The spotlight on the Lucas Oil Skater was extremely bright at the recent CeBIT Show in Germany. All photos courtesy Janet Wilson.

When Nigel Hook, owner and throttleman of the Lucas Oil-backed offshore race team and the CEO and founder of DataSkill Inc., committed to sending his previous raceboat—the Lucas Oil 7 Skater Powerboats V399—to be displayed last week in the IBM Analytics booth at the CeBIT Show in Hannover, Germany, he didn’t know exactly what to expect.

He figured the boat would get a lot of attention since it’s quite an impressive example of the next generation of intelligent telemetry incorporating machine learning to predict and prevent engine problems and monitor the health of the pilots in real time. He just didn’t know how well received the red V-bottom would be at one of the largest and most internationally represented computer expos in the world.

Check out the slideshow above for more images of the boat in the IBM display, including one of Guenther Oettinger, a member of the European Union and commissioner for Digital Economy and Society, conversing with Martina Koederitz, general manager of IBM Germany, Switzerland and Austria, about the boat.

“The intrigue in our raceboat was so overwhelming I lost my voice on the second day explaining about offshore racing and how IBM Cognitive IoT has the power to transform our decision-making in flight and engaging fans to experience life in the cockpit virtually during the racing,” said Hook, who currently races the Lucas Oil SilverHook 48GP. “It’s not everyday dignitaries like the German Chancellor, Angela Merkel, and European Commissioner get to walk by our 7 Lucas Oil.”

Related stories
Lucas Oil Raceboat En Route to Germany for CeBIT Show
Lucas Oil Unveils SilverHook with New Safety Pods
Lucas Oil SilverHook—A Year in the Making