Showing posts with label Powerboat Endurance. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Powerboat Endurance. Show all posts

May 8, 2009

Powerboat P1 - Malta GP Power Pole Metamarine Accident


The Powerboat P1 season get going with the first Power Pole in Malta with 43 Seagull claiming the SuperSport timing and 88 SNAV OSG taking Evolution honours, but the talking at the pits where all dedicated to the incident involving the 53 Metamarine Pignolo boat during sea test just half an hour before the official start.
Metamarine was involved according to testimonies in a 360 spin out while going out from Valletta's Grand Harbour, and later on at a slow speed went on to hit the harbours break water. Both drivers at the helm Marco Pennessi and Max Ferrari where taken to hospital, one suffering from slight and the other from grievous injuries, but both stable and comfortable after the accident. The boat according to Metamarine stuff suffered non mechanical damage with hull, propellers and rudders looking good, but the topsides mostly the engine hatch and closed cockpit wind shield showed all signs with the impact to the water.
 In Supersport the domination of the Chaudrons seem to continue with both the new 43 Seagull and double title winner Racing Project 44 Ikocasa taking one and two. Third place for 38 Baia Attolini who are over eight seconds late from the 2008 title winning drivers and there new boat, sister to the 2008 and 2007 winning hull but powered with new Ilmor engines. 17 Mas Force with renowned and longer boat in the Supersport fleet 43 Nortech boat came fourth. Team Al&Al will feel a disappointment pinch with there new Blue Shaft placing sixth, and the old no.28 Big Sergio fifth. Lastly British Wreckless Team 26 did also a fine job placing initially fourth, but a miss to a pole put them in last place. We spoke to Kim Collins the team driver who told us after competing as a wild card in Vigo in 2008, wants to make all his best to win as much as he can for the first full season. Kim Collins also explained Team 26 important project racing in this season with a Donzi 38 ZR, but also a plan for a new boat in the future. Still Team 26 managed to compete just in time as two hoses where managed to be fixed before the start of the pole.
In Evolution team OSG seems to want a repeat of its previous successes in Malta, by taking the Powerpole for close to two seconds from the other new Outerlimits Lucas Oil boat. Worth to note that Team OSG won the 2007 and 2008 Malta Grand Prix. 47 Silverline making the step from Supersport to Evolution will be happy of there third place, and Cranefields Wine missed completely the buoy during the run up therefore losing time and placing last from the competing boats. Cigarette Smash Poker did not start after having trouble with one engine during the sea trials.
OFFICIAL TIMINGS:
SuperSport
1. #43 Seagull 03:27.92
2. #44 Ikocasa 03:31.00
3. #38 Baia-Attolini 03:36.64
4. #17 MasForce 03:42.14
5. #22 Big Sergio 03:51.55
6. #28 Blue Shaft 04:36.81
7. #26 Wreckless 03:42.14 *missed pole 
Evolution
1. #88 SNAV OSG 03:02.88
2. #77 Lucas Oil Budweiser 03:04.68
3. #47 Silverline 03:22.45
4. #66 Cranefields Wine 04:42.45
5. #10 Cigarette Smash Poker Did not start
6. #53 Metamarine Pignolo 53 Did not start

May 7, 2009

Powerboat P1 - Malta, Valletta Preview


The Malta Grand Prix returns to be the opening round of the Powerboat P1 Season. This is the sixth season for the Malta race, having started to take place in 2004 and has to become one of the race legends in this series.
Malta has also an important footprint in this series having the honour of building the Supersport boat winner of the championship in both the 2007 and 2008 seasons the Chaudron 41. Maltese Arron Chiantar who is son of Charlie Chiantar, Chaudron founder and owner was also at the steering of the 2008 winning boat. This year the local Chaudron will have again two racing boats lined up for the season but both being a 41 footer with the difference in engines. The 44 Racing Project Chaudron winning boat of 2007 and 2008 will be driven by all females Audrien sister of Arron at the throttles and Shelley Jory taking the wheel. On the other hand the winning team of 2008 will move to a new sister hull to there unstoppable boat on the exterior but a new Ilmor engine package. It will be interesting to see how this develops.
In Supersport a total of seven teams will compete. Team Al & Al from Italy presents two running boats one of new construction no. 28 and the old and reliable Big Sergio no.22. Other interesting to see will be the no.17 US built Nortech with Russian Team of Flanders. Baia High Performance will continue with the 2008 package. A new team to watch is Team 26 with Wreckless which is the only UK running in this class.
The Evolution Class will also have seven boats taking part. With the teams eager to follow where they left in 2008 being the second placed Metamarine 53, and third place 88 SNAV OSG. Other to watch will be the Cigarette no.10 The Fantastic One, and Centurian Yachts join hands with the winning 2007 and 2008 Fountain Powerboats to follow a winning package. 47 Silverline from Team Bullet Racing will also make its step to this grand class after competing in the past in Supersport.
So far the schedule does not clarify if racing for both Classes is separated. Racing is far scheduled on 1400 hours on both Saturday and Sunday for the Round one and Round two race. We hope for this to still be the case as it makes for a better viewing and understanding of the race. The spectacular Powerpole is scheduled for Friday at 1530.

May 4, 2009

Powerboat P1 - 2009 Season Preview

Valletta’s Grand Harbour will be the impressive setting for the start of the 2009 Powerboat P1 World Championship the coming week end 8th to the 10th May as the monohull, offshore racing series returns to Malta for the sixth consecutive year. Powerboating has a long and prestigious history dating back over 100 years, with an established following in Malta. P1 is a relative newcomer as it enters its seventh season, but in that time it has established a reputation for delivering world class sport and entertainment in vibrant and distinctive host cities. The Powerboat P1 event schedule will begin on Thursday evening 7th May with the 2008 Championship Awards reception at the Corinthia Hotel St. George’s Bay, which will be home to the P1 staff and teams for the race weekend. Official testing for the Evolution and SuperSport class boats takes place the following day, with the two World Championship rounds being staged on Saturday and Sunday afternoons.
This year’s P1 World Championship will feature a number of new teams and venues, with the series heading east to Istanbul in June for the very first Turkish Grand Prix of the Sea, then north to Gothenburg for the inaugural Scandinavian Grand Prix of the Sea in August, and last is the much waited Bahrain which will close the season.

