

These boats have several different models, including convertible, express, and pocket cruisers. Therefore, the options with this boat are unlimited. They can be overnighters, used for watersport, and they can even be a perfect fishing boat.

High-Performance Boats

These are the kinds of boats that a lot of us will think about when someone mentions powerboating. These types of boats are the road runners of the waterways. They are the ones to use for racing and competitive water sports.

These boats are sometimes considered the simple slow boats, but I can assure you that they are tons of fun on the water. You can bring a party on board one of these flat-bottom, round-shaped boats. There is plenty of sitting areas and also standing room for a casual and relaxing day on the water with friends.

Before you buy your next powerboats in Sanford, FL., consult with the crew at Velocity City Power Boats . They can advise you on the wide selection of powerboats in Sanford, FL.

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Mo•tor•boat.

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What are Powerboats and Motorboats? Types Explained!

New technologies are being developed and implemented so as to make the rides much faster and safer.

Power boats and motorboats are two categories of vessels, both of which provides a thrilling and breathtaking experience for the people on board.

Let’s fast jump to the subject!

A powerboat is a compact motor-powered vessel that is built within 10 meters in length. It is best suitable for shorter journeys. When compared to motorboats, powerboats are more swift and agile.

The compact structure of these powerboats makes it easier to be controlled and maneuvered during quick turns and diversions. They come in a variety of structures and engine configurations.

Powerboats can be a variety of vessels such as fishing boats , small boats, or even cruising boats that can accommodate a large family. It could even be a fully equipped watercraft with modern amenities.

Powerboating brings great advantages to new and aspiring boaters, learning the skill. Due to its compact structure, it is often easier to learn, and relatively low in price compared to other vessels.

Though they are limited to shorter cruises, it still offers good speed and thus can be perfectly suitable for commanding speed over crossing lakes, rivers, and other coastal areas.

A motorboat also could be called a motor yacht, is a larger motor-powered vessel that is built within 10-40 meters or even more, in length. They are suitable for extensive long journeys.

They have great fuel capacity and nautical charts for navigation. They also hold the onboard facility to accommodate the stay of overnight travelers.

When compared to smaller boats and other powerboats, the functioning mechanism of a motorboat is more complex and challenging to learn.

But that being said, if one finds themselves involved in working on superyachts or even while considering an open ocean vacation, motor cruising offers a variety of functional opportunities.

Types of Powerboats:

RIBs are also known as “Rigid Inflatable Boats”. These powerboats come under the hard-hulled planning crafts along with inbuilt inflatable collars. They are best utilized for fishing, load-carrying, diving, watersports, and lounging.

Based on your boating demands, one has to pick their fit-out and hull shape. It is also best to have a determined use for the powerboat in the making. Usually, RIBs are bought based on their utility, price flexibility, and size.

Depending on the material used for its structure also creates cost variation. Using Hypalon over PVC constructed tubes, ensures better durability but is more expensive. Depending on the boater’s driving style, the choice of seating can be determined from a variety of options such as benches, leaning posts, jockey seats, and impact-mitigation seats.

Sport Yacht

Sport yachts are best utilized for traveling long distances. They have great speed, a sleeker appearance whilst also having better storage, and spacious cabins for overnight and extended stays.

This type of powerboat is best for entertaining guests onboard along with providing ample amenities. It is a mixture of luxury combined with great performance.

These boats offer the luxury of expanding and upgrading basic amenities, for example, having a kitchen with a good quality boat grill. This is a great option for people wanting to own a boat set to hold gatherings and parties on board with a full galley that even comes with convenient upgrades.

These powerboats combine good structural practicality with a compact platform along with providing adequate lounging space. Their open bow design gives it the unique suitability to move around in the ocean cheerfully during good weather conditions such as clear skies.

They are typically seen to have tapered forward lines, but the new bowriders come with the option to offer more spacious formats. Inside a traditional bowrider, the space ahead of the helm is often quite tight.

Contesting that, the new formats of bowriders have beams that are further forward, allowing for more seating room creating a compromise between its sporting ability for aesthetic appeal.

A few key points to look for while trying to examine the ability of a bowrider that can offer outstanding performance in water sports:

• Powerful inboard engines
• Extra cockpit seating
• Wakeboard towers
• Automated throttle
• Wake-tweaking devices
• Walkaround Fisher:

They are great powerboats for those looking for hybrid options. Hybrid applies to the combination of everything like space, size, cost-effectiveness, and modern amenities. A boat for both fishing and water sports and a good example would be the compact Trophy 2152 Walkaround.

