SPIRIT OF SPAIN - Class-1.com

February 2009 n.2
SPECIAL EDITION
MIAMI INTERNATIONAL BOAT SHOW
CONFIRM TWO-BOAT ENTRY
SPIRIT OF SPAIN
CARRASCO TO RUN NEW SPANISH TEAM

ADVERTORIAL
February 2009 n.2
Composite
page 2

February 2009 n.2
CLASS 1 SET FOR
OUTSTANDING SEASON
The 2009 UIM-WPPA Class 1 World Powerboat Championship is set for an outstanding
year, with Championship Organiser, IOTA (International Offshore Team Association),
confirming one of the strongest line-ups of recent years, two new venues on the
calendar - Alicante, Spain and Stresa, Italy - with a possible third new venue to be
confirmed in the coming weeks.
IOTA General Secretary, Marco Sala has confirmed a 13 boat line-up for the season,
which sees the 2007/8 Australian Offshore Champions, Maritimo Offshore Racing,
fielding a two-boat line-up, running their new Class 1 design, new pilots coming into
the Championship and the likelihood of a new team and 13th boat to be confirmed.
“The outlook for this season is very positive and the line-up is one of the strongest
in recent years,” said Sala. “The sport continues to grow both geographically and
commercially. We have strengthened our position in Europe with the return of
Spain and Italy which are very important to the Championship, and we have
consolidated our ties with our established venues as we look forward
to racing in the Far East in 2010.”
The prospect of an exciting season’s racing is further fuelled by the introduction of a
series of new rules which focus on reducing costs, improving the level of competition
amongst the teams and broadening the level of entry of boats into the Championship.
The rules include the introduction of a new engine-boat package, 11.5m – 13m in
length, weighing 4100kgs running 790hp naturally aspirated engines, the appointment
of a sole propeller manufacturer for the Championship with teams limited to a
maximum of three sets for the season, and the removal of all electronic devices.
The season starts in Doha, Qatar on 25 April, with the Championship then heading
to Europe for five, possibly six races, opening and closing its European campaign in
Alicante and Stresa, before heading back to the Middle East for two races, ending the
season with the UAE Grand Prix in Dubai.
AL ZAFEEN BACK TO
PARTNER BIN HENDI
Victory Team’s general manager, Gianfranco Venturelli, has confirmed that 2007 World and
European Champion, Arif Saif Al Zafeen, will make a welcome return to racing this season to
partner the newly crowned 2008 World, Middle East and Edox Pole Position Champion, Nadir Bin
Hendi, in Victory 1.
The decision sees Al Zafeen and Bin Hendi rekindle a formidable partnership that saw them win
the season opener in Qatar last year, before an injury - sustained in a Formula 2 race - sidelined
Al Zafeen, with the team drafting in the services of 2001 World Champion, Mohammed Al Marri,
to replace him.
Venturelli also said that at this stage, no decision had been taken on the line-up for their second boat.
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February 2009 n.2
NICOLINI
KEEPING HIS
OPTIONS OPEN
Qatar 95’s Matteo Nicolini is keeping his options open
as to which boat he will opt to run in 2009 - their
current Michael Peters-designed, Victory-built hull
or the new Nicolini Offshore-designed NOC1CAT that
raced in Moscow and Arendal - confirming that he will
run a series of crucial pre-season tests, with the first
in Doha in February.
Nicolini and Abdullah Al-Sulaiti ended the season as
the top Qatar outfit, taking a sensational race win in the
last race of the year to finish above their team-mates
and take third overall in the championship standings.
“The boat with Sterlings is very strong and with some
additional development to the modifications we have
already done, we can improve the performance,” he
said.
“We will test both boats properly in February, running
our current boat with V8s to try to find a strong flat
water set-up and will also test the new boat with both
V12s and V8s.”
REBUILT QATAR
96 WILL BE A
NEW AND VERY
DIFFERENT BOAT
Qatar 96 throttleman, Steve Curtis, says that their rebuilt
raceboat will be ‘like having a virtually new boat’ and will bear
little resemblance to the old ‘Spirit of Norway’.
SERGIO
CARRASCO
ANNOUNCES
TWO-BOAT
SPANISH TEAM
Sergio Mora Carrasco has confirmed he will run a new,
two-boat Spanish Team this season, which brings a new
engine-builder and boat manufacturer into the sport
Team Spirit of Spain sees Spaniard, Carrasco and
Italian throttleman, Giovanni Carpitella, continue the
partnership that they formed in Dubai last season which
saw them finish an impressive fourth in the final race of
the year. The Spanish-Italian pairing will showcase a
Michael Peters-designed, Outerlimits-built hull, powered
by twin, Chief V8 supercharged power-plants.
