September 15, 2008

Powerboat P1 - Spain Grand Prix, Conam Takes Title in Advance, Honey Party Win

A strange weekend of challenges and surprices had to be the Vigo, P1 Grand Prix of Spain. This was the first ever stop of P1 in Spain and calm conditions showed a different results to what we have been used so far this season, especially to what regards the Evolution races. As expected by the many 44 Conam yachts Italian Maltese pairing took the 2008 title, a first for Maltese hero Aaron Chiantar and the second for Tedeschi and the Maltese build 41 feet Chaudron built boat. Meanwhile in the Evolution the also 2007 champions and currect class leaders of Fountain Worldwide will still have the battle there way in Portugal to see who will be crowned champion for the 2008 season, in the big class.
Supersport
There was heartbreak for the 38 Baia High Performance team and huge joy for the 44 Conam Yachts outfit in the aftermath of Saturday’s Vigo Grand Prix of the Sea Sprint race, as a six-minute penalty for exceeding the 85mph maximum speed limit denied the OSG Racing-run outfit their first win of the year. The 38 Baia High Performance team had briefly been the only team to have beaten the defending champion 44 Conam Yachts outfit on the water this year, but 12 timing infringements over the duration of the race netted them a six-minute penalty that puts 44 Conam Yachts on the top step and knocked 38 Baia High Performance down to fifth place in the race results. The 22 Big Sergio outfit is now second in the race results, while the 26 Team Konrad Wild Card entry secures the final podium spot as part of an impressive debut outing. The 44 Conam Yachts team continued their dominance of Powerboat P1’s SuperSport class in Sunday’s final Endurance race of the Vigo Grand Prix of the Sea weekend. The aspiring double champions beat off the 38 Baia High Performance and 47 Silverline Buzzi Bullet teams in the 11-lap race off the coast of Playa de Samil. It was another lights-to-flag victory for team boss and throttleman Angelo Tedeschi and pilot Aaron Ciantar, who now secure their second SuperSport crown in a row. The closest team to them in the championship points the 07 Microlink PC outfit could only manage fourth today, pretty much eliminating it from the 2008 title chase. Rounding out the finishers were the 46 Spirit of Portomaso boat, the 26 Team Konrad Wild Card entry, the 22 Big Sergio Al & Al team and the 05 Team Tullio Abate Wild Card. The 08 Phoenix boat failed to start the race after picking up debris in the engine bay. 44 Conam Yachts' double victory also gives them the overall Grand Prix of the Sea win from the 38 Baia High Performance crew and the 22 Big Sergio Al & Al team.
44 Conam Yachts team boss and throttleman Angelo Tedeschi and pilot Aaron Ciantar have expressed their delight at securing this year’s SuperSport championship with a double win in the Vigo Grand Prix of the Sea. This is the second SuperSport title in a row for Tedeschi and his Italian-based Racing Project outfit after winning the 2007 crown. The 44 Conam Yachts outfit have managed to combine blinding speed with impressive reliability in the quest to defend their championship. Tedschi and Ciantar have dominated every race this year in their Mercury-powered Chaudron, losing only one victory to the 07 Microlink PC team after picking up a penalty for a jump start.
Evolution
