Class 1 - Victory 1 Takes Race World Title

Dubai’s Victory Team celebrated their eighth World Championship success in sixteen years, after Victory 1 led home their team-mates, Victory 7, to complete the team’s third one-two finish of the season in today’s Mina Seyahi Grand Prix, with Nicola Giorgi and Giorgio Manuzzi producing an outstanding performance to celebrate their first Class 1 podium, bringing SeveneleveN home in third place.

The newly crowned World Champions knew that they did not have to fight for the win to lift the title, and were happy to let Hassan and Curtis both desperate to take their first win of the season disappear into the distance in Qatar 96, and run in second spot. But on lap 15, Qatar 96 slowed dramatically, handing the lead to Victory 1 and a second World title to Al Marri and a first for Bin Hendi.

Victory 7 once again produced a strong performance, taking its sixth podium of the season to secure the runners-up slot in the Championship standings.

For SeveneleveN, the only boat other than both Victory outfits to complete 21 laps, third place was well deserved and a just reward for all the work the team has put in this season to develop their new boat.

Fourth place for Qatar 95 was little consolation for the team, who, for the second consecutive race, saw a huge race-lead disappear due to unreliability.

For Sheikh Hassan and Steve Curtis, their hopes of a race win ended after leading from the flag and for 15 of the 21 laps.

After struggling to get to grips with their new raceboat during practice and in qualifying, Class 1’s youngest partnership Maritimo produced an impressive display, despite a spin and one or two hair-raising moments bringing home a fifth place after enjoying a race-long battle with Foresti & Suardi, who slowed on lap 16 after breaking a water pick-up, forced back to the pits as water poured into their engine bay. But sixth spot for the Italian-Norwegian pairing moves them into third place in the Middle East Championship and puts them within seven points of Jotun in their bid to finish as the highest-placed European Team in the overall Championship standings.

For four crews there was disappointment and frustration; Roscioli Hotels Roma stopped on lap two, after seeing their team-mates, Spirit of Spain, go out on the opening lap, with both Negotiator and Jotun failing to make it to the start line.

MINA SEYAHI GRAND PRIX - results

1. Victory 1 - M Al Marri (UAE) / N Bin Hendi (UAE) – 01.00.47,64

2. Victory 7 - A Al Mehairbi (UAE) / JM Sanchez (FRA) + 01.01,40

3. SeveneleveN 18 - G Manuzzi (ITA) / N Giorgi (ITA) + 02.30,73

4. Qatar 95 - A Al-Sulaiti (QAT) / M Nicolini (ITA) + 1 lap

5. Maritimo 11 - T Barry-Cotter (AUS) / PV Nilsen (NOR) + 4 laps

6. Foresti & Suardi 8 - K Selmer (NOR) / G Montavoci (ITA) + 5 laps

Qatar 96 - H Al-Thani (QAT) / S Curtis (GB) – dnf

Roscioli Hotels Roma 60 - M A Ahmed (ESP) / A Al Suwaidi (UAE) – dnf

Spirit of Spain 88 - S Carrasco (ESP) / G Carpitella (ITA) – dnf

Jotun 90 - IB Aarbakke (NOR) / J Tandberg (NOR) – dns

Negotiator 50 - C Parsonage (GB) / W Moore (US) – dns

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP - after round 7 of 8

1. Victory 1 – 125pts

2. Victory 7 – 105pts

3. Qatar 95 – 81pts

4. Qatar 96 – 71pts

5. Jotun 90 – 64pts

6. Foresti & Suardi 8 – 57pts

7. SeveneleveN 18 – 26pts

8. Spirit of Spain 88 – 19pts

9. Negotiator 50 – 16pts

10. Qatar 9 – 4pts

Roscioli Hotels Roma 60 – 0pts

MIDDLE EAST CHAMPIONSHIP - after round 3 of 4

1. Victory 1 – 60pts

2. Victory 7 – 42pts

3= Qatar 95 – 23pts

3= Foresti & Suardi 8 – 23pts

5. Qatar 96 – 22pts

6. SeveneleveN 18 – 17pts

6. Negotiator 50 – 16pts

Roscioli Hotels Roma 60 – 0 pts

Jotun 90 – 0 pts

Spirit of Spain 88 – 0 pts

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