The second boat, a Michael Peters-designed Tencara
with Mercury-Class 1 V8s, will be crewed by Moroccan,
Mohammed Abdelkader Ahmed and Italian, Christian
Rivolta, both of whom made their Class 1 debuts last
season, also teaming up in Dubai.
Following Sheikh Hassan and Curtis’ crash in qualifying in Doha
last year, which all but destroyed the team’s number one boat,
Qatar 96 has been almost totally rebuilt. The main rebuild of
the hull and deck was carried out at Nicolini Offshore’s facility
near Lake Lecco in Italy, before being moved to the team’s
second European base in Norway, where Curtis has spent the
early part of 2009 overseeing the crucial re-rigging before
the boat is shipped to Qatar at the end of February to test in
March. “There was very little left after the crash and it was
simply a case of starting from scratch,” commented Curtis.
“The positive side is that we have been able to rebuild to suit
not just Sheikh Hassan and myself, but to suit the courses
we run these days. We have made extensive modifications to
the hull and in other key areas, focusing on acceleration and
ultimately a boat that will be quick in all conditions.”
MARITIMO CONFIRM TWO-BOAT ENTRY
Australia’s Maritimo Racing Team has confirmed they will enter two of their new specification Class 1 raceboats in their bid for race and title honours in 2009.
The new lighter hull, powered by two Mercury 790 V8s - designed and built by Australia’s premiere manufacturer of long-range luxury
motoryachts, Maritimo – was unveiled in Dubai at the end of last year, finishing in fifth place on its race debut. “In some
ways, it was disappointing that we had no time to test before taking the boat out of the box, but what we saw
was very encouraging,” said Maritimo team owner, Bill Barry-Cotter. “We identified some fundamental issues,
the main one being the rudder configuration, but we will put them right and make one or two other minor
modifications before Doha.”
The 2007-8 Australian Offshore Superboat Champions, Tom Barry-Cotter and Pal Virik Nilsen, who competed in
three Class 1 races last year, posting two top-six finishes, will head the two-boat assault, with the experienced
and straight-talking New Zealand throttleman, Peter ‘Muddy’ McGrath, joined in the second boat by Italian
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February 2009 n.2
ADVERTORIAL
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ADVERTORIAL February 2009 n.2
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February 2009 n.2
CLASS 1 SUPPORTS THE QATAR
ORPHAN FOUNDATION
At the beginning of 2008 the International Offshore Team
Association (IOTA) reached an agreement with the Qatar Marine
Sports Federation (QMSF) to launch “Class 1 for Dhreima” – an
initiative to support the Qatar Orphan Foundation.
Sheikh Hassan Bin Jabor Al-Thani, President of the QMSF and
IOTA, was instrumental in encouraging Class 1 – a sport in
which he has been a leading figure since 2003 – to become
an active vehicle to raise awareness of the foundation. “In
presenting this initiative I wanted to emphasise how sport, in
whatever form or however extreme, can support the values and
the importance of the activities of an organisation such as the
Qatar Orphan Foundation.”
During the course of the year, the association between Class
1 and Dhreima developed a series of activities and events
that took place at races, with the purpose of highlighting
the activities of Dhreima and finding synergy with similar
organisations based in countries that host Class 1 GP events.
The Qatar Orphan Foundation - Dhreima was launched on 10
June 2003 under the patronage of Her Highness Sheikha Moza
Bint Nasser Al-Misnad, Chairman of the Supreme Council. “We
in the Qatari Orphan Foundation believe that our community
values of solidarity, compassion and cooperation make us truly
capable of providing all the support the children need,” said
Nabil Ali Bin Ali, Chairman of the Dhreima Board, adding, “and
we are extremely happy that the Class 1 Championship has
elected to support the Foundation.”
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February 2009 n.2

February 2009 n.2
VICTORY TAKE THE
TRIPLE CROWN
JOTUN UPHOLD
EUROPEAN PRIDE
2008 provided some tough challenges for the Class 1 World Powerboat Championship,
but the sport responded and faced them in a highly professional manner and showed
great resilience, highlighted by an eleven-boat line-up at the end of the year in Dubai.