The 69 Honeyparty.com team finally put an end to their almost season-long run of misfortune, by scoring their first win of their debut Powerboat P1 season in Saturday’s Vigo Grand Prix of the Sea Evolution class Sprint race. The British-based team were never headed in the event, comfortably building up an early lead over the 99 Fountain Worldwide team in the opening laps and extending it as the race went on. Finishing in third were the Belgian 57 Centaurian Yachts team who showed a new-found blinding pace after bogging down at the start and dropping to the back of the pack by racing through the field to a podium finish. Second place for the 99 Fountain Worldwide team has put the defending title winners within striking distance of scoring their second consecutive crown. The closest teams to them in the points standings the 60 GFN Gibellato and 88 Kiton Outerlimits boats both suffered lacklustre races, finishing fifth and seventh positions respectively, and now must hope for bad luck for 99 Fountain Worldwide and good luck for themselves in Sunday’s Endurance class race. The 53 Pignolo 53 team scored another solid fourth-place finish ahead of the 60 GFN Gibellato boat, while the 10 Fantastic 1 Cigarette Racing Team Europe and the 77 Lucas Oil boats limped round despite technical problems to finish the event either side of 88 Kiton Outerlimits in sixth and eighth places respectively. The 66 Cranfields Wine crew failed to start the event after suffering a broken camshaft.
The 53 Pignolo 53 team secured their first Powerboat P1 win after a chaotic and incident packed Evolution Endurance race that brought the weekend’s hugely successful first Vigo Grand Prix of the Sea to a dramatic close. A number of boats missed a marker buoy on the final turn of the course, throwing the subject of who had won wide open as the boats arrived back in the marina. The budding double champion 99 Fountain Worldwide 1st4boats.com team led the early stages of the race from their main title rivals, 88 Kiton Outerlimits, until a fuel problem dropped them down the order before their eventual retirement on the 11th lap. That gave 88 Kiton Outerlimits the lead until they, too, started struggling with a variety of mechanics gremlins and dropped back, making the 10 Fantastic 1 Cigarette Racing Team Europe boat the new race leaders. Then, on lap 11, all hell broke lose at the final turn as the 10 Fantastic 1 boat missed one of the key buoy markers and the 60 GFN Gibellato, 88 Kiton Outerlimits, 57 Centaurian Yachts all followed suit. On the next lap, 10 Fantastic 1 and 60 GFN Gibellato missed the mark again. Each team picked up a four minute penalty for each infringement, meaning that the 53 Pignolo 53 crew emerged as the ultimate first-time victors of the race, following the lead of fellow Evolution debutant winners 69 Honeyparty.com in Saturday’s Sprint race. The 77 Lucas Oil team secured their best finish of the year with second place, while the 69 Honeyparty.com team followed up their first ever win with a third place this time out. That gave the 69 Honeyparty.com team the overall victory in the Vigo Grand Prix of the Sea stakes, from 53 Pignolo 53 and 57 Centaurian Yachts.
SuperSport Class Sprint Results
1 44 Conam Yachts 42m58.16s
2 22 The Big Sergio 44m43.50s
3 26 Team Konrad 44m49.00s
4 46 The Spirit of Portomaso 45m19.61s
5 38 Baia High Performance 42m54.11s + 6min Penalty
6 05 Special Team Guido Abbate 43m17.05s - 1 lap
7 08 Phoenix TV RET
8 07 Microlink PC RET
9 47 Silverline Buzzi Bullet
Supersport Class Endurance Results
1 44 Conam Yachts
2 38 Baia High Performance
3 47 Silverline Buzzi Bullet
4 07 Microlink PC
5 46 The Spirit of Portomaso
6 26 Team Konrad
7 22 The Big Sergio
8 05 Special Team Guido Abbate
9 08 Phoenix TV RET
Evolution Class Sprint Results
1 69 honeyparty.com 39m03.32s
2 99 Fountain Worldwide 1st4boats.com 40m25.58s
3 57 Centaurian Yachts 41m11.00s
4 53 Pignolo 53 41m40.73s
5 60 GFN Gibellato 41m44.86s
6 10 The Fantastic 1 40m45.98s - 1 lap
7 88 Kiton Outerlimits 43m24.20s - 1 lap
8 77 Lucas Oil RET
9 66 Cranefields Wine DNS
Evolution Class Endurance Results
1 53 Pignolo 53 1h02m58.99s
2 77 Lucas Oil 1h03m08.59s
3 69 honeyparty.com 1h03m53.22s
4 88 Kiton Outerlimits 1h06m18.97s + 4min penalty
5 57 Centaurian Yachts 1h06m37.65s + 4min penalty
6 10 The Fantastic 1 1h09m25.20s + 8min penalty
7 60 GFN Gibellato 1h09m33.84s + 8min penalty
8 66 Cranefields Wine 1h32m45.13s + 4min penalty
9 99 Fountain Worldwide 1st4boats.com RET

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