Projects: Terranova 58 Explorer, Terranova 85 Explorer One, Terranova 115 Explorer

Finally new projects from Terranova Yachts, an interesting Italian builder founded in 2000, presenting a different line of displacement hulled, fiberglass built yachts with exterior looks similar to those of a small tug ship but with plenty of yacht sensibility around. The first model of this youngish company was the 85 Explorer model and later followed by the smaller 68 Explorer. Now Terranova aims at growing its range of motor yachts to a wider audience with the new 58 Explorer, an interesting 18 meter project with a three cabin layout, featuring VIP and owners cabin, third L-shaped double cabin and an extra spacious crew cabin aft. The new 58 Explorer unlike the other models of the range will also have a semi displacement hull, aimed at a versatile owner, and project estimates so far give a cruising speed of 16 knots with twin 550hp Cummins engines. Terranova 85 Explorer One project, is developed on the same full displacement hull of the 85 Explorer with the principal difference being a single deck version. Obviously the lower deck keeps the same spacious 4 cabin environment, with the big full beam owners cabin and two or three berth crew quarters forward. Speed should also be in the same league as the two deck sister ship, with cruising speeds of 13 knots, with twin MAN 700hp engines. The 115 Explorer is the flagship of the Terranova range of displacement yachts, and as the pictures show is in advanced stages of being launched. As all the other Terranova but something rare for displacement craft it is built entirely in fiberglass. The project is designed by Barracuda Yachts of Spain and as all Terranova it is constructed in Italy. The interior spaces are also what is expected from a yacht of this size, with a net separation of the owner's domain from the rest of his guests and crew. The Terranova flagship is a three deck motor yacht, and as all Terranova yachts is classified by RINA to CE Category A standards. Her displacement hull should give cruising speeds of about 13 knots, with twin MAN 900hp engines.

www.terranovaitalianyachts.com

New Model: Airon Marine 400 T-Top

Airon Marine upgrades the T-Top line with the new 400 model, second in the series which follows the successful 2005 introduced 4300 in its flagship hard-top range. The 400 T-Top is based on the Airon 388, one of the Lake Como's best selling model since its introduction in 2003.  As all Airon Marine the 400 T-Top offers a no frills modern yet classic sports elegant line, with the hard top adding the extra all weather comfort to the sport cruiser. Interior accommodation is for five berths in two cabins, with the double island bed master forward and mid ships cabin with three single berths. Standard engine option is twin Volvo 300hp with IPS pod drives propulsion, giving easy manoeuvrability inside the harbours and tight spots alike thanks to the joystick control. Top speeds with the Volvo 300hp IPS combo is up to 35 knots and 32 knots of fast continues cruising. Still for high performance lovers a stern drive option is also available, with top choice being the twin Volvo 370hp which give a top speed of 38 knots.

Technical Data:

LOA - 12.90 m (42.3ft)

Length - 11.20 m

Beam - 3.75 m

Draft - 0.90 m (exl drives)

Fuel Capacity - 800 l

Water Capacity - 300 l

Accommodation - five berths in two cabins, plus two convertible berths

Engines - 2 x Volvo D4 300hp, D6 330hp, D6 370hp, Mercruiser 320hp

Propulsion - Volvo Penta IPS, Volvo or Mercruiser dual propeller Stern Drive

Speed - 38 knots max Volvos 370hp, 35 knots max 32 cruise with Volvo 300hp IPS pod drives

Certification - CE B

www.aironmarine.it

Class 1 - Victory Dominate Montenegro With One Two Finish

The Dubai Victory Team maintained their 100 per cent start to the season as Mohammed Al Marri and Nadir Bin Hendi led home a Victory one-two in the Hypo Group Montenegrin Grand Prix in Budva. Victory 1 dominated the 23-lap, 93.83Nm race from start to finish too win comfortably from team-mates Victory 7, with Middle East rivals, taking third place in Qatar 95. Today’s result was a remarkable return to racing for the 2001 World and 2005 Middle East Champion, Al Marri. Out of the sport for more than a year, the 46 year-old driver stepped out of retirement to replace the injured Arif Al Zafeen the defending World Champion, and produced a vintage performance, celebrating his 56th Class 1 start with the tenth win of his career.