Center Console Powerboats

 They are highly versatile and thus center console powerboats take the lead. They are suitable for both fishing as well for entertaining your family by taking them for a long and smooth ride.

By choosing boats with center consoles with only basic facilities inbuilt, boaters have the luxury to design their own boats with furniture that best matches their choice and utility.

This also gives them an added advantage of owning a powerboat at a lower cost as the center console would carry less weight. Due to its lighter weight, it tends to have better running efficiency, nimble operation and is easy to maneuver. Great examples are center console aluminium boats that we talked in this article.

Types of Motorboats:  

Straight inboard drives:.

A straight inboard drive system includes both a petrol and diesel engine type, a propeller, and a metal shaft. The engine is internally placed in the boat. A special method is used to connect the engine to an external propeller through a shaft that is fitted into the hull. The boat moves through the water as the engine spins the shaft, which spins the propeller.

Pod Drives:

It is a modern propulsion system. They are mostly seen amongst recreational motorboats. The engine is located underneath the boat on the drive unit. Along with the engine, the propeller, the transmission, and the steering mechanism are all part of the driving unit. The pod drive propulsion system is mounted to the bottom of the boat’s hull . They are agile and have great vessel control to pivot independently.

Inboard / Outboard (Sterndrive):

An inboard/outboard drive system also known as sterndrive, consists of an engine along with an outboard drive unit. The engine is located inside the hull, with the drive unit (propeller, transmission, steering mechanism) mounted externally. The entire drive unit turns as the steering wheel turns, letting the boat move.

Outboard Drives:

In this type of motorboat, the transmission, propeller, and engine block come under a single unit among the outboard engine. It is mounted outside the boat, mostly on the transom. The boat moves back and forth using cables and hydraulic rams connected to the outboard.

Jet Drives:

These motorboats carry an inboard engine. The engine spins a metal impeller inside a large water pump. They move at great speed. The large water pump pushes the motorboat forward by sucking up the water and utilizing this for the process letting it move faster.

So if you are looking forward to having a nice day in the water either for cruising or some adrenaline rush both of these boats are the ideal choices.

About the author

I worked as an officer in the deck department on various types of vessels, including oil and chemical tankers, LPG carriers, and even reefer and TSHD in the early years. Currently employed as Marine Surveyor carrying cargo, draft, bunker, and warranty survey.

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powerboating

/ ˈpaʊəˌbəʊtɪŋ /

• the sport of driving powerboats in racing competitions

Meaning of "powerboating" in the English dictionary

Pronunciation of powerboating, grammatical category of powerboating, what does powerboating mean in english.

Powerboating

Definition of powerboating in the english dictionary.

The definition of powerboating in the dictionary is the sport of driving powerboats in racing competitions.

WORDS THAT RHYME WITH POWERBOATING

Words that begin like powerboating, words that end like powerboating, synonyms and antonyms of powerboating in the english dictionary of synonyms, words relating to «powerboating», translation of «powerboating» into 25 languages.

TRANSLATION OF POWERBOATING

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FREQUENCY OF USE OF THE TERM «POWERBOATING» OVER TIME

Examples of use in the english literature, quotes and news about powerboating, 10 english books relating to «powerboating», 10 news items which include the term «powerboating».

• Start Boating

Powerboating

Perfect for spending the day exploring the coastline, shuttling friends to moored boats, or providing safety cover on a race course. 

How can I try it?

There are companies that offer RIB experiences for you to have your first taste of being out on the water. Whether it’s a tour of the Thames or taking in parts of the Solent, this can be a fun way to discover the feeling of freedom on the water.

The RYA's Powerboat Courses are a great way to get to grips with the basics of driving sports boats and RIBs and can help you to feel confident when taking your first trip and beyond. Also some insurance companies insist on drivers having certain qualifications so it is useful to have some training under your belt.

There are plenty of opportunities to drive RIBs as safety boat cover for training and racing events at your local sailing club. Most clubs will welcome new members and many run training courses. 

Let us answer any questions you have about getting started

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powerboating noun

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What does the noun powerboating mean?

There is one meaning in OED's entry for the noun powerboating . See ‘Meaning & use’ for definition, usage, and quotation evidence.

How common is the noun powerboating ?

How is the noun powerboating pronounced, british english, u.s. english, where does the noun powerboating come from.

Earliest known use

The earliest known use of the noun powerboating is in the 1900s.

OED's earliest evidence for powerboating is from 1906, in the Trenton Times (Trenton, New Jersey).

powerboating is formed within English, by derivation.

Etymons: powerboat n. , ‑ing suffix 1 .

