Class 1 - Moscow Russia Preview

The Russian Grand Prix, round three of the 2008 Class 1 World Powerboat Championship, marks the sport’s return to racing on Russian waters for the first time in ten years and for the first time in the country’s Capital City, Moscow, and it is a race in which the Qatar Team must finish ahead of their arch-rivals Victory if they are to keep in touch in the title race.

Dubai’s Victory Team has been simply imperious this season and holds the top two spots in the championship standings, with Victory 1 taking two wins from two starts and Victory 7’s, equally impressive in Mehairbi’s first season, grabbing two podiums. With Arif Al Zafeen still sidelined through injury, the team once again turns to former champion Mohammed Al Marri to partner Nadir Bin Hendi in Victory 1 and will be looking for this scratch-pairing to repeat their success in Budva.

Qatar 95 is 19 points shy of the leaders in third place, the leading Qatar boat and heading the team’s challenge to try to halt Victory’s charge, and whilst the team has the overall performance to do so, it will first have to stave off the challenge that they know will come from their team-mates on Qatar 96, with Curtis winning when Class 1 last raced in Russia in 1998 in St. Petersburg, who find themselves down in fourth place after missing out on a podium and struggling home in sixth place last time out after suffering engine problems.

Foresti & Suardi have produced two very solid fifth place finishes and head the middle order, and they will do well to hold onto fifth place in the championship; they know, however, that they will come under pressure from Jotun, who now seem to have found the reliability to match their obvious performance levels, and the all-Norwegian crew will be quietly confident that they can now challenge the top four. However, there is increasing speculation that Inge Brigt Aarbakke could well be drafted in to make his Class 1 debut in Moscow.

After the frustration of being forced to sit out the race in Budva, but having recently signed a new engine supply deal with Italian engine builder, SCAM, SeveneleveN will be looking to get back in the points and to repeat their top six finish from the first race in Doha, Qatar.

For the all-Spanish outfit of Domenico Cirilli and newcomer, Sergio Carrasco, making just his second start in Class 1, the target in Moscow will be to build on their solid performance from their first outing and bring Roscioli Hotels Roma home and in the points.

And whilst the competition amongst all the teams will be fierce with individual battles raging throughout the fleet, what might add spice and influence the outcome of the 24-lap, 95.63Nm Russian Grand Prix, will be the course itself, run on the Khimki Reservoir, one of eight artificial lakes forming part of the Moscow Canal system. The course described by Jean-Marc Sanchez as ‘very technical’ is very tight and narrow, the laps are short and overtaking will be limited and the importance of a good start, crucial.

The Grand Prix weekend gets underway with the first official practice session on Friday afternoon, followed by a second morning session and the Edox Pole Position on Saturday, with a final practice before Sunday afternoon’s Russian Grand Prix.

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) / M 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

White 4 - M Al-Nassr (Qatar) / L Nicolini (Italy)

Windmare Racing 21 – J Brarda (France) / tbc

EDOX POLE POSITION CHAMPIONSHIP – after round 2 of 8

1= Victory 1 - M Al Marri (UAE) / N Bin Hendi (UAE) – 35pts

1= Qatar 96 - H Al-Thani (Qatar) / S Curtis (England) – 35pts

3= Qatar 95 - A Al-Sulaiti (Qatar) / M Nicolini (Italy) – 21pts

3= Jotun 90 - B Jacobsen (Norway) / J Tandberg (Norway) – 21pts

5. Victory 7 - A Al Mehairbi (UAE) / JM Sanchez (France) – 11pts

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

7. Negotiator 50 - B Eker (Norway) / C Parsonage (England) – 7pts

8. SeveneleveN 18 - G Manuzzi (Italy) / N Giorgi (Italy) – 6pts

9. White 4 – M Al-Nassr (Qatar) / L Nicolini (Italy) – 5pts

Roscioli Hotels Roma 88 - S Carrasco (Spain) / D Cirilli (Spain)

Windmare Racing 21 – J Brarda (France) / tbc

www.class-1.com