Class 1 - Spirit of Norway Wins Dubai Grand Prix and Middle East Championship

Spirit of Norway’s Bjorn Gjelsten and Steve Curtis completed the Dubai-double to take their fourth win of the season in today’s Dubai Grand Prix, the final race of the 2007 WPPA Class 1 World Powerboat Championship to clinch the WPPA Class 1 Middle East Championship. The newly crowned WPPA Class 1 World Powerboat Champions, Victory 77’s Arif Saif Al Zafeen and Jean-Marc Sanchez finished second, with Sheikh Hassan Bin Jabor Al-Thani and Matteo Nicolini coming home in third place in Qatar 96.With the first race start aborted and red-flagged by officials, it was Spirit of Norway who seized the immediate advantage at the restart to lead after the first lap from Victory 77 and Qatar 96. Victory 7 made up ground on lap one, moving into fourth place ahead of Qatar 95 and Negotiator, who dropped from fourth at the start to seventh.Spirit of Norway held the lead until they took their long laps, dropping them to second on lap 8 behind Victory 77, but ahead of Qatar 96. The lead trio held station until Victory 77 was forced to take their long laps, with Spirit moving back into the lead on lap 15, and going on to win the 21-lap, 94.18Nm, Dubai Grand Prix by 31 seconds.Victory 7 finished fourth ahead of Qatar 95, with Foresti & Suardi completing the list of finishers in sixth. Spirit of Norway 20 hit trouble and retired on the opening lap, with Jotun’s miserable season of bad luck continuing when they stopped on lap 3 along with Fainplast. Negotiator went five laps later followed by SeveneleveN, out on lap 11.

DUBAI GRAND PRIX – round 8

1. Spirit of Norway 10 – B Gjelsten (NOR)/S Curtis (GB)

2. Victory 77 – A Al Zafeen(UAE)/JM Sanchez (FR) + 00.31,62

3. Qatar 96 – H Al Thani (QAT)/M Nicolini (ITA) + 01.16,79

4. Victory 7 – T Al Sayed (UAE)/N Hendi (UAE) + 01.50,51

5. Qatar 95 – A Al Sulaiti (QAT)/L Nicolini (ITA) + 02.13,15

6. Foresti & Suardi 8 – M Pennesi (ITA)/G Montavoci (ITA) + 2 laps

SeveneleveN 18 – Giorgio Manuzzi (ITA)/N Giorgi (ITA) – dnf

Negotiator 50 – B Eker (NOR)/C Parsonage (GB) - dnf

Jotun 90 – C Zaborowski (NOR)/J Tandberg (NOR) - dnf

Fainplast 2 – K Selmer (NOR)/M Esperto (ITA) – dnf

Spirit of Norway 20 – T Barry-Cotter (AUS)/P Nilsen (NOR) – dnf

WPPA CLASS 1 WORLD POWERBOAT CHAMPIONSHIP – after round 8 of 8

1. Victory 77 – A Al Zafeen(UAE)/JM Sanchez (FR) – 144pts

2. Spirit of Norway 10 – B Gjelsten (NOR)/S Curtis (GB) – 118pts

3. Qatar 96 – H Al Thani (QAT)/M Nicolini (ITA) – 112pts

4. Qatar 95 – A Al Sulaiti (QAT)/L Nicolini (ITA) – 75pts

5. Victory 7 – T Al Sayed (UAE)/N Hendi (UAE) – 71pts

6. Negotiator 50 – B Eker (NOR)/C Parsonage (GB) – 51pts

7. Foresti & Suardi 8 – M Pennesi (ITA)/G Montavoci (ITA) – 48pts

8. Spirit of Norway 20 – T Barry-Cotter (AUS)/P Nilsen (NOR) – 38pts

9. SeveneleveN 18 – T Polli (ITA)/N Giorgi (ITA) – 19pts

10. Jotun 90 – C Zaborowski (NOR)/J Tandberg (NOR) 14pts

11. Fainplast 2 – K Selmer (NOR)/M Esperto (ITA) – 12pts
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