September 29, 2008

Powerboat P1 - Portugal Grand Prix, Fountain World Wide Claim Title Again

Rain may have brought an early end to proceedings in this weekend’s Portuguese Grand Prix of the Sea, but nobody could damped the spirits of this year’s Evolution and SuperSport title winners as they were officially crowned and awarded with their championship trophies at the final podium ceremony of the season. Throttleman Angelo Tedeschi and pilot Aaron Ciantar have brought new meaning to the word ‘dominance’ in the SuperSport class, taking victory in all but one race in their Racing Project-run 44 Conam Yachts boat. The Mercury-powered Chaudron hull has proved unbeatable and unbreakable in the production-based series, and Tedeschi’s second title and Ciantar’s first are undoubtedly well deserved – especially with a astounding points tally of 1150 points. The 07 Microlink PC VoomVoom.com team were confirmed as the second-place championship finishers, narrowly pipping the 38 Baia High Performance team with a tally of 670 points to the Italian outfit’s 650 points. The increased competition in the Evolution class this year meant that pilot James Sheppard and throttleman Craig Wilson were set for a tough job to defend their title from an astonishing rookie season in 2007, but no-one predicted just how hard they’d have to work. After four wins in the first two events of the year, they’ve had to fight to maintain their points lead as they bid to retain their crown in the Imor-powered 99 Fountain Worldwide 1st4boats.com entry. But, fight they did and third place in yesterday’s Portuguese Grand Prix of the Sea means they’re the first team to successfully score back-to-back Evolution class titles with a grand total of 780 points. The 60 GFN Gibellato team have been confirmed as second-place finishers in the championship chase with 630 points to 88 Kiton Outerlimits’ 580 points. The bronze and cherry-wood sculptures that both teams were awarded at the ceremony are the work of celebrated Italian artist Andreas Perathoner, whose sculptures feature in a number of private collections throughout Europe. Perathoner has also created trophies for a variety of other sports, including the Superbike motorcycle world championship. Each trophy consists of two pieces: an elegant bronze powerboat and a cherry-wood base carved to represent the sea. Perathoner sculpted the original boat designs in wood, which were then sent to a leading Italian foundry in Bologna, where they were cast in bronze. After the champions were awarded their trophies, all the teams in both the SuperSport and Evolution classes – who are the true lifeblood of the championship were invited onto the stage to join the festivities. Then the end-of-season celebrations could really begin!
Evolution Class Sprint Results
1 88 Kiton Outerlimits 54m14.28s
2 10 The Fantastic 1 56m15.02s
3 99 Fountain Worldwide 1st4boats.com 56m35.52s
4 60 GFN Gibellato 58m59.55s
5 66 Cranefields Wine 58m35.05s - 1 lap
6 57 Centaurian Yachts 57m37.78s - 2 laps
7 53 Pignolo 53 56m49.89s - 3 laps
8 77 Lucas Oil RET
9 76 Italcraft RET
10 69 honeyparty.com RET
SuperSport Class Sprint Results
1 44 Conam Yachts 47m25.08s
2 38 Baia High Performance 47m37.97s
3 07 Microlink PC 47m43.56s
4 26 Team Konrad 48m03.25s - 1 lap
5 46 The Spirit of Portomaso 48m46.66s - 1 lap
6 17 Going Lean 47m31.12s - 2 laps
7 08 Phoenix TV 47m31.12s - 2 laps
8 22 The Big Sergio RET
9 47 Silverline Buzzi Bullet DNS
2008 Final Standings
SuperSport Championship
1 44 CONAM Yachts, 1150 pts
2 07 MicroLink PC, 670 pts
3 38 Baia High Performance, 650 pts
4 47 Silverline Buzzi Bullet, 310 pts
5 08 Phoenix 8, 210 pts
6 46 The Spirit of Portomaso, 200 pts
7 22 Big Sergio, 200 pts
8 11 Sunseeker Challenge, 170 pts
9 59 SAHO, 140 pts
Evolution Championship
1 99 Fountain Worlwide, 780 pts
2 60 NSG Gibellato, 630 pts
3 88 Kiton Outerlimits, 580 pts
4 53 Pignollo 53, 480 pts
5 10 Fantastic 1, 440 pts
6 77 Lucas Oil , 270 pts
7 66 Cranefield Wine, 270 pts
8 57 Centaurian Yachts, 260 pts
9 69 Honeyparty.com, 220 pts
10 76 Italcraft, 110 pts

September 24, 2008

Powerboat P1 - Portimao, Portugal Preview

The final way point of the 2008 Powerboat P1 championship, follows the 2007 schedule in Portimao, Portugal. This was an unannounced ending to the championship, replacing the final race of Bahrain, as of from August when P1 management advised the cancellation to the Gulf stop, moving it to 2009. An unhappy move especially to the teams still fighting for the championship.
In Supersport Class the title is already decided by 2007 winner 44 Conam Yachts, what will be the usual unstoppable run from the Italian Maltese team, but fighting will for sure be seen in the battle for second place between 7 Microlink PC and 38 Baia High Performance lying in third.
In the prime Evolution class, the title is still undecided, with 2007 winners Fountain World Wide being a second away for repeating there success, with the Italians of 88 Kiton Outerlimits and 60 GFN Gibellato for sure trying to spoil the party for the English USA boat. Surprise for the title contenders can come from 53 Pignolo lying in fourth place, with a big chance of stealing a third and if lucky even a second place in the final run. Another announced change of script in the Evolution race are the pending appeals of 10 Fantastic 1 regarding last race in Vigo and 60 GFN Gibellato race in Marseilles, France, which can affect the title closing dramatically.
Racing in 2008 has been fantastic, but from here we send the message that the P1 organisation machine can improve. The thinking of the 2008 season is that the first six races starting in a 6 week period effected dramatically the outcome of the championship favoring the teams with the older boats. The Bahrain cancellation also shortened the title fight, especially in the Evolution Class where the contenders mainly 60 GFN Gibellato and 88 Kiton Outerlimits where showing there best after the race in Malta. The racing was nice and fast, but the title winning which in P1 tradition has always been decided in the final run was a bit less enthusiastic compared to previous years, so from here we hope for a longer, more viewable challenge and better competition for the 2009 season.
www.powerboatp1.com

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

September 10, 2008

Powerboat P1 - Vigo, Spain Preview

The 2008 Powerboat P1 championship is gearing up for a thrilling climax as teams head to the west coast of the European continent for the Vigo Grand Prix of the Sea in northern Spain on the southern Mediterranean coast. In the Evolution class, the reigning champion 99 Fountain Worldwide 1st4boats.com team have a strong 220 point lead in the standings, but struggled to return to their early-season winning ways in the last two rounds in Malta and Tunisia. A couple of poor results, allied to wins for the 88 Kiton Outerlimits and 60 GFN Gibellato teams, could dramatically turn the balance of the title tide in the closing rounds. There’s an incredibly close battle for fourth place to seventh place, with the 53 Pignolo 53, 10 Fantastic 1, 66 Cranfields Wine and 77 Lucas Oil crews all looking for a solid finish to the end of the year. The 57 Centaurian Yachts, 76 Italcraft and 69 Honeyparty.com teams will also be looking to end their year on a high. In the SuperSport class, the reigning champion 44 Conam Yachts Racing Project team have a healthy 190 point lead, but just like in Evolution a sudden bad run of form could hand the advantage to the perfectly poised 07 VoomVoom.com team. The 38 Baia High Performance crew, who are 120 points further back, look set to take at least third place in the standings, but the 47 Silverline Buzzi Bullet team will have to work hard to defend their 60-point lead over the 08 Phoenix TV crew. The 59 Saho squad will be looking to take sixth place in the standings in the absence of the 11 Sunseeker Challenger crew, while the 22 Big Sergio and 46 Spirit of Portomaso teams will be looking to end their year on a high. The Vigo Grand Prix of the Sea will takes place this weekend of September 12-14. As ever we’ll have all the inside news and analysis direct from the dry pit, with live race coverage on Virtual Spectator and P1 Radio.
www.powerboatp1.com

August 7, 2008

Powerboat P1 - Cowes Torquay Cowes Cancelled, Sunseeker Retires

Powerboat P1, the commercial rights holder to the Cowes-Torquay-Cowes race, has announced with sadness its decision to cancel the event as a result of insufficient entries. The race organisers – the British Powerboat Racing Club, the Royal Yachting Association and Powerboat P1 - had hoped to resurrect the historic race after a three year break in response to requests from British powerboat racers. However, the number of entries received has made the event economically unviable and would fail to deliver a genuine and competitive sporting spectacle. The first Cowes-Torquay-Cowes powerboat race took place in 1961 and it is regarded as one of British offshore racing’s most celebrated and demanding events. The Cowes-Torquay-Cowes race does not form part of the Powerboat P1 World Championship, which comprises 14 races on three continents. The next round of the World Championship will be hosted by the historic port of Vigo on Spain’s Atlantic coast.
On another sad note Powerboat P1 Management has also been advised by Sunseeker Sales Group that the Team Sunseeker and the 11 Sunseeker Challenger boat will not be contesting the remaining three Grand Prix of the Sea events of the 2008 season. As a passionate my hope is to see Sunseeker back in the sea racing the races as soon as possible.