It was a year in which the sport set new standards, achieved extraordinary levels of
technical excellence and enjoyed great excitement and wonderful entertainment - both
on and off the water.
The year also saw the Championship continue to reach an ever increasing media
audience and grow both commercially, thanks to the valued support of its partners Edox,
Nor-Tech, Marinepool, Marinetek and Moving, as well as geographically, with two new
venues – Budva and Moscow – demonstrating the thriving interest from new venues
and countries looking to host a round of this prestigious international series.
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February 2009 n.2
And on the water, it was Dubai’s Victory Team, who, without question, was
the team of the year; Victory 1’s Mohammed Al Marri and Nadir Bin Hendi
led them to a 64th Grand Prix win, their eighth World Championship,
a third Middle East title and their sixth Pole Position Championship in
sixteen years.
But whilst the statistics give Victory the deserved accolades, 2008 saw
Jotun emerge as the leading European challenger who took on and beat
the might of the Middle East and lift the European Championship, the
V8 break the V12 engine dominance, powering Jotun and Qatar 95 to
race wins, three new pilots enter the Championship and two new boat
designs, by Nicolini Offshore and Maritimo, take their first tentative
racing steps into arguably the most competitive international powerboat
series in the world.
But the season belongs to Victory 1; Al Marri stepped in to replace the
injured Arif Al Zafeen after a winning start to their title defence in Qatar,
and alongside Bin Hendi produced an imperious season-long display
to take a further four wins in Montenegro, Russia, Egypt and Dubai to
complete the title treble and end the year as World, Middle East and Edox
Pole Position Champions – a second World title for Al Marri and a first for
the tenacious Bin Hendi.
Victory’s strength in depth was highlighted by the performance of teammates,
Abdullah Al Mehairbi and outgoing Champion, Jean-Marc Sanchez
in Victory 7, who guided his ‘rookie’ driver to the runners-up slot in both
the World and Middle East Championships, taking an impressive seven
podium finishes from eight starts.
Qatar’s season hit trouble on day one of competitive action, with Sheikh
Hassan and Steve Curtis destroying their number 1 raceboat in qualifying.
Despite jumping into their spare boat to finish second in the season
opener, they would ultimately be on the back foot all season and record
just three podium finishes. Reliability, or rather lack of, proved their
Achilles heel and the Qatar 96 crew saw race-winning positions and
podium performances end ignominiously on more than one occasion.
But Qatari pride was restored in the last race of the season with a
sensational win by Abdullah Al-Sulaiti and Matteo Nicolini over their
Dubai rivals, and with three previous podiums, Qatar 95 ended the
season third overall and put one over their team-mates to finish as the
number one boat in the Qatar camp.
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February 2009 n.2
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February 2009 n.2
By the mid-season point, the Championship needed a team to remind Victory that
there were other boats out there, and it was the marauding Norwegians in the
scarlet, Class 1 Mercury V8-powered Jotun who delivered. Inge Brigt Aarbakke
and Jorn Tandberg, after just one outing together in Moscow, produced a simply
stellar performance on their home waters of Arendal in the BMW Norwegian
Grand Prix to pass both Victory outfits and take a sensational win. A race later
in Romania, they seized on Victory 1’s misfortune to romp home and take a
second win and lift the European Championship by one point, ending the year
as the top European challenger in fifth place overall and third in the Edox Pole
Position Championship.
Foresti & Suardi ended the year with the team’s highest points tally in Class 1,
with Montavoci and Selmer proving to be one of the most consistent teams in
the Championship, always in the points and never finishing outside the top six,
producing their best result of the season, fourth, in rough seas in the Egyptian
Grand Prix in Porto Marina to end their year as top European outfit in the Middle
East Championship and sixth in the overall Championship standings.
For Giorgioffshore, 2008 produced a landmark moment for the team. In a
season of development, running a new Michael Peters-designed, Victory-built
raceboat and trying various engine packages along the way, it all came together
for Nicola Giorgi and Giorgio Manuzzi in the Mina Seyahi Grand Prix, taking the
team’s first Class 1 podium with a well-deserved third place.
For Duemme Offshore Team boss, Domenico Cirilli, 2008 was a season to focus
on team development and to introduce new Spanish pilots into Class 1. He
started the year in Montenegro alongside debutant, Sergio Mora Carrasco,
taking points in their next three outings before a planned switch for the all-
Spanish pairing to a new raceboat later in the season.
