Jotun’s Jorn Tandberg and Inge Brigt Aarbakke produced arguably one of the great drives in one of the most spectacular races seen in Class 1, putting their way past both Victory boats and back-markers to win tthe BMW Norwegian Grand Prix in Arendal, sending the tens-of-thousands of home supporters into a complete frenzy. Last year’s winner, Victory 7 finished second ahead of team-mates and Championship leaders, Victory 1.
Starting from second on the front row, Jotun’s all-Norwegian pairing, running in only their second race together, found themselves a place down by the end of the opening lap with both Victory boats ahead of them, with Qatar 96, the pole sitters trailing in fourth. By the end of lap six, with both Jotun and Victory 1 having taken one long-lap, they came into the start-finish turn side-by-side. Jotun had the inside-line, held their nerve, went tight in the turn and moved into second place.
Five laps later, with the leading trio having completed both mandatory long-laps, it was Victory 7 turn to feel the heat as Jotun bore down on them - again as they approached the start-finish turn - and despite a pair of back-markers in front of them, Jotun scythed their way through the traffic - at one point coming together with Victory 7 - before passing them on the outside of the turn to take the lead, going on to win the 17-lap, 96.21Nm BMW Norwegian Grand Prix by 13 seconds.
Despite a spectacular start, moving from fourth on the front row to lead at the first turn and for 11 of the 17 laps, Victory 7 had to settle for second place. Second spot for Victory 7 keeps the European title defence alive, reducing the gap to team-mates Victory 1 to 13-points with one race to go. And although their winning streak is now over, third place for Victory 1 means they still have a commanding 21-point lead in the overall title race.
For Qatar 96, despite the advantage of starting from pole position, the race was lost at the start, and the points’ gap that they had hoped to reduce between themselves and the leaders has now increased.
Qatar 95 maintained their pole status throughout, finishing fifth ahead of a solid performance by Tom-Barry-Cotter and Pal Virik Nilsen in Maritimo, who were given a wild card entry by the event organisers, and proved to be the strongest of the middle order. After a frustrating weekend beset by technical problems, Foresti & Suardi went the race distance picking up points in seventh place ahead of Roscioli Hotels Roma, who despite limited time on the water this weekend due to repairs being made to their boat, also picked up points with Carrasco gaining more valuable race experience. But there was disappointment for Qatar 9 and SeveneleveN, both retiring with technical problems.
BMW NORWEGIAN GRAND PRIX - results
1. Jotun 90 - IB Aarbakke (Norway) / J Tandberg (Norway) - 00.57.47,20
2. Victory 7 - A Al Mehairbi (UAE) / JM Sanchez (France) +00.13,30
3. Victory 1 - M Al Marri (UAE) / N Bin Hendi (UAE) + 00.22,89
4. Qatar 96 - H Al-Thani (Qatar) / S Curtis (England) + 00.26,19
5. Qatar 95 - A Al-Sulaiti (Qatar) / M Nicolini (Italy) + 01.40,78
6. Maritimo – T Barry-Cotter (Australia) / PV Nilsen (Norway) + 02.46,30
7. Foresti & Suardi 8 - K Selmer (Norway) / G Montavoci (Italy) + 1lap
8. Roscioli Hotels Roma 88 - S Carrasco (Spain) / D Cirilli (Spain) + 2laps
9. Qatar 9 - M Al-Nassr (Qatar) / L Nicolini (Italy) – dnf
10. SeveneleveN 18 - G Manuzzi (Italy) / N Giorgi (Italy) – dnf
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP POSITIONS - after round 4 of 8
1. Victory 1 - M Al Marri (UAE) / N Bin Hendi (UAE) – 80pts
2. Victory 7 - A Al Mehairbi (UAE) / JM Sanchez (France) – 59pts
3= Qatar 95 - A Al-Sulaiti (Qatar) / M Nicolini (Italy) – 48pts
3= Qatar 96 - H Al-Thani (Qatar) / S Curtis (England) – 48pts
5. Jotun 90 – IB Aarbakke (Norway) / J Tandberg (Norway) – 42pts
6. Foresti & Suardi 8 - K Selmer (Norway) / G Montavoci (Italy) – 32pts
7. Roscioli Hotels Roma 88 - S Carrasco (Spain) / D Cirilli (Spain) – 12pts
8. SeveneleveN 18 - G Manuzzi (Italy) / N Giorgi (Italy) – 7pts
9= Negotiator 50 - B Eker (Norway) / C Parsonage (England) – 4pts
9= Qatar 9 - M Al-Nassr (Qatar) / L Nicolini (Italy) – 4pts
(championship points include bonus points allocated to teams for running engines for two consecutive races - one point, per engine, per race)
A vision of optimum design, advanced engineering and spacious, luxurious life onboard, the new Nordhavn 120 beckons those who consider the world their playground and the ocean, a home. Beautiful and sleek yet big and brawny, the N120 gracefully carries the owners and up to eight guests, indulging them with spaciousness and richness. With four decks, four king-sized guest suites and a tantalizing owners’ suite, she may rightly be considered a personal luxury ocean liner. Using only the finest hardwoods and finishes, each interior can be customized to her owners’ wishes. And Nordhavn will work closely with a client’s personal designer ensuring the exact degree of elegance desired will be satisfied. But the real beauty of the N120 is that she is built to handle the seas as well as she handles her guests. Naval Architect Jeff Leishman has made her waterline length a sweetspot in terms of wave period, and in doing so, makes long passages a very comfortable experience. Encompassing the highest degrees of talent, experience and imagination any production manufacturer can offer, the N120 represents Nordhavn’s commitment to the future while continuing to stay true to our roots. She’ll be constructed at South Coast Marine which also builds several of our smaller models. The N120 is a world-class, ABS-certified yacht destined to be the choice of a new generation of travelers expecting the best and finding their expectations exceeded.