Nearby entries

• powerband, n. 1966–
• power bandwidth, n. 1965–
• power bank, n. 1917–
• power bar, n. 1948–
• power base, n. 1929–
• power bloc, n. 1925–
• power block, n. 1928–
• power board, n. 1904–
• powerboat, n. 1830–
• powerboater, n. 1912–
• powerboating, n. 1906–
• powerbomb, n. 1990–
• powerbomb, v. 1993–
• powerbox, n. 1895–
• power brake, n. 1865–
• power breaker, n. 1909–
• power breakfast, n. 1980–
• power broker, n. 1961–
• power-brokering, n. 1971–
• power-broking, n. 1970–
• power buzzer, n. 1918–

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Meaning & use

Pronunciation, entry history for powerboating, n..

Originally published as part of the entry for powerboat, n.

powerboating, n. was revised in December 2006.

powerboating, n. was last modified in July 2023.

oed.com is a living text, updated every three months. Modifications may include:

• further revisions to definitions, pronunciation, etymology, headwords, variant spellings, quotations, and dates;
• new senses, phrases, and quotations.

Revisions and additions of this kind were last incorporated into powerboating, n. in July 2023.

Earlier versions of this entry were published in:

A Supplement to the OED, Volume III (1982)

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OED Second Edition (1989)

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Citation details

Factsheet for powerboating, n., browse entry.

• Nov 29, 2023

The Birth of Motorboating

Adding a motor to a boat is said to have started in the late 1700s when Scottish inventor James Watt, often erroneously credited with the invention of the steam engine, placed one such engine in a boat in Birmingham, England.

Many steam-powered boats followed, some using a screw-type propeller to create motion as Watt did but most utilizing paddlewheels.

Except for recent developments in battery-electric power, pleasure boating has relied upon the internal combustion engine (ICE) as the source of power. There are many interesting iterations of the ICE and we will ignore some of them such as the gas turbine engine and rocket engines as their contribution to the sport, although most fascinating indeed, has been minimal.

The development of the ICE came bit by bit starting in the late 1700s. French engineers are credited with installing a prototype of their ICE in a boat around 1800-1810. There is little information available about that boat, the engine, or its inventors. Aside from an American patent for a turpentine-fueled ICE in 1826 which never went into production, it seems there was little other reported progress during the balance of that century.

Then in 1886, German inventors Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach installed their one-cylinder, petroleum-derivative powered ICE into an open double-ender skiff-type boat on a lake near Stuttgart. This roughly half-litre displacement engine weighed almost 60 kilograms (roughly 133 lbs) and developed a little over one horsepower at around 700 RPM.

The boat, named Rems , had been commissioned from the German shipyard of Friedrich Lursson , a yard that would eventually become today’s Lursson Yachts . Rems would be remembered and credited as the first motorboat, even if indeed it had not exactly been the first.

It seems that the first sizeable production of motorboats was by Priestman Brothers of England which tested its first ICE-powered boat in 1888. Priestman IC engines utilized kerosene and a high-voltage spark-type ignition system patented by Karl Benz in 1888. Many of Priestman’s boats were used commercially to move goods on England’s canal system.

Frederick Lanchester of England had by 1897 developed a new ICE design with an innovative wick-fed carburetor utilizing benzene in a boat with a reversible propeller. This engine received much praise as being “high-revving” while attaining the unimaginable peak of 800 RPM. Many Lanchester boats were used as ferries on the Thames River and elsewhere.

Both pleasure and commercial motorboating was growing exponentially into the turn of the 20th century, both in Europe and America. And of course, where there are motors, there are those wanting to race and claim victory. In 1903, the Marine Motor Association was started in England, followed months later in the United States by the American Power Boat Association (APBA), both with the objective to create rules for boat racing by delineating classes of boats and engines.

Also in 1903, Mr. Alfred Harmsworth donated the Harmsworth Cup for international powerboat competition. There were few rules, but the boat and engine had to be designed and built in the country being represented. The first race for the Harmsworth Cup was won by the 40-foot Napier I , designed and built as a race boat by Napier and Company of England and driven by Dorothy Levitt. The hull was steel and the four-cylinder Napier engine developed 66 horsepower -- providing a top speed of 21 mph, thus setting the world’s first speed record.

One year later, in 1904, APBA created The Challenge Cup which has been known since as the Gold Cup. The first race, on the Hudson River in New York, was won by the nearly 60-foot-long Standard having an average speed of less than 25 mph from its 110-horsepower Standard engine. Boat racing was forever changed in 1911 when the Gold Cup was won by a hydroplane design, which of course was a planing hull as opposed to the displacement hull designs up until that time.