July 14, 2008

Powerboat P1 - Tunisia Gran Prix, GFN Gibellato Conam Yachts Win

It was another difficult weekend for the P1 teams, what was called a tough and fit only challenge from the crews, with the med sea showing for another time this year his dark side. Tunisia proved a big challenge for all teams, with issues like high temperature, big swell seas and attrition all playing a big part in the difficulties for the boats and there crews. The Sunday Evolution team race with only 3 boats finishing the race was just testimony to all the problems the boats faced. Now it will be a longish 2 month break for the championship with a teaser in between for the classic Cowes Torquay Cowes race, which the P1 Management is promoting.
Evolution
The 60 GFN Gibellato crew continued their impressive 2008 form in this weekend’s Tunisian Grand Prix of the Sea Evolution Endurance race. The Italian crew pipped the 88 Kiton Outerlimits and 99 Fountain Worldwide 1st4boats.com entries in a dramatic race of incidents and attrition that proved a real test for the stamina of both boats and crews. With 40C temperatures on the shore, and probably 50C+ temperatures in the closed canopy Evolution cockpits, the battle for the lead in the early stages of the event was a fierce four-way duel between the 10 Fantastic 1 Cigarette boat, the 69 Honeyparty.com boat, and the 77 Lucas Oil team. Closing fast on this mix were the reigning champion and current class-leading 99 Fountain Worldwide 1st4boats.com team, but just as the British-based squad seemed like they were about to do their usual job of emerging ahead of the pack, they yo-yoed from fourth to first, and back to fourth again after a dramatic first corner spin. Things weren’t any easier for the leading pack as one-by-one the 10 Fantastic 1 Cigarette boat, the 69 Honeyparty.com boat and the 77 Lucas Oil team dropped by the wayside with mechanic problems, many of which were related to the intense heat. Going into the closing laps, the 60 GFN Gibellato team emerged from the gaggle leading the 88 Kiton Outerlimits boat, the 99 Fountain Worldwide boat and the sole remaining survivor, the 53 Pignolo 53 entry. If such tough conditions and unpredictable results continue for the Sprint race, we could well have some significant changes at the top of the Evolution class points standings.
The Evolution Sprint race round of the Tunisian Grand Prix of the Sea proved as much of a test of stamina of man and machine as Saturday’s Endurance race, with the 10 Fantastic 1 Cigarette Racing Team Europe squad, the 76 Italcraft boat and the 88 Kiton Outerlimits emerging the top-three survivors from an attrition-marked race. The first few laps provided some of the closest racing of the season so far as the 10 Fantastic 1, the 60 GFN Gibellato, the 88 Kiton Outerlimits and the 99 Fountain Worldwide 1st4boats.com crews battled fiercely for position. By the end of the first lap, though the 99 Fountain Worldwide crew were slowing with broken steering, and the 60 GFN Gibellato boat was surging ahead into a dominant lead. As the 88 Kiton Outerlimits boat slowed with an engine problem, the four-way battle turned into a two-way scrap that in the closing laps soon became a solo performance as the 60 GFN Gibellato boat followed the lead of the midfield runners and crawled to a halt. That put the 10 Fantastic 1 boat back ahead, with the US-backed Italian-run team scoring their first Powerboat P1 victory on a weekend when regular throttleman Lino Di Biase was replaced with Class 1 racer Matteo Nicolini. The only joy for the 60 GFN Gibellato team was that the high rate of attrition meant they were able to score third place, and secure the overall Tunisian Grand Prix of the Sea honours from the 10 Fantastic 1 boat and Max Ferrari’s 53 Pignolo53 entry.
Supersport
The reigning champion 44 Conam Yachts team took their sixth win of the 2008 Powerboat P1 season in Saturday’s Tunisian Grand Prix of the Sea Endurance race, but the Italian-based outfit was nearly beaten on the track for the first time this year. The 07 VoomVoom.com boat took the initial lead on the run through the first corner, they were passed on the back straight by the 59 Saho Offshore Ranas boat. The twin-canopy boat then powered into a comfortable lead that they held for the first half of the race. On lap seven, though, the 59 Saho boat fell off plane on the far side of the course, and despite a concerted effort to restart the race, they were forced to pull into the harbour. That gave the lead back to the 44 Conam Yachts crew, who had quickly worked their way past the 07 VoomVoom.com boat and chased 59 Saho as they opened up a clear gap over 07 VoomVoom.com and the rest of the field. Ultimately, the 07 VoomVoom.com crew took second, but it was a close run thing. The 38 Baia High Performance mechanics had worked all through the night to make their Donzi hull seaworthy after it was inadvertently dropped on the dock while being craned out of the wet pits on Friday afternoon. After just making the start of the race, they powered their way through the field to a well-deserved podium finish. The 05 Team Tullio Abbate Wild Card entry, the 22 Big Sergio Al & Al boat and the 11 Team Sunseeker crew rounded out the top six finishers. There was disappointment for the 47 Silverline Buzzi Bullet crew as they were forced to miss the race after suffering a seized engine in final practice, while the 08 Phoenix TV and the 46 Spirit of Portomaso boats retired.
The SuperSport title-leading 44 Conam Yachts crew took their seventh win of the year in the Tunisian Grand Prix of the Sea Sprint race, securing overall Grand Prix of the Sea honours at the same time. The double win allied to their 50-point bonus for completing the first half of the year without an engine change gives them a 190 point advantage in the championship points table. The 07 VoomVoom.com squad currently 44 Conam Yachts closest challenges were the only team to stay within touching distance of the Italian reigning champions at the start of the race, but Tedeschi and Ciantar once again quickly pulled out a comfortable lead that proved impossible to beat. A second second place of the weekend for the 07 VoomVoom.com squad gave them runner-up spoils in the Grand Prix of the Sea trophy chase. 08 Phoenix TV took the final podium spoils of the Sprint race, while fourth place was a superb result for the returning 11 Team Sunseeker. After a two-race sabbatical following the sinking of their boat in Marseilles, France, this was a fantastic comeback weekend by the British squad. The 05 Team Tullio Abbate Wild Card entry edged the 47 Silverline Buzzi Bullet boat and the 22 Big Sergio crew in the final race finishers to take the final Grand Prix of the Sea podium spot. It was double jeopardy for the Donzi crews, though, as the 38 Baia High Performance OSG team failed to complete the first lap and the 59 Saho boat failed to start with a transmission problem.
Evolution Class Sprint Results
1 10 The Fantastic 1 46m38.77s
2 76 Italcraft 48m59.84s
3 60 GFN Gibellato 57m16.46s
4 66 Cranefields Wine 49m38.35s - 2 laps
5 53 Pignolo 53 1h00m32.32s - 2 laps
6 88 Kiton Outerlimits 52m25.54s - 3 laps
7 99 Fountain Worldwide 1st4boats.com RET
8 57 Centaurian Yachts RET
9 77 Lucas Oil RET
10 69 honeyparty.com DNS
Evolution Class Endurance Results
1 60 GFN Gibellato
2 88 Kiton Outerlimits
3 99 Fountain Worldwide 1st4boats.com
4 53 Pignolo 53 - 1 lap
5 77 Lucas Oil RET
6 69 honeyparty.com RET
7 10 The Fantastic 1 RET
8 66 Cranefields Wine RET
9 76 Italcraft RET
10 57 Centaurian Yachts RET
SuperSport Class Sprint Results
1 44 Conam Yachts 45m36.53s
2 07 VoomVoom.com 47m10.20s
3 08 Phoenix TV 48m24.84
4 11 Sunseeker Challenger 48m25.05s
5 05 Special Team Guido Abbate 49m52.34s
6 47 Silverline Buzzi Bullet 51m05.99s
7 22 The Big Sergio 48m15.15s - 1 lap
8 38 Baia High Performance RET
9 46 The Spirit of Portomaso DNS
10 59 Saho DNS
SuperSport Class Endurance Results
1 44 Conam Yachts 1h13m43.57s
2 07 VoomVoom.com 1h15m14.96s
3 38 Baia High Performance 1h15m16.28s
4 05 Special Team Guido Abbate 1h18m31.20s
5 11 Sunseeker Challenger 1h17m22.23s - 1 lap
6 22 The Big Sergio 1h117m47.80s - 1 lap + 4 min penalty
7 59 Saho RET
8 08 Phoenix TV RET
9 46 The Spirit of Portomaso RET
10 47 Silverline Buzzi Bullet DNS

