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Fainplast won
the Powerboat P1 World Championship British Grand Prix on
Sunday with a well-planned tactical performance to finish in
fourth place, the team having done the hard work on Saturday
after winning the first leg. It was the first Grand Prix
victory of the season for the Metamarine craft, piloted by
Marco Pennesi, Luigi Bisceglia and Ernesto Ascani.
The race had been thrown upside down when the first two
finishers in Saturday's first leg - OSG Donzi and Kerakoll -
were disqualified, promoting Fainplast and leaving the crew
with an advantage that they could play out during the second
race. The result leaves two Italian boats - Kerakoll and OSG
Donzi - tied for the championship lead with just one round
remaining.
COWES - UIM POWERBOAT P1 BRITISH GRAND PRIX
Sail gave way to
power at Cowes over the August Bank Holiday weekend when the
Powerboat P1 British Grand Prix of the Sea roared into life.
From Friday 25th until Sunday 27th August some of the
fastest and most spectacular powerboats in Europe were set
to be in racing action off Cowes. The 2006 event was set to
be even bigger and better than last year with more action
both on and off the water. An international line up of up to
100 race crafts and a crowd of over 65,000 was expected over
the three days of this ultimate water sports experience.
Racing would be
close to the shoreline and was headlined by the two-round
UIM Powerboat P1 World Championship, where fast, furious and
spectacular action was guaranteed as the teams contested the
British Grand Prix of the Sea. The full race programme
included competitive support class action including racing
from Class 3-2L, Honda F4SA 150, Honda F4SA 225 and
Thundercats. Live entertainment for the whole family in the
P1 Village included a P1 Exhibition area, Live Music, San
Miguel BBQ, Guinness Bars, Simulators, Reverse Bungee,
Scalextric-style Raceway and lots lots more.
As the countdown
to the Powerboat P1 British Grand Prix of the Sea entered
its final days, experienced Italian driver and current
Evolution class championship leader Giovanni Carpitella was
well aware that the pre-season activities of his competitors
have made the 2006 Championship the most unpredictable in
its history. Any one of six boats was in the frame to
wrestle the title from Wettpunkt.com boat and it is for that
reason that Carpitella and his long term racing partner
Mario Invernizzi were taking no chances in their preparation
for Cowes. “We cannot stand still after achieving so much
last season yet failing to win the championship. Our
competitors are investing heavily in new hulls and engines
and every one of them is capable of winning races. We will
be thorough in our preparation in Cowes and our experience
of racing there on many occasions will be put to good use."
At the top of
the list of ‘pretenders to the throne’ were OSG Donzi and
Thuraya, the 2004 World Champions. Both of these highly
talented teams had recent GP wins under their belts and had
the taste for more glory. Mario Invernizzi’s Kerakoll team
was still smarting from a disqualification in Cowes last
year that ended a challenge that for much of the 2005 season
had appeared invincible. Invernizzi may consider himself the
moral champion but in the history books his team finished as
runner-up and that was simply not good enough for the
throttleman/owner and Carpitella, who between them have won
almost everything there is to win in world powerboat racing.
The team’s Fabio Buzzi designed boat, equipped with Isotta
Fraschini engines and capable of generating 2000hp,
demonstrated in 2005 that exceptional acceleration out of
turns and a high top speed make it a formidable challenger.
And in its new livery, (Kerakoll also sponsor Valentino
Rossi) Carpitella and Invernizzi have one objective, “to put
things right and win the 2006 Championship.”
OSG DONZI -
BACK TO DEFEND THEIR TITLE
Winners of the
2005 Powerboat P1 British Grand Prix, Giancarlo Cangiano and
Stefano Cola and their boat OSG Donzi were back in Cowes to
defend their title. “Cowes is the Mecca of powerboating so
it always means so much to race here and to win last year
was a very special feeling”, explains team owner and
throttle man Giancarlo before the event started. “We always
have a great time on the Island, the people make us very
welcome and I have told my partner Stefano that if we win
this year perhaps we should buy a small home on the Island
for our collection of trophies. We have been looking through
your County Press property section…but our English is not
good. What is a semi detached?"
Last year this
popular Italian team held a 'mozzarella party' in the town
to celebrate its arrival with an open invitation to all the
teams and shipped over 70 kilos of the finest Neapolitan
mozzarella. Giancarlo this year was bringing in 100 kilos
for his ‘Night in White’. He loves the history and allure of
Cowes and now his party is becoming part of the old place’s
tradition. He said: ‘I love Cowes and our party just adds to
the fun. It will be even better if we win. Hopefully our
competitors will eat too much with the extra weight slowing
them down in the race. This is part of a carefully planned
race strategy!”
LEG 1 (SATURDAY)
In the Evolution
class the popular Italian team, OSG Donzi took the win from
Kerakoll in another close and thrilling battle between the
two leading championship contenders. Masters of the ‘rolling
start’, Giancarlo Cangiano and Stefano Cola achieved their
third consecutive victory with a near perfect tactical
performance and took a step closer to defending its British
GP crown.
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