The new luxury Nordhavn Expedition Yachtfisher can take you there on her own bottom. At 75 feet, the Nordhavn EYF will present true offshore capability and the range needed to explore, experience, dive and fish the most productive fishing grounds in the most exotic places the world has to offer. All of this, plus the same comfort and security Nordhavn owners have become accustomed to. During the past 25 years, Nordhavn has earned a reputation for designing and building highly capable seaworthy power cruisers. True to its oceangoing pedigree, the EYF has a range of up to 4,000 miles and is equipped to be self-sustaining for extended stays in remote parts of the world. Built to the highest international standards and extensively outfitted with the finest equipment, the new Nordhavn 75 EYF was created for those with a passion to explore exotic fish and dive sites on their own luxurious yacht. While an increasing number of sport fishermen are having their boats shipped long distances by yacht transport companies or having to choose charter boats in order to fulfill their passion, the EYF will allow her owners unlimited adventure in safety and complete luxury. The 75 EYF is a twin-engine, full displacement yacht that carries 5,000 gallons of fuel and 600 gallons of water. It displaces 235,000 lbs. and is designed to cruise economically at 12.5 knots with a range of 1,850 nautical miles. At its maximum cruising speed of 13.5 knots, its estimated range is 1,237 nautical miles. Top speed is an estimated 14.3 knots.
One of the most popular Nordhavns to be launched, the 55 appealed to those looking for a yacht possessing the most modern conveniences and enhanced living arrangements while still maintaining superior seakeeping qualities. One of our “third generation” models in which aesthetics was given as much consideration as function, the Nordhavn 55 quickly became a market favorite. For some, however, the added height of the 55 – while a proven design plus that ensures superior stability by allowing the engine, fuel tanks and water tanks to be positioned very low – kept the look decidedly more trawler-like and slightly out of proportion.
To combat this allusion, PAE’s designers simply lengthened the decks by five feet. The result is the Nordhavn 60, a very sleek-looking modern passagemaker with the same fabulous interior features and hull form that make extended cruising an absolute pleasure. Of course, because length was added without measurable increases in weight, the N60 is slightly more efficient than the 55; she'll pick up about a third of a knot in speed. Another added bonus comes from the longer deck's carrying capacity which allows for a bigger shore boat to be stored. Aside from that, the only other change to be found is the optional switch to larger porthole windows in the owner’s stateroom. Nordhavn fans appear to like the new look of the N60. After the design was first made available to Nordhavn 55 owners, eight contracts were changed to the bigger boat
The Nordhavn 47 is known as being a very large 47-foot boat and now P.A.E.’s designers have actually made it bigger by extending it by five feet. The Nordhavn 52, a slight evolution of its smaller sister, is quickly gaining popularity amongst buyers who love the interior space and offshore capability of the 47 but are looking for an updated look to their boat. The new N52 differs itself from the 47 with three central design modifications, each of which combines to make a sleeker and slightly more efficient boat. The most significant of these changes is a cockpit extension, which opens up the rear of the boat as well as elongates the yacht’s lines. But the benefits of added waterline length aren’t limited simply to aesthetics. The design team was able to work an extra (approximate) 200 gallons of fuel into the capacity of the boat’s tanks and in turn, bump up the range. To coincide with the elongated cockpit, the upper level boat deck was lengthened by two feet, a move that serves a dual purpose: not only does this offset the cockpit extension, it enables a bigger tender to be carried on top. Completing the enhanced look is the re-configuration of the flybridge. A purely cosmetic change (no features have been added or altered), the newly-styled flybridge is now more integral with the boat deck and pilothouse roof. Despite these differences, the N52 is exactly like the 47, and the rest of the Nordhavn line, in her robust construction, superior level of fit and finish, and an ability to deliver her owners anywhere they wish to travel in safety, comfort and luxury. 
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