July 8, 2008

Powerboat P1 - Hammamet, Tunisia Preview

Powerboat P1 swaps Morocco for the majestic waters of Tunisia this year. Hosting the Tunisian Grand Prix of the Sea for the second time, Africa’s northernmost nation will provide a unique stop in the 2008 calendar, with the race weekend being held in the coastal resort of Hammamet. The 4th round in the North African continent will prove a vital stop before an official 2 month break for the season.
The Tunisian Grand Prix is finally here and after a hectic start of the season for the boats, this was a much wanted longer 5 weeks break from the shore crew of all teams, so it will be interesting to see if any of the teams will have upped there game to be in more challenging form to the firsts of the class. Apart all the usual P1 action, Tunisia will also add the extreme heat which is expected to hit the North African Med race course with temperatures of 4o plus degrees Celsius. Time table has also been revised for a late afternoon, early evening race. In Evolution it will be curious to see if the dominating form shown by 88 Kiton Outerlimits in Malta, was a luck of many factors or if this is the boat to beat for the 2008 season. My gut tell me it's the later one, tough more friendly waters could prove a bonus to the smaller Evolution boats like the Fountain and the Skater V-399. SuperSport Class 44 Conam Yachts seem so far unstoppable, but teams like 38 Baia High Performance say that if weather conditions prove smoother they can be a match for the Italian Maltese pairing.
The Tunisian Grand Prix will also mark the return of 11 Sunseeker Challenger in Supersport Class, after the accident in Marseilles in pre-race testing. Meanwhile 76 Italcraft Inrizzardi Evolution Class team will still be using the old Metamarine as in Malta, with the shore crew continue on updating and preparing the new alloy hulled Diesel Seatek powered Binautica, which should go for a record challenge to the Venezia Montecarlo race in the coming weeks, before racing in the next official round scheduled for Vigo in Spain.
www.powerboatp1.com

June 17, 2008

Interview - Marco Pennesi from Powerboat Endurance Team Metamarine Corse Veneta Marina Racing

PowerYacht presents a special about the Powerboat P1 2008 season interviewing the racers and protagonist of the series in both classes. As a start to these special interviews we talk with Metamarine Corse Veneta Marina Racing, interviewing team boss and driver Marco Pennesi. Metamarine after the third round and sixth race of Malta is in third place in the Evolution Class at 330 points, 100 points away from current class leader and 2007 Champion Fountain Worldwide. The 60 GFN Gibellato boat is also one of the two Evolution boats with diesel power.
Questions PY. PowerYacht, Reply MP - Marco Pennesi

PY. A strong preparation from your side for this season, are you satisfied with the results achieved so far?
MP - Yes we're very satisfied with our boat, we've to tweak it better but we have dominated three Poles, and that's a great satisfaction.

PY. As you point out, you have dominated so far every Power Pole and won a race on the table in Italy, what is missing for the 60 GFN Gibellato to win a race? Is it really as the rumors say a fuel weight problem?
MP - We have no fuel problem rather we noticed a low fuel consumption on our boat. The bad start was caused by a not well working engine.

PY. Yes the bad starts have also been a characteristic of Gibellato so far, with some people arguing the fact that if boat 60 goes up well at the start it can win the race. Are these rumors correct? When one notes that you have the opportunity to choose your lane as Power Pole winners, giving another advantage. What is has been the problem at the start?
MP - We have no problem with the start, we won every pole position so our boat can win every race. Our boat just need an engine tweak cause we're the only one using such kind of Seatek engine, and there's some work to do in order to fix the sx turbo-charged engine.

PY. Rumor has it that 60 GFN Gibellato prefers the rough sea thanks to the diesel power, 46 feet size and extra weight. But once the race gets going it seems not to be much difference as was the case in Italy with not much of waves in there. What type of weather suits best to the boat and what is your preference?
MP - The 60 GFN Gibellato doesn't have a preferred sea or weather, it's racing very well in every G.P., and we haven't got any hull damage since now as many of the other team had. I personally prefer rough sea, it's more enjoyable for a pilot!

PY. Fountain Worldwide won the 2007 season in the final race. When one notes that you Metamarine had an improved package and OSG a new outfit, did you think to find the English USA team so much a step ahead in the first part of the P1 2008 season?
MP - We don't think Fountain is unbeatable, furthermore considering that the capability of a boat is expressed well during the pole position, with open sea and clear way, and we won all the 3 Pole Position. We just need to tweak our boat in order to beat Fountain

PY. Which of the new teams will give the biggest competition for the title? (Italcraft, Cigarette, and Honeyparty) Any why do you think they are tough to beat?
MP - I dunno which may be more competitive for us, we won all the pole and we're third in the P1 standing. We'll see what happen in the next G.P. Of Tunisia

PY. We saw a great comeback in Malta from the OSG Racing Team. After Malta they seem the team to beat at least in the racing. Do you think that the rough seas could have been to there advantage or the OSG package is complete?
MP - Yes, OSG for sure found a perfect sea and weather for their boat, and they did a nice race.

PY. Petrol vs Diesel! You are so far one of two teams gambling on diesel in Evolution, with the heavy fuel last winning the P1 championship in 2005 with Wettpunkt.com. Analyzing the races now after the third race would you make the same choice? Do you still think diesel can beat petrol?
MP - Diesel Engine is clearly better than Petrol, we've 3 time the torque than a Petrol engine and that allow us to move faster from a buoy, furthermore the three Pole win state our boat concrete superiority.

PY. In the real nautical World most boats over 10 meters are sold with Diesel power. I think P1 is pushing more for Petrol power due to the bigger show thanks to the noise that they make, but if competitions should be used to push technology forward in the real World, they would do the opposite. What is your idea about this?
MP - Petrol Engine make for sure more “show and noise”, but as u said diesel motor is the most used power system in the real world; furthermore considering the low consumption, the great torque power. We think that Diesel engine are the future, we work totally on diesel engine and we're looking to introduce the Metamarine way of boat construction.

PY. In your opinion are the rules from the P1 between diesel and petrol engines fair? Would you change improve some things?
MP - P1 rule are fair. The organization just need to check better the boat, in all it's part, looking for water tank or some other device prohibited by the rule.

PY. Was the calendar start for the 2008 season with 3 races going on 2 weeks after each other too close? Did it affect if anything your preparation.
MP - It affected a lot my preparation due to the low time we had to prepare and tweak the boat, considering also the work I have constantly to do in my shipyard and workshop.

PY. You have won the 2004 Supersport Championship. Did you find the transition from Supersport to Evolution difficult?
MP - It wasn't difficult, we found it more gratifying and enjoyable for our team.

PY. The standards from 2007 to 2008 in Evolution seem to have made a big leap forward, are you satisfied with the improvements?
MP - I'm not completely satisfied, looking to the future there's a lot of work to do.

PY. Rules change with no speed limits ensure the superiority of the Evolution Class, but also a race separation is also good. It was said that after winning in Cowes and disqualified cause of the speed limit you where among the first who raised this issue. How much is there truth in this rumor?
MP - We got a disqualification from a UIM judge, and the judgment was clearly unfair. We constantly work in order to improve the rule for a more safe and enjoyable Championship.

PY. What would you like to see P1 improve in?
MP - P1 is doing a nice job, and we always try to help as much as possible in order to improve the rule, the championship and the whole organization.

PY. You have raced in Class One, fast offshore catamarans last year. What is your idea about Class1 and how does it compare to P1?
MP - Class One is the most gratifying sport. No other sport give u the adrenaline and the fun u can have from a Class One race, and it's not comparable to P1 race.

PY. Will we see you racing in Class One again?
MP - If the rule change I will be the first in line! The actual rule doesn't allow me to race fairly.

PY. Managing also a boatyard and building the Metamarine 46 TNT Replica which is based on the 46 Corsa racing boat used in the P1, do you think that competition like P1 helps technology move forward?
MP - For sure! We race in P1 championship for passion and in order to improve the advanced technology of our boat, evolving our TNT 46 Corsa in a perfect pleasure craft, the TNT 46 Replica. We are very proud of our technological boat solution.

Thanks for your time and acceptance of the PowerYacht interview. Best of luck for the 2008 season and all your future racing success.

