Dubai’s
Victory Team celebrated their eighth World Championship success in
sixteen years, after Victory 1 led home their team-mates, Victory 7, to
complete the team’s third one-two finish of the season in today’s Mina
Seyahi Grand Prix, with Nicola Giorgi and Giorgio Manuzzi producing an
outstanding performance to celebrate their first Class 1 podium,
bringing SeveneleveN home in third place.
The
newly crowned World Champions knew that they did not have to fight for
the win to lift the title, and were happy to let Hassan and Curtis both
desperate to take their first win of the season disappear into the
distance in Qatar 96, and run in second spot. But on lap 15, Qatar 96
slowed dramatically, handing the lead to Victory 1 and a second World
title to Al Marri and a first for Bin Hendi.
Victory
7 once again produced a strong performance, taking its sixth podium of
the season to secure the runners-up slot in the Championship standings.
For
SeveneleveN, the only boat other than both Victory outfits to complete
21 laps, third place was well deserved and a just reward for all the
work the team has put in this season to develop their new boat.
Fourth
place for Qatar 95 was little consolation for the team, who, for the
second consecutive race, saw a huge race-lead disappear due to
unreliability.
For Sheikh Hassan and Steve Curtis, their hopes of a race win ended after leading from the flag and for 15 of the 21 laps.
After
struggling to get to grips with their new raceboat during practice and
in qualifying, Class 1’s youngest partnership Maritimo produced an
impressive display, despite a spin and one or two hair-raising moments
bringing home a fifth place after enjoying a race-long battle with
Foresti & Suardi, who slowed on lap 16 after breaking a water
pick-up, forced back to the pits as water poured into their engine bay.
But sixth spot for the Italian-Norwegian pairing moves them into third
place in the Middle East Championship and puts them within seven points
of Jotun in their bid to finish as the highest-placed European Team in
the overall Championship standings.
For four
crews there was disappointment and frustration; Roscioli Hotels Roma
stopped on lap two, after seeing their team-mates, Spirit of Spain, go
out on the opening lap, with both Negotiator and Jotun failing to make
it to the start line.
MINA SEYAHI GRAND PRIX - results
1. Victory 1 - M Al Marri (UAE) / N Bin Hendi (UAE) – 01.00.47,64
2. Victory 7 - A Al Mehairbi (UAE) / JM Sanchez (FRA) + 01.01,40
3. SeveneleveN 18 - G Manuzzi (ITA) / N Giorgi (ITA) + 02.30,73
4. Qatar 95 - A Al-Sulaiti (QAT) / M Nicolini (ITA) + 1 lap
5. Maritimo 11 - T Barry-Cotter (AUS) / PV Nilsen (NOR) + 4 laps
6. Foresti & Suardi 8 - K Selmer (NOR) / G Montavoci (ITA) + 5 laps
Qatar 96 - H Al-Thani (QAT) / S Curtis (GB) – dnf
Roscioli Hotels Roma 60 - M A Ahmed (ESP) / A Al Suwaidi (UAE) – dnf
Spirit of Spain 88 - S Carrasco (ESP) / G Carpitella (ITA) – dnf
Jotun 90 - IB Aarbakke (NOR) / J Tandberg (NOR) – dns
Negotiator 50 - C Parsonage (GB) / W Moore (US) – dns
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP - after round 7 of 8
1. Victory 1 – 125pts
2. Victory 7 – 105pts
3. Qatar 95 – 81pts
4. Qatar 96 – 71pts
5. Jotun 90 – 64pts
6. Foresti & Suardi 8 – 57pts
7. SeveneleveN 18 – 26pts
8. Spirit of Spain 88 – 19pts
9. Negotiator 50 – 16pts
10. Qatar 9 – 4pts
Roscioli Hotels Roma 60 – 0pts
MIDDLE EAST CHAMPIONSHIP - after round 3 of 4
1. Victory 1 – 60pts
2. Victory 7 – 42pts
3= Qatar 95 – 23pts
3= Foresti & Suardi 8 – 23pts
5. Qatar 96 – 22pts
6. SeveneleveN 18 – 17pts
6. Negotiator 50 – 16pts
Roscioli Hotels Roma 60 – 0 pts
Jotun 90 – 0 pts
Spirit of Spain 88 – 0 pts
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