In Egypt it was the turn for a second Spanish newcomer to make his debut.
Mohammed Abdelkader Ahmed survived a baptism of fire to beat the rough seas
alongside Ahmed Al Suwaidi to bring the boat home in seventh place, and in the
final race of the year was joined by another Class 1 debutant, Christian Rivolta,
and added to his tally of points.
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February 2009 n.2
With Cirilli unable to make the final three races of the season, for the
first outing in the team’s new Class 1 Mercury V8-powered Tencara in
Egypt, Carrasco was joined by the flamboyant and experienced Italian
throttleman, Giovanni Carpitella, to see out the season, achieving the
team’s best result of the year, finishing fourth in the last race.
A disrupted season is the best way to describe 2008 for Chris Parsonage
Racing. What looked like being a great season opener – running comfortably
in third and with a podium finish in their sights – went wrong with just three
laps to go, when Bard Eker and Chris Parsonage crashed out.
Parsonage elected to sit out the European rounds, but returned to race
in Egypt and Dubai. With Eker, the 2005 World Champion, unavailable,
Parsonage switched to take the wheel and brought in American throttle
ace, Billy Moore to take the sticks. The Anglo-American pairing gelled
immediately to mark an impressive return for Parsonage and Class 1
debut for Moore, finishing third, but they were unable to repeat this
performance in Dubai, failing to start the penultimate race and finishing
sixth in the final race.
There was also a cameo role this year for the much talked-about new
Class 1 raceboat, built by Italian boat builder, Nicolini Offshore - the NO
C1CAT. The first new design in Class 1 for five years was unveiled at
the Russian Grand Prix in the colours of the Qatar Team and given the
immediate ‘thumbs-up’ by the man behind the project, Matteo Nicolini.
And two race outings with Mohammed Al Nassr and Luca Nicolini in
the cockpit – Russia and Norway – gave a clear indication of the boat’s
potential and pace, with consistent top-six times in practice and in
qualifying.
The second new design of the season appeared in Dubai. Given ‘wild
card’ entry status by officials for the races in Norway and Dubai, Class 1’s
youngest partnership, Tom Barry-Cotter and Pal Virik Nilsen returned to
Class 1 action as the 2007/8 Australian Offshore Superboat Champions.
In Norway, the Australian-Norwegian pairing jumped back into their ‘old’
Class 1 Mercury V8-powered Tencara to finish sixth, and in Dubai unveiled
their new Class 1 specification raceboat, designed and built by Australia’s
premiere manufacturer of long-range luxury motoryachts, Maritimo.
Despite the obvious ‘teething troubles’ of testing and developing a
new raceboat under race conditions and getting acclimatised to its
handling characteristics, the Maritimo crew produced a very creditable
performance to take fifth place in the Mina Seyahi Grand Prix, but lost
out in the last Grand Prix of the year after a big impact spin-out ended
their race on lap 14 of 20.
But it was Victory 1 who deservedly took all the plaudits and ended the
year as the World, Middle East and Edox Pole Position Champions, and
who remain the team to beat in 2009.
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February 2009 n.2
“At a Class 1 Grand Prix, being a
spectator is no longer an option”
“The introduction of our Supercat 3600 into the Class 1 World
Powerboat Championship in 2007 as the official start and pace
boat gave us the opportunity to demonstrate our product to a truly
international audience,” said Nor-Tech’s President and Owner,
Trond Schou. “And it was also used very successfully to give IOTA’s
commercial partners and the media the opportunity to experience
the excitement of ‘powerboat racing’, with high speed runs in the
Nor-Tech around the racecourse – and this is something that we
wanted to develop.
“Following the overall success of our first season in Class 1
as a commercial partner, we extended our involvement in the
Championship last season with a second Nor-Tech 3600, creating
a unique marketing initiative with IOTA – the Class 1 Nor-Tech
Experience.
“We are very excited about our ongoing and extended cooperation
with IOTA and I would like to thank IOTA general secretary,Marco
Sala, and Mercury Racing for their valuable and continued support
and involvement with our new projects.”
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February 2009 n.2
100MPH CLUB
The days of simply being a spectator are over, with guests given the
opportunity to take to the water in one of two Nor-Tech 3600 Supercats
to run the Grand Prix race course and become members of the exclusive
Class 1 Nor-Tech 100mph Club.
ACADEMY
For the more ambitious guest, there is the Class 1 Nor-Tech Academy,
a two-day programme divided between theory and practice including
operational briefings and driver instruction before the opportunity to take
two timed-laps behind the wheel.