June 8, 2008

Powerboat P1 - Malta Grand Prix, Kiton Outerlimits Conam Yachts Take All

It was a weekend of great racing in Malta and having watched the races and Powerpole live, it was an experience to see and remeber. So it the circus is close by go and have a look! The most thing that strikes is how the P1 circus is growing its professionalism with the teams looking as good as it gets. Think about the top motor sports like Formula One and there it goes. This is no surprise having various top powerboat builders like Cigarette, Fountain, Outerlimirs, Skater, Metamarine and Italcraft Inrizzardi competing on official basis. The racing was fantastic with 44 Chaudron Conam Yachts still dominating the Supersport class, but a nice turn around in the Evolution with a double win from OSG Kiton Outerlimits, and chart leaders Fountain worldwide taking second overall. Now it will be a month of break which I am sure will serve some teams to upgrade there package when the next race happens in Tunisia.
Evolution
After four races of domination by the reigning champion 99 Fountain Worldwide 1st4boats.com team, the tide of the Evolution class title fight took a dramatic turn in Saturday’s Evolution class Endurance race of the Malta Grand Prix of the Sea.
The 88 Kiton Outerlimits pairing of 2006 Evolution class champion Giancarlo Cangiano and Joe Sgro dominated the Endurance event in incredibly rough conditions, ultimately taking the chequered flag with a four-minute lead over the second-place 60 GFN Gibellato boat. The heavy diesel-powered 60 GFN Gibellato boat had proved a revelation in the smooth conditions of the season-opener in San Benedetto del Tronto in Italy, and as expected was even more ideally suited to pushing through today’s rougher waves off the coast of host city Valletta. A poor start that left the team trailing the competition and having to fight their way through the field was perhaps all that prevented the team from scoring its second win of the season. In third were the 69 Honeyparty.com entry, scoring their first points of the year after impressive pace, but poor reliability in the first two rounds. The Chief-powered Skater boat was a consistent frontrunner throughout the course of today’s race, despite as a smaller boat being less favoured in the rough conditions. In fact, so rough were the conditions, that battle damage cracks could clearly be seen on the 69 Honeyparty.com’s hull. The 77 Lucas Oil boat had been in the early fight for the top three podium positions, but was forced out of the battle by a broken engine mount. That was a big help to the 99 Fountain Worldwide 1st4boats.com team, who moved back through the field after dropping back at the start. Sadly, for the Evolution class championship leaders, a suspected electrical problem meant they lost engine power and ultimately had to settle for fourth place. The 66 Cranfields Wine boat and the 57 Centaurian Yachts boats rounded out the race finishers, with the 53 Pignolo 53 and 76 Italcraft entries both retiring with technical problems in the rough conditions.
The 88 Kiton Outerlimits OSG racing crew of Giancarlo Cangiano and Joe Sgro took their second Evolution class win of the Malta Grand Prix of the Sea weekend in Sunday’s Sprint event, securing the overall Grand Prix of the Sea victory and moving into second place in the Evolution class championship standings. It was another dominant performance from 2006 champion Cangiano and Sgro in the Mercury-powered Outerlimits boat. Finishing in second place were the reigning title winners and current championship leaders, the 99 Fountain Worldwide 1st4boats.com entry. Although the pair were clearly settled for second after dropping back at the start, a solid weekend and a pair of points finishes mean they’ve continued to enhance their lead at the top of the standings. The 10 Fantastic 1 Cigarette Racing Team Europe entry rounded out the podium finishers, despite slowing rapidly in the second half of the race with an engine problem. The 66 Cranfields Wine and 60 GFN Gibellato boat rounded out the top five finishers, while Italian Max Ferrari limped his 53 Pignolo 53 entry home after his canopy came loose midway through the race, severely hampering the handling of his boat. The 69 Honeyparty.com team were forced to pull in halfway through the race with a split hull, leaving the British-based outfit with a sour aftertaste to yesterday’s podium glory. It was also a bad day for the 77 Lucas Oil crew, failing to even start the race after delays leaving the harbour, a consequence of repairing the damage from Saturday's engine bolt failure.
Supersport
Local Maltese hero Aaron Ciantar, driving the 44 Conam Yachts entry, piloted his team to victory in Saturday’s SuperSport Endurance event, the first race of the Malta Grand Prix of the Sea weekend.
Ciantar and reigning SuperSport champion throttleman Angelo Tedeschi led the race from start to finish in their locally-built, Mercury-powered Chaudron boat. The SuperSport championship-leading team were untouchable as they attacked the rough seas off the coast of host city Valletta, securing their second success of the weekend after yesterday’s PowerPole win. With two boats the 08 Phoenix 8 and the 46 Spirit of Portomaso, forced out at the start of the race due to mechanical problems, the remaining teams took to the start line as the wind increased . As the seas got rougher, attrition was bound to be a factor and, by the fourth lap, the 22 Big Sergio entry had retired with mechanical difficulties, while the 59 Saho boat suffered a broken water pump. Drive of the day came from the 07 VoomVoom.com crew, who came from the back of the field to take a dramatic second place from the 38 Baia High Performance boat in the closing stages. Despite choosing the wrong propellers for the conditions, 47 Buzzi Bullet continued its fight to the finish.
The 44 Conam Yachts crew of reigning SuperSport champion Angelo Tedeschi and local Maltese hero Aaron Ciantar took their second win of the weekend and their fifth win of the year in Sunday’s SuperSport Sprint race to secure overall victory in the Malta Grand Prix of the Sea event. The duo in their Mercury-powered Chaudron hull, built in Malta by Ciantar's family business were never headed from the start of the race, and romped home to another dominant and unchallenged victory. The 38 Baia High Performance boat finished second after a ding-dong, three-way battle for the remaining podium places with the 07 VoomVoom.com boat and the 47 Silverline Buzzi Bullet crew. 07 VoomVoom.com pairing looked like they’d blown it as they spun out two laps from the end, but were able to mount a late charge to push the 38 Baia High Performance crew of Stefano Acanfora and Renato Guidi right to the chequered flag, ensuring they retain their second place in the SuperSport championship standings. The 07 VoomVoom.com’s recovery was helped by technical problems in the 47 Silverline Buzzi Bullet that caused them to drop back to fourth in the closing stages of the race. The 46 Spirit of Portomaso boat and the 22 Big Sergio crew rounded out the finishers, while 59 Saho was forced to turn back to port before the race even started and 08 Phoenix 8 missed the first Powerboat P1 SuperSport race in three years a legacy of the engine problems that blighted the team’s race on Saturday.
Evolution Class Sprint Results
1 88 Kiton Outerlimits 36m17.46s
2 99 Fountain Worldwide 1st4boats.com 37m13.50s
3 10 The Fantastic 1 36m19.45s - 1 lap
4 66 Cranefields Wine 36m43.59s - 1 lap
5 60 GFN Gibellato 37m22.75s - 1 lap
6 76 Italcraft 38m46.08s - 1 lap
7 53 Pignolo 53 47m21.38s - 2 laps
8 69 honeyparty.com RET
9 57 Centaurian Yachts RET
10 77 Lucas Oil DNS
Evolution Class Endurance Results
1 88 Kiton Outerlimits 1h03m22.66s
2 60 GFN Gibellato 1h07m38.59s
3 69 honeyparty.com 1h08m02.99s
4 99 Fountain Worldwide 1st4boats.com 1h07m56.59s - 1 lap
5 66 Cranefields Wine 1h08m64.96s - 1 lap
6 57 Centaurian Yachts 1h07m40.00s - 2 laps
7 53 Pignolo 53 RET 8 77 Lucas Oil RET
9 76 Italcraft RET 10
10 The Fantastic 1 DNS
SuperSport Class Sprint Results
1 44 Conam Yachts 40m28.07s
2 38 Baia High Performance 42m02.68s
3 07 VoomVoom.com 42m04.51s
4 47 Silverline Buzzi Bullet 42m19.93s
5 46 The Spirit of Portomaso 45m09.51s + 4m penalty
6 22 The Big Sergio RET
7 08 Phoenix TV DNS
8 59 Saho DNS
SuperSport Class Endurance Results
1 44 Conam Yachts 1h36m02.33s
2 07 VoomVoom.com 1h37m29.03s
3 38 Baia High Performance 1h39m45.55s
4 47 Silverline Buzzi Bullet 1h38m57.95s - 1 lap
5 22 The Big Sergio RET
6 59 Saho RET
7 08 Phoenix TV DNS
8 46 The Spirit of Portomaso DNS