The Qatar 96 crew, desperate to halt Victory’s early charge in the defence of their title, lost out in the race to the first turn buoy and trailed the two Dubai boats for the first four laps before pulling ahead of Victory 7 on lap five, but a blown engine on lap 20 put paid to any late charge by the Qatari-British combination, who limped home in sixth place. As Qatari hopes crumbled, Victory 7 regained the second place they had enjoyed for the first four laps, after a blistering start saw them at the head of the field. For the Qatar Team there was some consolation to ease the disappointment, with Qatar 95 taking their first podium of the season. Despite a technical problem early in the race, Forest & Suardi 8 hit their target of finishing in the points to take fifth place, for the second race in a row, with Roscioli Hotels Roma’s Domenico Cirilli and Sergio Carrasco, making his Class 1 debut, finishing seventh. But there was disappointment for SeveneleveN, who had to sit out the race after an engine problem in the morning’s practice session.

HYPO GROUP MONTENEGRIN GRAND PRIX - RESULT

1. Victory 1 - M Al Marri (UAE) / N Bin Hendi (UAE) – 20pts

2. Victory 7 - A Al Mehairbi (UAE) / JM Sanchez (France) – 15pts

3. Qatar 95 - A Al-Sulaiti (Qatar) / M Nicolini (Italy) – 12pts

4. Jotun 90 - B Jacobsen (Norway) / J Tandberg (Norway) – 9pts

5. Foresti & Suardi 8 - K Selmer (Norway) / G Montavoci (Italy) – 7pts

6. Qatar 96 - H Al-Thani (Qatar) / S Curtis (England) – 5pts

7. Roscioli Hotels Roma 88 - S Carrasco (Spain) / D Cirilli (Spain) – 4pts

8. SeveneleveN 18 - G Manuzzi (Italy) / N Giorgi (Italy) – dns

CLASS 1 WORLD POWERBOAT CHAMPIONSHIP - after round 2 of 8

1. Victory 1 - M Al Marri (UAE) / N Bin Hendi (UAE) – 44pts

2. Victory 7 - A Al Mehairbi (UAE) / JM Sanchez (France) – 31pts

3. Qatar 95 - A Al-Sulaiti (Qatar) / Nicolini (Italy) – 25pts

4. Qatar 96 - H Al-Thani (Qatar) / S Curtis (England) – 20pts

5. Foresti & Suardi 8 - K Selmer (Norway) / G Montavoci (Italy) – 18pts

6. Jotun 90 - B Jacobsen (Norway) / J Tandberg (Norway) – 13pts

7. SeveneleveN 18 - G Manuzzi (Italy) / N Giorgi (Italy) – 5pts

8= Negotiator 50 - B Eker (Norway) / C Parsonage (England) – 4pts

8=Roscioli Hotels Roma 88 - S Carrasco (Spain) / D Cirilli (Spain) – 4pts

(Championship points include bonus points allocated to teams for running engines for two consecutive races - one point, per engine, per race)

www.class-1.com

Project: Couach 2300 Fly

On the heels of the 2200 Fly success, of which 40 have been built, Couach Shipyard set on updating this successful model. The objective was to modernise her exterior lines while preserving the seagoing qualities of this vessel originally designed for demanding owners, eager to set sail on their own on board a fast large yacht. Comfort and safety on board remain unrivalled, and without yielding to marine qualities that has made his predecessor famous the 2300 Fly, which first example will be launched at the beginning of 2009, will feature lighter and airier exterior and interior layouts: an extended fly that can receive a hard top, sideways enlarged making easier movement on deck, an elegant high bulwark echoing larger models of the range, redesigned portholes and windows being enlarged to bring more natural light and a bow shaped to a point that slimes down her line and position her definitively in the Yacht category. The comfortable and luxurious 4-cabin version is fully costumed as far as the decoration and materials are concerned, leaving the owner imagination to decorate his yacht. The main cabin has also been redesigned and enlarged giving a greater comfort feeling. As ever, equipment on board is top quality and compliant with Yachting standard for maximum comfort and safety. With her twin MTU 1500hp, or MAN 1300hp this new 2300 Fly benefits from a remarkable seaworthiness at any speed and perfect passage at sea thanks to her high performance deep Vee shaped hull. Faithful to her predecessor reputation she offers a cruising speed of about 30 knots and a max speed of 36 with the big engine option.