MATCH RACE
And for the fearless guest wanting the ultimate experience, there is the
Class 1 Nor-Tech Match Race which offers the chance to take a leading role
and experience at first hand the adrenaline rush of powerboat racing.
A three-day programme dedicated to learning the theory and practice
of driving techniques, before getting behind the wheel for two timed
elimination laps on the Match Race Course to decide the finalists who
will go through to the Class 1 Nor-Tech Match Race head-to-head for
the title.
IOTA, the Organisers of the Class 1 World
Powerboat Championship and Nor-Tech,
America’s leading high performance boat
manufacturer have created a series of
exciting initiatives offering clients and VIP
guests at Grand Prix events an exhilarating
experience that only Class 1 can provide.
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February 2009 n.2
2009 sees Class 1 fielding one of its strongest and most competitive fleets for
over a decade, with 13 of the World’s leading state-of-the-art raceboats liningup
on the waters of Doha Bay, Qatar for the season opener on 25, April.
This year, nine teams will compete for the most coveted prize in World
Powerboat Racing - The Sam Griffith Trophy - with four teams fielding twoboat
entries and new engine and boat manufacturers entering the World’s
leading Powerboat Championship.
1 VICTORY
11 MARITIMO
60 ROSCIOLI HOTELS ROMA
7 VICTORY
8 FORESTI & SUARDI
10 SPIRIT OF SPAIN
12 MARITIMO
18 GIORGIOFFSHORE
50 NEGOTIATOR
88 SPIRIT OF SPAIN
90 JOTUN
95 QATAR
96 QATAR
Team:
Boat:
Team Owner:
Managing Director:
Team Manager:
VICTORY TEAM (DUBAI, UAE)
#1 Victory
Government of Dubai
Khalfan Harib
Gianfranco Venturelli
victoryteam.ae
1 VICTORY
DRIVER
Arif Saif Al Zafeen (UAE)
Date of Birth:
1 September, 1974
Place of Birth:
Dubai, U.A.E.
Lives:
Dubai
THROTTLEMAN
Nadir Bin Hendi (UAE)
Date of Birth:
15 December, 1969
Place of Birth:
Dubai, U.A.E.
Lives:
Dubai
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Overall Length: 12.67m
Beam: 3.75m
Racing Weight:
Engines:
4800kgs
Victory V12
Builder:
Boat Construction:
Victory
Composites
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February 2009 n.2
Team:
Boat:
Team Owner:
Managing Director:
Team Manager:
VICTORY TEAM (DUBAI, UAE)
#7 Victory
Government of Dubai
Khalfan Harib
Gianfranco Venturelli
victoryteam.ae
7 VICTORY
DRIVER
TBC
THROTTLEMAN
TBC
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Overall Length: 12.67m
Beam: 3.75m
Racing Weight:
Engines:
4800kgs
Victory V12
Builder:
Boat Construction:
Victory
Composites
Team:
Boat:
Team Owner:
Team Manager:
TBC
#8 Foresti & Suardi
SCAM
Per Jørgensen
DRIVER
Kolbjorn Selmer (Norway)
Date of Birth:
4 December, 1976
Place of Birth:
Trondheim, Norway
Lives:
Trondheim
8 FORESTI & SUARDI
scam-srl.it
THROTTLEMAN
Giampaolo Montavoci (Italy)
Date of Birth:
10 December, 1959
Place of Birth:
Venice, Italy
Lives:
Venice
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Overall Length: 13.02m
Beam: 3.60m
Racing Weight: 4800kgs
Engines: Lamborghini-SCAM 8.2litre, V12
Builder:
Boat Construction:
Victory
Carbon Kevlar
10 SPIRIT OF SPAIN
Team:
Boat:
Team Owner:
Team Manager:
SPIRIT OF SPAIN (Spain)
#10 Spirit of Spain
Sergio Mora Carrasco
Giuseppe ‘Pippo’ Cascone
