Powerboat racing. Did you know?
Powerboat racing, a competitive sport involving boats equipped with motors, emerged in the late nineteenth century (in 1894, the first powerboat regatta was held in Nice, and in 1898, the first race was held at the Bassin d’Asnières-Courbevoie).
The public, used to the gentle, quiet nature of sailing, at first disapproved but then embraced this innovation, symbolic of the Belle Epoque, which took off with two races on the Seine: “Les Couleurs de Paris” (The Colours of Paris) and “Paris à la Mer” (Paris to the Sea). Monaco quickly became a key centre for the sport: the first international meeting was held on 15 March 1904 by the Société des Bains de Mer. This became an unmissable event. Prince Albert I encouraged the sport and awarded a prize to the winners in two categories, “racers” and “cruisers”.