www.couach.com

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

www.powerboatp1.com

Boat Review: Riviera 3600 Sport Yacht

Presentation
A personal detailed review for May, into one of my preferred 11 metre sports cruisers the Rivera 3600 Sport Yacht. Renowned and largest Australian yacht builder, Riviera got a strong fame for building seaworthy, well built sport fisherman cruisers and yachts in over 25 years, so when the Australian builder went to built a modern hard top cruiser, everyone was curious of the out come. The 3600 Sport Yacht was the answer, as it did keep the all important Riviera lines added with some modern design and construction touches. It did respond well with the professionals, winning two important awards in 2 years: 2006 Overall Cruiser of the Year by Prestigious Yachting Magazine Australia and 2007 Best Motoryacht under 40 ft by Christophle Asia Boating Magazine. A success announced at the start!

Accommodation
A comfortable Sport Cruiser, which scores a lot of points thanks to the very intelligent living area on the upper deck, which with the full opening of the patio door and swing window, joins the interior with the exterior and the L-shaped saloon settee, galley entertainment area with the cockpit deck, making it a single area for spacious socializing. This practical interior saloon is also filled with natural light, air and views, thanks to the 2 opening sunroof hatches, and big opening side windows when the weather is nice and if it is does get bad, don't worry you can close it all in a few seconds, and make it a cosy place for chilling out.

As for the lower deck, this is all dedicated to the sleeping quarters, with a spacious owners cabin forward featuring a central located double island berth, a spacious head with separate shower stall and a second double bunk cabin. I like the solution used of creating an entertaining area up top with cabins only below, as especially in warm climate zones the lower saloon does not get used much.

Performance
Derived from a sport fishing hull with design from renowned Dutch architect Frank Mulder, the small of the Sport Yacht series does offer the goods. Its hull shape is a very deep vee forward section with a moderate vee aft, with the propellers running in tunnels for maximum efficiency, better handling and smaller turning circle. Exhaust is also an underwater system, which does add additional lift and gives lower planning speeds. The Riviera is surely not the fastest 11 metre sports cruiser, but I am sure that when the sea starts breaking off, it may come out as one of the most secure.
Positive

Patio door joining outside with inside
Upper saloon with adjoining galley

Negative

Small bunk second cabin

Only 2 Port Hole windows

Competition

If you really like the 3600 Sport Yacht, it is very difficult to find something replacing the practical features of this sports cruiser. As I say the 3600 Sport Yacht is a wild card on it's own, but you can still try to have a look at these before deciding:

Cayman 38 WA - 3 layout options inside, no patio door, safe walk around deck

Galeon 390 HT - spacious saloon, 3 cabins, stern drive or shaft option

Intermare 36 Cruise - similar interior space to Riviera with modern European looks

Portofino 37 HT - soon replaced by new IPS drive 11 model, comfortable walk around

Sciallino 34 Cabinato - seaworthy with Ligurian Gozzo lines, similar interior plan

Tiara 3500 Sovran - no patio door, spacious lower deck and second cabin, IPS drives

WILD CARD: Fratelli Aprea 36 Hard Top - Sorrento Gozzo, 2 cabins, spacious flush deck

Conclusion

Many are big fans for American sport fisherman yachts, admiring them in harbours and seeing the way most perform at sea is always an experience to anyone who loves planning motor boats. But somehow if you live in Europe and you don't do fishing you will always find it difficult to purchase one of these so called beasts! Riviera with the Sport Yacht series have to be praised for completing a circle, creating a new breed of cruisers, with hull lines derived from the Sport Fisherman with all the sea qualities included and adding a classy profile of a timeless Sport Yacht as the title says. By joining these 2 boating Worlds and putting the bonus of a super practical all weather hard top sport cruiser, Riviera did create the revolution and the success obtained by this range is testimony to this.

Technical Data

LOA. 11.73 metres (38.6ft)

Hull Length. 10.13 metres

Beam. 3.83 metres

Draft. 1.00 metre

Displacement. 9,200 kg loaded

Fuel Capacity. 1000 litres

Water Capacity. 390 litres

Accommodation. 4 berths in 2 separate cabins

Engines. 2 x Volvo D6 370 hp, 2 x 380 hp Cummins

Propulsion. Direct Shaft Line

Speed. 32 knots max, 28 knots cruising with bigger Cummins engine option

Range. 200 nautical miles approx

Project. Frank Mulder, Riviera Design

www.riviera.com.au

Picture Copyright Riviera. Data Riviera.