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Overall Length: 13.33m
Beam: 3.57m
Team:
Boat:
Team Owner:
Team Manager:
DRIVER
Mohammed Abdelkader
Ahmed (Morocco)
Date of Birth:
3 May, 1984
Place of Birth:
Ceuta, Spain
Lives:
Marbella
Racing Weight: 4800kgs
Engines: Mercury-Class 1, 9.1litre V8
Builder:
Boat Construction:
MARITIMO OFFSHORE RACING (AUSTRALIA)
#11 Maritimo
Bill Barry-Cotter
Ann-Marie Cook
THROTTLEMAN
Christian Rivolta (Italy)
Date of Birth:
3 May, 1975
Place of Birth:
Lecco, Italy
Lives:
Lecco
Tencara
Carbon Kevlar
11 MARITIMO
maritimo.com
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Overall Length: 12.90m
Beam: 3.49m
Racing Weight:
Engines:
DRIVER
Tom Barry-Cotter (Australia)
Date of Birth:
27 March, 1988
Place of Birth:
Sidney, Australia
Lives:
Gold Coast
4100kgs
Mercury 790 V8
Builder:
Boat Construction:
THROTTLEMAN
Pal Virik Nilsen (Norway)
Date of Birth:
20 December, 1974
Place of Birth:
Tonsberg, Norway
Lives:
Sandefjord
Maritimo
Composites
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February 2009 n.2
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Overall Length: 12.90m
Beam: 3.49m
Team:
Boat:
Team Owner:
Team Manager:
Racing Weight:
Engines:
MARITIMO OFFSHORE RACING (AUSTRALIA)
#12 Maritimo
Bill Barry-Cotter
Ann-Marie Cook
DRIVER
Giorgio Manuzzi (Italy)
Date of Birth:
20 May, 1964
Place of Birth:
Cesena, Italy
Lives:
Cesena
4100kgs
Mercury 790 V8
12 MARITIMO
maritimo.com
THROTTLEMAN
Peter “Muddy” McGrath
(New Zeland)
Date of Birth:
5 January, 1956
Place of Birth:
Auckland, New Zeland
Lives:
Gold Coast, Australia
Builder:
Maritimo
Boat Construction: Composites
18 GIORGIOFFSHORE
Team:
GIORGIOFFSHORE (ITALY)
Boat:
#18 Giorgioffshore
Team Owner / Manager: Gianni Giorgi
giorgioffshore.com
DRIVER
TBC
THROTTLEMAN
Nicola Giorgi (Italy)
Date of Birth:
18 August, 1973
Place of Birth:
Florence, Italy
Lives:
Montecatini Terme
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Overall Length: 14.44m
Beam: 3.69m
Racing Weight:
Engines:
4800kgs
Giorgi V12
Builder:
Victory
Boat Construction: Carbon Kevlar -
50 NEGOTIATOR
Team:
Boat:
Team Owner:
Team Manager:
CHRIS PARSONAGE RACING (ENGLAND)
#50 Negotiator
Chris Parsonage
Chris Parsonage
DRIVER
TBC
chrisparsonageracing.com
THROTTLEMAN
TBC
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Overall Length: 13.44m
Beam: 3.69m
Racing Weight: 4800kgs
Engines: STERLING V8 supercharged
Builder:
Victory
Boat Construction: Carbon Fibre Composites
60 ROSCIOLI HOTELS ROMA
Team:
Boat:
Team Owner:
Team Manager:
DRIVER
TBC
DUEMME OFFSHORE (SPAIN)
#60 Roscioli Hotels Roma
Domenico Cirilli
Domenico Cirilli
duemme-offshore.com
THROTTLEMAN
Domenico Cirilli (Spain)
Date of Birth:
8 January, 1960
Place of Birth:
Rome, Italy
Lives:
Alicante, Spain
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Overall Length: 13.02m
Beam: 3.60m
Racing Weight: 4800kgs
Engines: Lamborghini-SCAM 8.2litre, V12
Builder:
Victory
Boat Construction: Carbon Kevlar Composites
page 18

February 2009 n.2
Team:
Boat:
Team Owner:
Team Manager:
SPIRIT OF SPAIN (Spain)
#88 Spirit of Spain
Sergio Mora Carrasco
Giuseppe ‘Pippo’ Cascone
88 SPIRIT OF SPAIN
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Overall Length: 13.10m
Beam: 3.45m
Overall Length: 12.25m
Beam: 3.47m