It was John L. Hacker who had earned accreditation as a marine designer at age 22 and focused his efforts on making boats go faster. Five years later, in 1904, his revolutionary Au Revoir with a shallow V-bottom design as opposed to a round bottom, set the record as the world’s fastest boat. Then in 1908, he purchased the Detroit Launch and Power Company and changed its name to the Hacker Boat Company .

In 1911, Hacker designed and built Kitty Hawk , the first stepped-hull hydroplane design which not only won the APBA Gold Cup that year but set an unthinkable world speed record over 50 mph. It held the record of the world’s fastest boat from 1911 to 1915. Top speed and average speeds rose almost yearly for both Harmsworth and Gold Cup events right into the 21st century.

There are a couple of interesting notes, however. America first won England’s Harmsworth Cup in 1907, and then every year from 1920 to 1933 mostly by the indomitable Gar Wood who later owned Chris-Craft Boats . Meanwhile, Chris Smith had built his first Chris-Craft race boat in 1905 achieving an ultra-impressive speed of 25 mph. Chris-Craft went on to win the Gold Cup for eight consecutive years. Much later, the Canadian owned, designed, and built hydroplane, Miss Supertest III entered only four races before it was retired, but it won all four races – the 1959 Detroit Memorial Regatta, and the 1959, 1960, and 1961 Harmsworth Cup races.

The Union Internationale Motonautique (UIM) was established in 1922 in Belgium and headquartered in Monaco -- an emerging and now constant hotbed of powerboat racing. To this day, UIM is the overall governing body for all powerboat racing in the world. Regional associations such as the APBA in America and the Canadian Boating Federation (CBF) utilize UIM standards and categories for racing and for verifying world records and championships.

But, back to the progress in recreational powerboating. German engineer Rudolf Diesel invented the diesel engine in 1893. By 1903, Diesel had perfected the four-stroke compression-ignition internal combustion diesel engine. The first engine produced 25 horsepower and was an immediate commercial success. Diesel is still the choice of power for commercial shipping and larger pleasure yachts over 40 feet. In the modern era it has been “cleaned” up and lightened up to be installed inboard in smaller pleasure boats and, most recently, as the powerhead in several brands of outboard motors .

That detail provides an interesting segue. Up until 1900, the ICE delivered its power, except for paddlewheels, by means of a screw-type propeller on the end of a shaft colloquially called a propshaft. This propshaft would extend from the inboard-mounted engine on a slight downward angle and protrude through the bottom of the boat near the stern. Aft of the propeller was the rudder. There were two configurations based on the placement of the engine in the boat: the straight drive inboard and the V-drive inboard.

These two configurations were the power arrangement of choice for almost all pleasure boats. But, such an arrangement in small boats, punts, and skiffs was too expensive for the average family. Thus, powered pleasure boating was only within the realm of the rich. This changed with the invention and commercialization of the outboard motor . Credit for the development of the first outboard motor is very sketchy. It may have been Gustave Trouve in France in 1881, or it may have been later in America by the American Motor Company of Long Island, New York.

Then in 1903, American Cameron Waterman connected an air-cooled motorcycle engine to a propeller by means of sprockets. Patented and put into production in 1906 and redesigned to be water-cooled in 1907, some 3000 Waterman Porto outboard motors were sold. This is credited as the first commercially successful outboard motor.

With this development, outboard motors became accessible to the average family. They also became commercially viable and mechanically reliable in North America, and shortly thereafter throughout the world when engine tinkerer Ole Evinrude patented his 1.5 horsepower outboard motor in 1909 from his shop in Milwaukee. Good marketing from his wife Bess and a good product saw sales grow exponentially year over year.

Poor health forced Evinrude to sell out in 1913, but he kept inventing. In 1919, unable to use his own name on the motor, he established the Elto (Evinrude Light Twin Outboard) Motor Company in Milwaukee to produce a light weight twin-cylinder, 3-horsepower outboard motor. It quickly outsold local competitors Evinrude and Johnson. But Johnson, which had introduced diecast aluminum production, kept developing increasingly bigger horsepower motors to satisfy the growing need for speed. It soon began to outsell both Evinrude and Elto. The horsepower game had begun. The Johnson 6-horsepower Big Twin of 1926 set a world outboard speed record of 23 mph. Over the years, many new outboard motor brands became available.