New Model: CNM 50 Continental Tender

As if the 50 Continental was not innovative enough, thanks to its transformable interiors, this Italian yard comes with the Tender version for the same model, aimed at giving unlimited outside space with a loft style interior. The project for the Tender version of the 50 Continental was announced just a bit later to the standard version, and Cantieri Mediterraneo have to be praised for producing big opens with a very different concept from what the major competition is doing. If you are looking for a big day boat with weekend accommodation for 2 there is not much going more then this. 50 Continental Tender, as the standard sister also scores a lot of points for the big offer in propulsion going from latest IPS, to high performance Arneson Surface Drives or to super handling water Jet propulsion.

Technical Data:

LOA - 16.01 m (52.5ft)

Beam - 4.50 m

Draft - 0.92 m (ex props)

Weight - 17700 kg (J version with big engine option)

Water Capacity - 400 l

Fuel Capacity - 1500 l

Engines - 2 x Volvo Penta IPS 600 435hp, MAN 550hp, MAN 800hp

Propulsion - standard with Volvo IPS, S version with Arneson Surface Drives ASD10L & 11 (MAN 800s), J version Jet Propulsion Hamilton or Rolls Rose Kamewa

Speed - max 35 / 46 knots, cruising 30 / 40 knots

www.cnmspa.com

Class 1 - Budva Montenegro Preview

Dubai’s Victory Team will be without defending Class 1 World and European Champion, Arif Saif Al Zafeen, when the intense rivalry between the sport’s top two teams is reignited at this weekend’s Hypo Group Montenegrin at the Adriatic resort of Budva, round two of the 2008 Class 1 World Powerboat Championship and the first of four races for the Class 1 tour in Europe. Victory 1’s Al Zafeen, winner of the opening Edox Pole Position and Grand Prix of the season in Qatar in March is forced to sit out the race on medical advice after sustaining serious back injuries in a crash during a Formula 2 race in Egypt several weeks ago. But whilst the loss of Al Zafeen, who has won five Grands Prix from just nine starts, is a bitter blow for the team, Victory has been able to call on the services of former World and Middle East Champion, Mohammed Al Marri, a veteran of 55 Grands Prix, with nine race wins and 26 podiums under his belt to step into the driver’s seat. Victory’s main championship rivals, Qatar 96, will see this enforced change as an opportunity to put pressure on the championship leaders and close the gap in the title race by taking their first win of the season. And although Hassan and Curtis will be running their spare boat for a second consecutive race, after wrecking their number one boat in qualifying in Qatar a switch from the Mercury-Class1 V8s back to Skema V12 power-plants, and considerable modifications to Qatar 96 carried out by Nicolini Offshore in Italy, may well give them the extra edge they need. Whilst the Victory and Qatar camps will be intent on maintaining their early stranglehold on the top four positions in the championship standings Victory 7 lying in third place ahead of Qatar 95 wait for any challenge to their race hopes could well depend largely on the conditions that the teams will face in Budva, when they line up for the 23-lap, 94.50 Nm Hypo Group Montenegrin Grand Prix. If the seas on the outside leg of the course around the Island of Sveti Nikola are rough, Foresti & Suardi and Jotun may well be amongst the challengers for podium positions. Foresti & Suardi’s Italian-Norwegian pairing are back in their favoured number one raceboat and have clocked up the miles testing on Italy’s Lake Iseo in the last two weeks, hoping that they can build on their fifth place in the season opener, especially if rough conditions prevail. Ugland Offshore Racing will be looking to kick-start their title challenge and put points on the board after seeing a probable podium finish slip from their grasp in the last race, and the all-Norwegian crew will be boosted by the fact that their Mercury-Class 1, V8 powered raceboat, Jotun, has undergone a significant overhaul in recent weeks. Giorgioffshore produced a very solid top-six finish last time out, and will be looking to build on their performance and expect an improved showing when they line up in Budva in only their second outing in their Michael Peters-designed Victory-built hull, SeveneleveN, with the all-new Spanish outfit of Roscioli Hotels Roma and American-based, Windmare Racing, making their 2008 debuts this weekend. Montenegro is the first of two new venues on the eight race calendar in 2008, and the picturesque resort of Budva on the Adriatic coast provides a spectacular backdrop for the championship’s first race on European waters this year. First practice takes place on Friday 23, followed by a second session and the Edox Pole Position on Saturday, with a final practice before Sunday afternoon’s 23-lap, 94.50Nm Hypo Group Montenegrin Grand Prix.
CLASS 1 WORLD POWERBOAT CHAMPIONSHIP - after round 1 of 8
1. Victory 1 – A Al Zafeen (UAE) / N Bin Hendi (UAE) – 20pts
2. Qatar 96 - H Al-Thani (Qatar) / S Curtis (England) – 15pts
3. Victory 7 – A Al Mehairbi (UAE) / JM Sanchez (France) – 12pts
4. Qatar 95 - A Al-Sulaiti (Qatar) / Matteo Nicolini (Italy) – 9pts
5. Foresti & Suardi 8 – K Selmer (Norway) / G Montavoci (Italy) – 7pts
6. SeveneleveN 18 - G Manuzzi (Italy) / N Giorgi (Italy) – 5pts
7. Negotiator 50 - B Eker (Norway) / C Parsonage (England) – 4pts
Jotun 90 - B Jacobsen (Norway) / J Tandberg (Norway)
White 4 – M Al Nasser (Qatar) / L Nicolini (Italy)
Windmare 21 – J Brarda (France) / TBC
Roscioli Hotels Roma 88 – S Carrasco (Spain) / D Cirilli (Spain)
EDOX POLE POSITION CHAMPIONSHIP – after round 1 of 8
1. Victory 1 – A Al Zafeen (UAE) / N Bin Hendi (UAE) – 20pts
2. Qatar 96 - H Al-Thani (Qatar) / S Curtis (England) – 15pts
3. Qatar 95 - A Al-Sulaiti (Qatar) / Matteo Nicolini (Italy) – 12pts
4. Jotun 90 - B Jacobsen (Norway) / J Tandberg (Norway) – 9pts
5. Negotiator 50 - B Eker (Norway) / C Parsonage (England) – 7pts
6. White 4 – M Al Nasser (Qatar) / L Nicolini (Italy) – 5pts
7. Victory 7 – A Al Mehairbi (UAE) / JM Sanchez (France) – 4pts
8. Foresti & Suardi 8 – K Selmer (Norway) / G Montavoci (Italy) – 3pts
9. SeveneleveN 18 - G Manuzzi (Italy) / N Giorgi (Italy) – 2pts
Windmare 21 – J Brarda (France) / TBC
Roscioli Hotels Roma 88 – S Carrasco (Spain) / D Cirilli (Spain)