Overall Length: 12.67m
Beam: 3.75m
Overall Length: 12.67m
Beam: 3.75m
Team:
Boat:
Team Owner:
Team Manager:
Team:
Boat:
Team Owner:
Team Principal:
Team Manager:
Team:
Boat:
Team Owner:
Team Principal:
Team Manager:
page 19
DRIVER
Sergio Mora Carrasco (Spain)
Date of Birth:
22 November, 1977
Place of Birth:
Huelva, Spain
Lives:
Huelva
Racing Weight: 4800kgs
Engines: Chief V8 supercharged
UGLAND OFFSHORE RACING (NORWAY)
#90 Jotun
Andreas O Ugland, Jorn Tandberg
Jorn Tandberg
DRIVER
Inge Brigt Aarbakke (Norway)
Date of Birth:
5 July, 1959
Place of Birth:
Bryne, Norway
Lives:
Naerbo
Racing Weight: 4800kgs
Engines: Mercury Class 1, 9.1litre V8
TEAM QATAR (QATAR)
#95 Qatar
Qatar Marine Sports Federation (QMSF)
HE Sheikh Hassan bin Jabor Al-Thani
Matteo Nicolini
DRIVER
Abdullah Al-Sulaiti (Qatar)
Date of Birth:
20 August, 1975
Place of Birth:
Doha, Qatar
Lives:
Doha
Racing Weight: 4800kgs
Engines: STERLING V8 supercharged
TEAM QATAR (QATAR)
#96 Qatar
Qatar Marine Sports Federation (QMSF)
HE Sheikh Hassan bin Jabor Al-Thani
Matteo Nicolini
DRIVER
HE Sheikh Hassan bin
Jabor Al-Thani (Qatar)
Date of Birth:
20 July, 1968
Place of Birth:
Doha, Qatar
Lives:
Doha
Racing Weight: 4800kgs
Engines:
Skema V12
Builder:
Boat Construction:
Builder:
Boat Construction:
THROTTLEMAN
Giovanni Carpitella (Italy)
Date of Birth:
22 August, 1968
Place of Birth:
Grottammare (AP), Italy
Lives:
Grottammare
Outerlimits
Carbon Nomex
90 JOTUN
uglandoffshoreracing.com
THROTTLEMAN
Jorn Tandberg (Norway)
Date of Birth:
15 March, 1964
Place of Birth:
Larvik, Norway
Lives:
Larvik
Builder: Marine Technology Inc
Boat Construction: Composites
95 QATAR
qmsf.org
THROTTLEMAN
Matteo Nicolini (Italy)
Date of Birth:
8 July, 1964
Place of Birth:
Fermo, Italy
Lives:
Dubai, U.A.E.
Victory
Composites
96 QATAR
THROTTLEMAN
Steve Curtis (England)
Date of Birth:
9 June, 1964
Place of Birth:
Wimbledon, England
Lives:
Hythe
Builder:
Victory
Boat Construction: Composites
qmsf.org

February 2009 n.2
TIMING
EDOX
OFFICIAL TIMEKEEPER
edox.ch
As the official and exclusive timekeeper of the Class 1 World Powerboat Championship and the EDOX Pole Position
Championship, EDOX underlines the sporting values of quest for performance, precision and pushing oneself to the limit.
EDOX first became involved in Class 1 at the beginning of 2006 as an official partner of World Champions, Spirit of Norway,
and Christian Hotz, EDOX Marketing Director, saw the opportunity to strengthen the company’s commitment in 2007 to
what he describes as a ‘spectacular and nerve-tingling’ sport and to increase the synergy between the two brands. “EDOX
is a young, dynamic, privately-owned company with a product range that reflects excellence, quality, style, reliability and
glamour and the Class 1 World Powerboat Championship epitomises these values.”
MARINEPOOL
OFFICIAL CLOTHING
SUPPLIER
Marinepool – Spirit of the Ocean, founded in 1991, is the
biggest life jacket manufacturer in Europe. The company is
equally well known for its range of versatile marine and leisure
clothing composed of functional fashion, shoes and bags all
manufactured to the very highest technical specification.
Marinepool has established itself as a global player in the marine
and leisure industry with commercial interests in 38 countries.
