The boats are required to align themselves in their pre-assigned starting order. The pace boat starting procedure requires patience, fast reflexes, and real intuition to know how far behind the next boat you should be when approaching the starting line. Clock Starts Clock starts are utilized in most forms of hydroplane racing as well as in other forms of boats such as the Can-Am class. This is the one minute gun. At this point a large clock, prominently visible to the drivers on the race course, begins to count down 1 minute.
Many drivers have a clock in their boat that they use for timing themselves as well.
At this point the drivers begin jockeying for position on the race course, with the objective of being the first across the starting line, exactly when the clock counts down to zero. If they cross the line too early, they will be penalized. If they approach the line in first position but have to lift on the throttle to avoid crossing it too early, they can lose valuable speed. This starting procedure results in some spectacular starts, and requires perfect timing and strategy to end up in first. Unfortunately, for the first time boat racing fan, it can be quite confusing with all the boats driving around for five minutes with no apparent direction.