Several decades later came the almost literal combination of both inboard and outboard power delivery. Jim Wynne was an American marine engineer, boat designer, a perfecter of the deep-vee hull design, and one of the first offshore racers. As a racer, he was able to see the advantages and disadvantages of both outboard and inboard powered boats. In his garage in his spare time, he set about trying to marry the best parts of the two concepts. Wynne created, tested, and patented the marine sterndrive, also known as the inboard-outboard.

Volvo Penta quickly purchased the rights to its manufacture from Wynne and introduced the Aquamatic Sterndrive to worldwide acclaim at the 1959 New York Boat Show. It combined the benefits of both the inboard and outboard propulsion units in one package -- a higher horsepower engine located inside the boat protected from the elements, and a steerable and trimmable propeller unit (the outdrive) located outside the boat.

The post-WWII economic boom gave a huge boost to the pleasure boat industry worldwide. The sizes and styles of boats, the methods and materials of manufacture, and the available niche marketing to satisfy the growing demand was huge. Nonetheless, shallow water was still the Achilles heel of the propeller.

To solve this, Keenan Hanley of Prospect, Ohio designed a waterjet -- basically a centrifugal pump which would take water in one end and expel it out the other end at a greater speed. He established Hanley Hydrojet and partnered with Kermath Manufacturing of Detroit to adapt it for pleasure boat use. The Hanley-Kermath Hydro-Jet coupled to an inboard engine and protruding only slightly below the hull was installed on a 17-foot runabout and hit the 1953 boat show circuit. It didn’t cause much excitement.

By 1954, Sir William Hamilton of New Zealand had been tinkering with the water jet idea. He modified the Hanley design to expel the water stream through a steerable nozzle above the waterline, thus removing any part of the waterjet from below the hull. This became the first Hamilton Waterjet. Hamilton Jet, along with several other water jet makers, have since grown and expanded to provide water jets to almost every sector of both pleasure boating and commercial shipping.

Other methods of delivering the power to the water include surface drives, perhaps the most notable one being the Arneson Surface Drive. There are other makers of surface drives too. One recent drive development in pleasure boats is the pod drive.

This article has only scratched the surface of the development of a huge industry, but suffice it to say that powerboating has come a long way since Daimler and Maybach first installed an ICE in a boat. #culture #innovatorsinboating

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Definition of 'powerboating'

Powerboating in british english.

Examples of 'powerboating' in a sentence powerboating

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What does powerboating mean?

Definitions for powerboating power·boat·ing, this dictionary definitions page includes all the possible meanings, example usage and translations of the word powerboating ., did you actually mean pair of tongs or privateness , wiktionary rate this definition: 0.0 / 0 votes.

powerboating noun

The act of travelling in a powerboat.

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Powerboating

Power boating describes activities performed in a motorized boat. Generally, a power boat has a high power-to-weight ratio and a hull design that allows for easy planing, which allows for higher speed and improved handling. Also, the shape of the actual boat is usually very streamlined, which minimizes air resistance and drag, therefore increasing speed. Power boats are used in yachting, waterskiing and wakeboarding. Powerboating is generally considered to have begun in 1863 when Frenchman Jean Lenoir used a petrol engine in the small boat. The first major race took place in 1903 across the English Channel and the sport appeared as an event in the 1908 Olympics. Currently, P1 SuperStock is considered the most prestigious powerboat racing championship in the world.

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Power boating describes activities performed in a motorized boat. Generally, a power boat has a high power-to-weight ratio and a hull design that allows for easy planing, which allows for higher speed and improved handling. Also, the shape of the actual boat is usually very streamlined, which minimizes air resistance and drag, therefore increasing speed. Power boats are often used recreationally, including waterskiing and wakeboarding. Powerboating is generally considered to have begun in 1863 when Frenchman Jean Lenoir used a petrol engine in the small boat. The first major race took place in 1903 across the English Channel and the sport appeared as an event in the 1908 Olympics.

How to pronounce powerboating?

Alex US English David US English Mark US English Daniel British Libby British Mia British Karen Australian Hayley Australian Natasha Australian Veena Indian Priya Indian Neerja Indian Zira US English Oliver British Wendy British Fred US English Tessa South African

How to say powerboating in sign language?

Chaldean Numerology

The numerical value of powerboating in Chaldean Numerology is: 6

Pythagorean Numerology

The numerical value of powerboating in Pythagorean Numerology is: 1

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• ^  Wiktionary https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Powerboating
• ^  Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Powerboating
• ^  Wikidata https://www.wikidata.org/w/index.php?search=powerboating

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Add to chrome, add to firefox, browse definitions.net, are you a words master, one of four connected cavities in the brain; is continuous with the central canal of the spinal cord and contains cerebrospinal fluid, Nearby & related entries:.

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