June 2, 2008

Powerboat P1 - Valletta, Malta Preview

Fifth edition of the Malta Grand Prix, what has been the opener of the season in previous editions, the Powerboat P1 Malta race is now a classic of the circus. This year it is even more so thanks to the strong position of 44 Coman Yachts, a boat built locally by Chaudron Powerboats adding with the competition of Chaudron Portomaso also in Supersport class. Classic or not, this is a very delicate race for the season, seeing the superiority the 2007 winners are showing in both Evolution and Supersport Class.
In Evolution class 99 Fountian Worldwide 1st4boats.com seem unstoppable and have won all four races of the season, with a penalty for non dyno rating in the second race in Italy. Some teams are showing some potential to stop the English crewed American boat, of which 60 GFN Gibellato would be my preferred choice, followed by 10 The Fantastic 1, Cigarette boat which have also hired new talent with renowned US racer Tomlinson as part of the crew. Other potential title contenders are Kiton Outerlimits needing to resolve continuation problems along with some extra speed, with the same story for the 69 Honeyparty.com team who after sinking in testing before the season started seem to lack the pace but looks the speed is there having started a few of the races in front. The 77 Lucas Oil Skater boat, also shows good potential finishing second and third in the opening races in Italy, but the red boat needs to find that extra knot in order to be competitive for the winning.
In Supersport the 44 Conam Yachts dominion looks more big, as I see very few teams able to challenge the Maltese Italian team. 7 VoomVoom.com as second in the standings would be my first choice, followed by the Donzi 38 Baia High Performance of the OSG team which seem to be growing in confidence. 47 Buzzi Bullet who had to be the Coman Yachts menace seem to lack the right pace as yet, but if we would have some more rough weather the diesel powerboat could give a few surprises.
www.powerboatp1.com

May 25, 2008

Powerboat P1 - France Grand Prix, Fountain Worldwide Conam Yachts Double Again


Another weekend of challenging racing in Marseilles, South of France for the Powerboat P1 circus. The second way point of the 2008 season, was an impressive duel with wind and rough waters showing the typical crazy conditions of the Mediterranean breeze of which this particular harbour has a fame for. The other big challenge which all the competitors are facing is to stop the 2007 champions, which so far seem unstoppable. May be last year we might not have seen the full potential of the winners in the respective classes!
Evolution
The 99 Fountain 1st4boats.com took a dominant win in Saturday Evolution class Sprint race of the Grand Prix de Marseille, heading home the 88 Kiton Outerlimits OSG Racing boat and the 10 Fantastic 1 Cigarette Racing Team in a dramatic event that had thrills and spills aplenty. The race got off to a controversial start before the boats even reached the first turn as the 99 Fountain boat and the 69 Honeyparty.com had a close shave that left the 69 Honeyparty.com boat limping back to harbour with severe hull damage. In the ensuing confusion, the majority of boats managed to miss the first buoy, allowing the 99 Fountain boat to make a clean escape before building a 20-second lead. The 88 Kiton Outerlimits boat emerged at the end of the start lap in second place, gradually easing away from a close battle between the 77 Lucas Oil team and the 10 Fantastic 1 Cigarette boat. That battle turned in the Cigarette team’s favour when the 77 Lucas Oil boat seemed to turn round the first turn buoy too tightly, making a quick course correction that allowed the 10 Fantastic 1 boat to slip ahead. A tough day turned even tougher for the 77 Lucas Oil crew as they slowly dropped back into the clutches of the 57 Centaurian Yachts team and then retired with a technical problem just two laps from the end of the race. Those fortunes contrast starkly with those of the 99 Fountain 1st4boats.com team, who have now scored their third victory on the trot (if you discount their current disqualification from the Italian Grand Prix of the Sea Sprint race). The reigning champions are looking as unbeatable as ever.
Can anyone stop the 99 Fountain 1st4boats.com team? In another spectacular display in incredibly rough conditions, the reigning champion crew won the shortened Endurance race of the Grand Prix de Marseille in southern France, and secured the overall Grand Prix of the Sea victory with a full 200-point score. This wasn’t the Fountain team’s easiest win, though, as they first had to come from behind and then defend their lead from a variety of rival challenges. After a typically chaotic first lap, the 69 Honeyparty.com boat took the early lead from the 53 Pignolo 53 entry, with the 77 Lucas Oil crew, the 10 Fantastic 1 Cigarette Racing Team Europe entry and the 99 Fountain 1st4boats.com duo rounding out the top five. The Fountain crew were very quickly on the move, though, passing the Cigarette boat for fourth by the end of the first full flying lap. On lap four, they moved past the 77 Lucas Oil boat into third, which quickly became second as technical gremlins once again blighted the British-based 69 Honeyparty.com boat, forcing a halt, ending another another frustratingly pointless weekend. 53 Pignolo did well to hold off the challenge from the 99 Fountain boat for the lead, but Sheppard and Wilson lurked perfectly on the 53 boat's wake and moved ahead on lap five before quickly pulling clear. The race came to a thrilling climax as first the 10 Fantastic 1 Cigarette boat ground to a halt from third place with what looked suspiciously like engine problems. That allowed the 60 GFN Gibellato diesel-powered boat to show its rough-weather form by moving into third, before powering past the 53 Pignolo 53 boat to take second on the final lap. The 88 Kiton Outerlimits OSG Racing rounded out the full race finishers in fourth place. There was more heartbreak for the pre-weekend championship leading 77 Lucas Oil team as they slowed from third place in the mid-stages of the race and limped home with only one working engine. They lost their championship lead, while reigning Evolution title winners Fountain Worldwide move into a clear lead that could get even bigger if they recover the 100 points they lost in the Italian Grand Prix of the Sea Sprint race in appeal. Two teams with even bigger post-weekend headaches are the German 66 Cranefields Wine Searex Racing team and the Belgian 57 Centaurian Yachts entry, both of whom ended up limping back to the harbour midway through the race with battle damage from the first lap chaos. The 57 Centaurian Yachts entry was particularly badly damaged, with a huge hole in the right-hand side of the boat. With plenty of battle-scarred boats to repair after a bruising rough Grand Prix de Marseille weekend, and a lot of catching up to do if anyone wants to overhaul the 99 Fountain team, it looks like a busy couple of weeks for the Evolution teams in the gap before the Malta Grand Prix of the Sea. But, for Powerboat P1 fans, if the racing is anything like this weekend, then we can't wait...!
SuperSport
The reigning champion 44 Conam Yachts crew continued their dominance of the SuperSport class in the Sprint race of the Grand Prix de Marseille. The Italian-based led home the 59 Saho Offshore Rana’s boat and the 08 Phoenix TV team, with an almost three-minute lead at the chequered flag. The battle for second place was initially an incredibly close-fought scrap between the 47 Silverline Buzzi Bullet and 07 VoomVoom.com crews, but both boats ground to a halt midway through the race with technical problems, severely hampering their bid to stay ahead of the 44 Conam Yachts crew at the top of the points table.
The 44 Conam Yachts team continued their impressive start to their SuperSport title defence in France, dominating the shortened Endurance race of the Grand Prix de Marseille to complete a weekend double victory and secure overall Grand Prix of the Sea victory, leading the way from the start to win by a comfortable 26-second margin from the 07 VoomVoom.com and 08 Phoenix TV boats. That puts the reigning champions back in the lead of the SuperSport class, with an 80-point advantage over the 08 Phoenix TV crew. The 38 Baia High Performance crew got the better of the 47 Silverline Buzzi Bullet boat in the scrap for fourth place, while the 59 Saho crew did a solid job to recover to sixth place after missing the first turn buoy and dropping to the tail end of the field. The 46 Spirit of Portomaso boat rounded out the race finishers, with the 22 Big Sergio retiring from the race and the 11 Sunseeker team failing to start after yesterday Saturday’s practice incident that resulted in the team’s entry sinking.
Evolution Class Sprint Results
1 99 Fountain Worldwide 1st4boats.com 48m32.25s
2 88 Kiton Outerlimits 49m20.55s
3 10 The Fantastic 1 49m21.93s
4 57 Centaurian Yachts 58m41.67s
5 53 Pignolo 53 48m39.26s - 1 lap
6 60 GFN Gibellato 50m23.49s - 1 lap
7 66 Cranefields Wine 51m31.11s - 1 lap
8 77 Lucas Oil 53m31.51s - 1 lap
9 69 honeyparty.com RET
10 76 Italcraft DNS
Evolution Class Endurance Results
1 99 Fountain Worldwide 1st4boats.com 45m00.13s
2 60 GFN Gibellato 45m06.17s
3 53 Pignolo 53 45m06.17s
4 88 Kiton Outerlimits 45m25.71s
5 77 Lucas Oil 47m42.67s - 1 lap
6 10 The Fantastic 1 48m07.03s - 1 lap
7 69 honeyparty.com RET
8 57 Centaurian Yachts RET
9 66 Cranefields Wine RET
10 76 Italcraft DNS
SuperSport Class Sprint Results
1 44 Conam Yachts 49m59.64s
2 59 Saho 52m45.37s
3 08 Phoenix TV 52m45.37s
4 38 Baia High Performance 54m14.55s
5 46 The Spirit of Portomaso 51m14.70s - 1 lap
6 22 The Big Sergio 50m47.16s - 2 laps
7 47 Silverline Buzzi Bullet RET
8 07 VoomVoom.com RET
9 11 Sunseeker Challenger DNS
SuperSport Class Endurance Results
1 44 Conam Yachts 44m09.81s
2 07 VoomVoom.com 44m09.81s
3 08 Phoenix TV 44m35.10s
4 38 Baia High Performance 45m19.26s
5 47 Silverline Buzzi Bullet 45m39.67s
6 59 Saho 47m09.22s
7 46 The Spirit of Portomaso 48m06.85s
8 11 Sunseeker Challenger DNS
9 22 The Big Sergio RET

