Super Vee Light powerboat racers will compete for a purse of $10,000 during the Offshore Super Series “Smokin’ the Sound’ event May 20-23 in Biloxi, Miss, according to a press release from Powerboat P1 USA. The Biloxi race is not only the season-opener for OSS, it is the first event in a nine-race series for the SVL racers. The SVL teams agreed to enter their class as a group under the various offshore racing-sanctioning bodies in 2010.

Powerboat P1 USA reportedly has guaranteed a total of $90,000 for nine races if racers meet a minimum boat count and additional sponsor fulfillment criteria, regardless of the sanctioning body under which they race.

The SVL class consists of canopied V-bottoms powered by single Mercury Racing 525EFI engines. The specifications for the class are consistent throughout the sanction bodies in the United States.  According to the release, the SVL class will adopt a “power-to-weight ratio” standard that will make it the first Powerboat P1 class in the United States.

“The SVL racers share the Powerboat P1 USA  philosophy of increasing boat count, competition and professionalism in offshore boat racing,” said Martin Sanborn, director of North American operations for Powerboat P1, in the release. “They have agreed to meet our sponsor criteria and as a result, will be racing for an unprecedented prize money package in an American offshore series.”

Earlier this year, Powerboat P1 announced that it was discontinuing its Evolution and Super Sport class series for 2010 in Europe.