Italian boat OSG Donzi, in the hands of Giancarlo Cangiano and Stefano Cola, comfortably won the 2006 Powerboat P1 World Championship at Cascais, Portugal on Sunday after Kerakoll, with which it tied on points going into this final round, dropped out of the running at the beginning of race two.

The action started with the first race on Saturday. In Evolution, it was drama all the way including the retirement of both championship leaders and a win for Kiton after the lead had changed hands on five occasions. The Seatek-powered Metamarine craft of Maurizio Di Stasio, Dario Longo and Giuseppe Salvatori had looked competitive throughout and astute seamanship and reliability was the key to its success. The win has strengthened the team’s hold on third place but with both lead boats failing to finish, Trident Kiton have grander ambitions and a repeat of today’s events would secure them the World Championship. Second place went to Thuraya, the only other finisher in the class although the team were minus Adriano Panatta who was forced to rest after suffering from a stomach upset.

The leading two boats, Kerakoll and OSG Donzi entered this final weekend of racing with equal points and after OSG Donzi had retired early with electrical problems, it looked as though Kerakoll would win the race and take a commanding points lead into the final day of the season. When Fainplast moved ahead of the field it looked, to the crowds gathered along the coastline, that Kerakoll had decided that consolidation of points was more important than the win. However, onboard the craft water had flooded both engine bays and eventually the boat was forced to retire, ensuring that this enthralling battle for the title would once again go down to the final race of the final day of the season.

The Powerboat P1 World Championship closed its season in typically dramatic style the next day (Sunday) with another spectacular and hard fought race, excitement, upsets and the glory of new World Champions in both its SuperSport and Evolution categories. The drama began before the boats entered the water with the news that Kerakoll, the joint leader in Evolution, would not be starting the race. The engine problems suffered in yesterday’s Endurance race could not be fixed despite working throughout the night and replacing the Isotta Fraschini engines. This effectively meant that the championship would be decided between the Italian boats OSG Donzi and third placed Kiton.

Then, just as the boats were mustering before the start of the race, the Kerakoll mechanics completed their work, and it was craned into the water and raced towards the start line. The sight of pilots Mario Invernizzi and Giovanni Carpitella joining the fray with a minute to spare was a welcome sight for the large crowds and the teams that make up this sporting, yet highly competitive motorsport championship. The race start saw OSG Donzi lead the Evolution boats followed closely by Fainplast, piloted by Marco Pennesi, Luigi Bisceglia and Ernesto Ascani with Kerakoll third and Kiton in fourth place.
 

The Kerakoll fairytale ended with steam emanating from the cockpit on lap one and for the second consecutive season the world title had evaded them - third place being no consolation for the highly impressive Alpo team. Fainplast took the lead on lap three and would eventually dominate proceedings whilst behind them the duel for the World title was hotting up between Kiton and OSG Donzi. With Donzi 50 points ahead in the championship and ahead in the race, its claim for the World Championship title was strengthening lap-by-lap.

At the front, Fainplast was building a commanding race lead but the glory was definitely with OSG Donzi, piloted by team owner and throttleman Giancarlo Cangiano and Stefano Cola. Its second place was enough to see the team, powered by Sterling Performance engines, claim its first World crown, a well deserved victory from a hard fought season of excellent tactical and aggressive racing. The Portuguese Grand Prix of the Sea - decided on the aggregate of the two races - was won by Kiton, its hard working team of Giuseppe Salvatori, Dario Longo and Maurizio di Stasio also being rewarded with runner-up spot in the World title. Thuraya finished fourth on the day to finish second in the GP, with Fainplast third. The SuperSport World title was won by the Dragon boat ARPRO, the British husband and wife team of Mike Shelton and Jackie Hunt completing a highly successful debut season in P1. The runners-up spot and victory in the Portuguese Grand Prix went to Jolly Special, piloted by Simone Cesati, Eduardo Platero and Gianbattista Gabriele, with Ocean Dragon third. The Anglo-Chinese team of Martin Lai, Paul Williams and Mark Sansom – front-runners all season – suffered drive problems that deprived them of the glory that had been within their grasp for most of the year.

Sunday’s race was the best possible advert for the P1 formula with the top five boats in SuperSport vying for the lead and at times arriving at marker buoys within a split second of each other. Finishing second to Jolly Drive in today’s SuperSport race was the Yanmar-powered Carpenter with Chaudron in third. Carpenter’s excellent showing over the weekend was enough to take third position in the Portuguese Grand Prix of the Sea, with ARPRO runners-up.

2006 UIM Powerboat P1 World Championship, Portuguese Grand Prix of the Sea – Championship Standings, Evolution Class: (Pos – No. – Team – Pts) 1. – 88 – OSG Donzi – 720; 2. – 90 – Trident Kiton – 650; 3. – 66 – Kerakoll – 640; 4. – 76 – Thuraya – 570; 5. – 64 – Fainplast – 500; 6. – 81 – Wettpunkt.com – 50