May 19, 2008

Powerboat P1 - Marseille, France Preview


Powerboat P1’s successful 2008 season opening Italian Grand Prix of the Sea in San Benedetto del Tronto in Italy may still be fresh in the mind for the sport’s fans, but most of the teams are now much more focused for the coming weekend upcoming Marseille Grand Prix. The city authorities and the Federation Francaise Motonautique and the Motor Yacht Club de la Cote D’Azur have been busy preparing for the event in recent days. But given the amount of technical teething problems that teams in the Evolution and SuperSport class seemed to suffer in the opening Endurance and Sprint races of the year in Italy, we’re hearing that there have been plenty of furrowed brows, as engineers and mechanics try to fix the glitches. We should expect plenty of late-night ‘bags under the eyes’ as teams arrive in Marseille.
In the Evolution class, the 77 Lucas Oil team seemed to have the most trouble-free weekend, as indicated by their healthy lead at the top of the standings. But they’ll be looking to see where they can catch the 99 Fountain Worldwide boat, who were clearly quickest on the water, and would have been leading the way into France had it not been for their provisional 100-point penalty. The rest of the field, particularly leading teams like the 10 Fantastic 1 Cigarette Racing Team Europe outfit, the 88 Kiton Outerlimits OSG Racing squad and the 69 Honeyparty.com crew, will be keen to solve the problems that blighted their Italian weekend so they can come back fighting in France. In the SuperSport class things are proving so closely contested that everyone will be looking to gain that crucial advantage that will allow them to move ahead of their rivals. The 07 VoomVoom.com team, the 44 Conam Yachts crew and the 59 Saho Offshore Rana’s outfit lead the way in the incredibly tight points race, but the 38 Baia High Performance boat, the 11 Sunseeker Challenger team, 47 Silverline Buzzi Bullet crew and 08 Phoenix 8 squad are all perfectly poised to make big headway in the title fight if they can find the magic mix, or if one of the leading teams suffers a technical problem in France.
Please note that for the coming weekend race, a revised schedule has been updated with races being held after each other and both in the afternoon, for better following visit the official Powerboat P1 site.
www.powerboatp1.com

May 11, 2008

Powerboat P1 - Italian Grand Prix, Fountain Worldwide VoomVoom.com Set The Pace


Pulses have been racing during an action packed weekend of world championship power boating with the sun drenched resort of San Benedetto del Tronto providing perfect race conditions for the opening two rounds in the 2008 Powerboat P1 season. With 22 teams competing for the prestigious UIM Powerboat P1 World Championship title, the VoomVoom.com and Fountain Worldwide racing took overall victory to take the Italian Grand Prix of the Sea in the SuperSport and Evolution Classes.
Evolution
What could have been a nightmare weekend turned into a dream weekend to remember for the 99 Fountain Worldwide reigning Evolution champion as they took victory in Sunday’s Sprint race and secured the Italian Grand Prix of the Sea trophy. Fountain Worldwide crew faced a nerve-racking wait as transport problems meant their Ilmor-powered Fountain boat was delayed in the USA. Despite the boat arriving in the San Benedetto del Tronto harbour at 06:00am on Saturday morning, the duo fought back in the Endurance race to start their title defence in superb style. It was a return to their dominant winning ways of 2007 in today’s Sprint event, establishing a clear lead on the opening lap and were never headed as they completed the run to the chequered flag. But that doesn’t mean their win was easy. Finishing second in the sprint was local hero in the Veneta Marina Metamarine Corse-run 60 GFN Gibellato. The diesel Seatek-powered entry was the only boat able to keep up consistently with the 99 Fountain Worldwide entry, and the podium finish was a perfect way to celebrate in the harbour where his Metamarine team is based. In third came the 77 Lucas Oil boat, after briefly dropping back behind the 53 Pignolo 53 Skater Racing Team entry in the early stages, the pair fought their way past on the final lap to cap a perfect debut weekend for the new team. With another podium added to their second place in the Sprint race, they finished second in the Italian Grand Prix of the Sea standings. After the Endurance race of attrition, the Sprint event proved equally trying for some of the other leading boats in the class. Of particular note was the 88 Kiton Outerlimits entry of 2006 champion, which was forced out with engine failure in an almost-near repeat of their steering problems in the Endurance race. But Cangiano summed up how many of the entrants felt about the typical early-season first-round blues. But with just two weeks to the next round of the 2008 Powerboat P1 championship in Marseille, France, all the teams have a lot of work to do to catch the 99 Fountain Worldwide crew.
Supersport
The 07 VoomVoom.com crew had the perfect surprise ending to their Italian Grand Prix of the Sea weekend, inheriting the SuperSport Sprint race win after the Endurance race-winning 44 Conam Yachts boat was handed a two-minute penalty for jumping the start. The Sprint victory, allied to the 07 VoomVoom.com team’s second place in the Saturday Sprint race gave the overall victory in the Italian Grand Prix of the Sea weekend. On the course, the 44 Conam Yachts crew led the way from 59 Saho Offshore Rana’s team and the 07 VoomVoom.com boat, but the two-minute penalties that were ultimately applied to the 44 Conam Yachts and 59 Saho boats dropped them back down the order. A second victory of the weekend would have given Ciantar and Tedeschi a clear lead in the Italian Grand Prix of the Sea and a crucial early-season lead in the standings after their home event, but sadly it wasn’t to be. It only became clear to the 44 Conam Yachts crew of their narrowly missed win when they reached the harbour.
Evolution Class Sprint Results
1 60 GFN Gibellato 41m13.13s
2 77 Lucas Oil 43m24.67s
3 53 Pignolo 53 43m37.97s
4 64 Metamarine 44m20.92s
5 57 Centaurian Yachts RET
6 69 honeyparty.com RET
7 66 Cranefields Wine RET
8 88 Kiton Outerlimits RET
9 99 Fountain Worldwide 1st4boats.com
DQ 10 10 The Fantastic 1 DNS
Evolution Class Endurance Results
1 99 Fountain Worldwide 1st4boats.com 1h07m30.78s
2 77 Lucas Oil 1h07m59.61s
3 66 Cranefields Wine 1h09m13.11s
4 57 Centaurian Yachts 1h11m10.57s - 1 lap
5 88 Kiton Outerlimits RET
6 60 GFN Gibellato RET
7 53 Pignolo 53 RET
8 69 honeyparty.com RET
9 10 The Fantastic 1
DQ 10 64 Metamarine DNS
SuperSport Class Sprint Results
1 07 VoomVoom.com 40m53.71s
2 38 Baia High Performance 41m12.58s
3 44 Conam Yachts 41m48.89s
4 08 Phoenix TV 41m50.76s
5 59 Saho 42m42.45
6 11 Sunseeker Challenger 44m26.35s
7 22 The Big Sergio 45m14.54s
8 05 Special Team Guido Abbate 41m08.83s - 1 lap
9 47 Silverline Buzzi Bullet 46m18.67s - 1 lap
10 46 The Spirit of Portomaso DNS
11 50 Allufer 3S Verifici DNS
12 18 Di Cesare Riscaldimenti DNS
SuperSport Class Endurance Results
1 44 Conam Yachts 1h07m29.30s
2 07 VoomVoom.com 1h08m20.39s
3 47 Silverline Buzzi Bullet 1h08m32.67s
4 59 Saho 1h10m30.54s
5 11 Sunseeker Challenger 1h11m13.21s
6 05 Special Team Guido Abbate 1h08m14.24s - 1 lap
7 22 The Big Sergio 1h10m25.28s - 2 laps
8 46 The Spirit of Portomaso 1h12m03.59s - 2 laps
9 18 Di Cesare Riscaldimenti 1h19m18.70s - 2 laps
10 38 Baia High Performance 1h08m01.01s - 3 laps
11 08 Phoenix TV RET
12 50 Allufer 3S Verifici DNS