www.class-1.com

Projects: Absolute 70, Absolute 43

A flagship project for this young Italian shipyard, the new Absolute 70. Piacenza located Absolute has had much success with it's range of sport cruiser models since this yard showed up in 2002 especially in the sport cruiser 11 - 13 metre segment. With the new 70, Absolute introduces an innovative project and as most of the competition in this segment of the market, follows the concept of a hard top design, offering the comfort of a more bulky flybridge boat, but with an aggressive appearance on the outside and faster performance on the water. Interior comforts will be for a 3 cabin layout, with the Owner and VIP cabins promising to be a lounge with big full windows for maximum natural light and top views, a theme which is followed in all of the yacht from the upper saloon down to the cabins. The new Absolute will also surprise for it's four by IPS 600 propulsion and a very sophisticated on board computer system. Hull no.1 is expected to launch in August, with world preview for the next Cannes show. A new important installment in the Absolute range, in a size which makes it one of today's top European builders, is the new 43, replacing the successful 45 model and taking it's prime spot between the 41 and 47 models. The new 43 looks very much similar to the recently launched 47 on the outside, thanks most to the hardtop, very look alike, but also to the now famous hull lines which makes it easy for everyone to recognize it is an Absolute. The new 43 will also feature same engine configuration as the 47, with Volvo IPS 500 or 600 power, which should give top speeds of above 40 knots, making it the fastest for Volvo's innovative propulsion system. Interior for the new 43 will have 2 spacious cabins, plus a convertible saloon all introduced with latest minimalist geometries and top finished wood, metal furnishings.

www.absoluteyachts.com

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