May 8, 2008

Powerboat P1 - San Benedetto Del Tronto, Italy Preview

And here we are at the start of the prime offshore performance boat competition which this year makes the first way point in Italy, on the Eastern Adriatic Coast in San Benedetto Del Tronto. This year competition will have some important rule changes aimed at improving the competitive side of this ever growing motor, water sports. Of the new changes without going too much on the technical side of things, is the separate racing for the two classes, with Supersport starting late morning and the faster Evolution class in the afternoon. Another important change is the speed limit which for the prime Evolution Class is non existent having been removed from the previous season, and the Supersport having a limit of 85 mph. The 2008 Season has so far 11 Teams in the Evolution Class and 9 in the semi production Supersport Class, that is the teams confirming a yearly participation and excluding the single venue wild cards.
The legends of the Evolution Class return more competing then ever and champion Fountain Worldwide will have a heavy task defending the title. Starting with never ending OSG Team who for this season will race with a new official Outerlimits boat, which means the 2006 winner wants his title back. There is also some important new teams in this class, starting with a really welcomed surprise of which I am amazed to announce myself, of the Cigarette European Team, the legendary American Powerboat brand who has written history for this sports. Another return is renowned Italian fast yacht builder Italcraft Inrizzardi Team, who written history for its hull design and propulsion innovation in the past and also raced in 2006 with 2 boats in the Supersport Class and won Evolution title in 2003. This year they return in the much demanding Evolution Class, but in the hands of experienced driver Adriano Pannatta. Other important confirmations are the return of Searex who achieved good results since competing in half of the season, last year. Italian Metamarine Corse will be at home in this venue and will want to prove that the negative 2007 season was only a track error for title conquest. 2007 season third classified Nigel Hook Racing has kept the engines of the 2007 season and gambled for a new Skater boat. After a difficult 2007 season Skater, are back again in 2008 but with new engines, in this case Ilmor power which supplied the 2007 title winner. Another team which might give some surprises is the all British HoneyParty.com, who before competing in P1, did race in the USA with very good results.
In Supersport class we also have much returns from the 2007 seasons, first of which we mention defending champion Racing Project with there Chaudron boat who for the 2008 season have the sponsor support of renowned yacht builder Conam, but also a new co-driver with Aaron Ciantar of Chaudron family joining in the squad. Sunseeker Challenge also return again, with the same outfit of the not so special 2007 season, but may be the little tweaking can do the difference here. Eternal runner up team Bullet Racing who came second in 2004, 2005 and 2007 will try again to win the title this season, is this the one? Another renowned brand who will sponsor and compete is Baia High Performance OSG, with Roy Capasso marketing manager of the renowned Yacht Builder part of the crew. Seems he got addicted after winning last year the Viareggio - Monte Carlo - Viareggio with a 63 Azzurra and now gets to compete in the P1 with the Donzi boat, winner of the 2006 and runner up 2007 in Evolution. Team Al & Al compete with The Big Sergio boat, a boat dedicated to the memory of Sergio Carpentieri who sadly lost his life in the 2007 season in Germany. Spirit of Portomaso Chaudron 33, while not in the hands of the Chiantar Chaudron family will still compete, but with new Belgium owners and Mike Shelton from Extremeboat joining in as navigator.
So this is it for the presentation of the first round for the 2008 season. Powerboat P1 has just updated its website for the new competing season and as a viewer and follower, I gladly inform that thanks to the partnership with Virtual Spectator, the one famous for it's use in the Americas Cup it will be possible to view all racing directly from the comforts of your desktop. With the Radio addition this will make some very good racing viewing! As a final criticism to Powerboat P1 I hope the TV coverage section gets improved, as still I have no idea which channel to look, what time and if any give the races directly on TV on one of the many broadcasters listed in the official site.

May 5, 2008

Powerboat P1 - 2008 Season Preview


Powerboat P1 enters the 2008 season on full throttle as a record number of competitors prepare to embark on 14 rounds held across three continents. New events in France, Tunisia, Spain and Bahrain join familiar favourites in Malta and Portugal, while the Italian season-opener on May 9-11 moves to a new home in San Benedetto del Tronto on the Adriatic coast. The Powerboat P1 teams will also line-up for a non-championship challenge in the returning Cowes-Torquay-Cowes race on August 22-24. The line-up of Powerboat P1 teams entering the championship in 2008 is also stronger than ever before, with 12 Evolution class teams and nine SuperSport crews confirmed for the first round. A number of new technical regulations have also been introduced to make the racing closer than ever.

October 1, 2007

Powerboat P1 - King of Shaves and Roscioli Hotels Roma win P1 World Championship

The Powerboat P1 2007 season wrote its final paragraph in the fabulous location of Portimao in Portugal. This was a year made of 6 Grand Prix in 6 different countries and there seaside locations offered a total of 12 races available of which 3 had been cancelled. The 2ND race in Malta and final 12Th race in Portugal where cancelled due to rough sea conditions. Race no.5 in Germany was cancelled due to the tragic incident between Italian Team Carpenter No.03 from SuperSport Class and Italian Metamarine Corse Fainplast No.64 in Evolution. This incident took the life of driver and team manager Sergio Carpentieri from Italy.
Evolution Class
King of Shaves won the Portugal Portimao Grand Prix to finally secure the 2007 title. Challenger and 2006 champion OSG finished second and other challenger Lucas Oil Outerlimits suffered a broken motor and had to retire from the race. This was still a great race and the Italian team SIP which presented itself as a wild card in this race, managed a surprising third podium finish. Our hope is to see more of this team next year as they seem to have good potential. The 2007 winner have showed a superior pace taking into consideration that this title win comes minus a Grand Prix in Malta, which King of Shaves missed. Well done to British team No.99 King of Shaves and there Ilmor powered USA built Fountain powerboat piloted by James Sheppard and Craig Wilson.
SuperSport Class This highly competitive production class started with some drama out of the race course in the last and final weekend of the Powerboat P1 championship in Portugal, as the P1 Management announced the British team of Extremeboat the removal of there important winning points in Belgium. This decision put Italian Roscioli Hotels Roma back to the lead of the championship and on track to win the 2007 season in this final race. Buzzi Bullet followed at second place with 80 points and Extremeboat found themselves in third place, minus 140 points. This chart previous to the Grand Prix was like a prediction of the future as the first three places in the Portugal race finished in this order. Still the race was far from easy and Roscioli Hotels managed the lead only after Extremeboat suffered a broken trim during the race. Buzzi Bullet did a final assault but was to no avail as Roscioli Hotels took over the race and the championship. Well done to Italian team no.44 Racing Project Roscioli Hotels Roma and there Mercruiser powered Malta built Chaudron powerboat piloted by Angelo Tedeschi, Fabio Magnani and Ugo Pellegrino. www.powerboatp1.com