The brand is especially well known for its reliability and top of
the range quality and within the world of powerboat racing is
the official clothing supplier to the Qatar and Victory teams as
well as the World Professional Powerboating Association.
marinepool.com
MARINETEK
OFFICIAL PONTOON
SUPPLIER
As one of the leading marina developers in the world
offering a wide range of pontoons and breakwaters as
well as “turn-key” marina solutions, Marinetek operates
through its representatives and partners in over 25
countries and has been the supplier to the Class 1 World
Powerboat Championship, providing its floats for the
Wet Pits area, since 2003. “There is a perfect synergy
between Class 1 and our products,” said Marinetek CEO,
Ilkka Seppala. “The safety and advanced technology of
our products were evaluated and are highly regarded by
Class 1’s team of specialists.”
marinetek.net
CLASS 1
NOR-TECH
OFFICIAL PACE BOAT
America’s leading high-performance boat manufacturer provides the Class 1 World Powerboat
Championship with two state-of-the-art, twin-engined, five-seater Nor-Tech 3600 Supercats,
powered by the new CE approved Mercury 600 with NXT drives and the latest Nor-Tech stealth
exhaust system. “We are delighted to have teamed up with the world’s leading powerboat
championship,” said Trond Schou, President and owner of Nor-Tech. “Nor-Tech has the most
complete line of custom products of any hi-performance builder in the industry and our partnership
with Class 1 allows us to showcase our products on a worldwide stage.”
nor-techboats.com
MOVING
OFFICIAL PARTNER
moving-italia.com
Moving provides all the services necessary to companies wishing to promote their brand or their products using dynamic
advertising. Its flexible structure is made up of professionals who have always worked in this area and therefore act with good
knowledge of the environment and its problems. Moving does not limit itself merely to organising promotional events, but is able
to assist with design and planning, drawing ideas from its vast range of experience. The studies and investigations which are
carried out on a daily basis enable the company to put forward concrete proposals which are tailored for the target audience.
page 20

February 2009 n.2
ADVERTORIAL
page 21

February 2009 n.2
Class 1 is the ‘spiritual heir’ to offshore powerboat
racing of the 1980s, when lightning-fast catamarans
started to do battle on open seas around the world.
Today, Class 1 sets out to be the ultimate in topflight
powerboat racing, with spectacular events
on coastal racecourses, and easily seen by ever
increasing crowds of spectators.
Class 1 is also the point of reference for the world of
powerboat racing in terms of its levels of technology
and safety, which have been achieved thanks to its
Racing Rules, which enable racing with substantial
parity of competition, despite using engines of
conceptually diverse designs.
ELIGIBILITY TO COMPETE - racing rules summary
For further information contact:
Marco Sala
IOTA
tel: + 39 02 3651 9780 email: marco@class-1.com
class-1.com
HULL DIMENSIONS AND MINIMUM
WEIGHTS:
Any existing hull built prior to
1st January 2001, measuring
12.0/14.63m (39ft.4in/48ft.0in) and
weighing a minimum of 4800kg
after race completion, will be
grandfathered indefinitely.
Any hull built after 1st January 2001,
measuring 12.19/13.41m (40/44
feet) and weighing a minimum of
4800kg after race completion.
Any hull measuring 11.5/13m using
the 790 hp naturally aspirated
engines and weighing 4100kg after
race completion.
Other hull/engine combinations may
be permitted to compete in Class 1
through specific dispensation from
the World Professional Powerboating
Association (WPPA).
MAXIMUM PERMITTED NOISE
LEVELS:
The maximum permitted noise
levels from any individual
competing boat in a WPPA Class 1
race is 100 Decibels +5%.
Readings are taken at 50 metres
distance, at max RPM+/- 2% with
no other race boat in the vicinity.
Readings are only accepted as
official when taken with the official
WPPA calibrated sound meter.
106 DBA and above – after the first
2 races 2009 season, non eligibility
to race
ENGINE RESTRICTIONS:
V12 naturally aspirated engines max
Rpm 8700
All other engines max 7600 Rpm
V8 Engines max 7600 Rpm
(See WPPA Rules/technical notes for
790 hp/ 495 to 510 cu carbureted
engines – thewppa.com)
Max 4 camshafts per engine
OEM camshaft position cannot be
changed
OEM position of lifter bores cannot be
changed
Pistons to be produced from
automotive piston alloys
Heads and blocks to be manufactured
in cast Aluminium or Iron only
Max 4 valves per cylinder
No Titanium components or coatings
with the exception of cylinder head
valves
No Ceramic components or coatings
with the exception of spark plugs,
seals and bearings
Any Diamond or hardened coatings
Valves must open and close using
conventional mechanical methods
No variable length tracts or ducts
Original registered quantity of spark
plugs to be retained
COMPRESSION RATIO MAXIMUM
ALLOWABLE:
Natural aspirated 10.0:1
Pressure charged 8.5:1
Carbureted 10.5:1
PROPELLERS:
From 1st January 2009 there will be
1 supplier of propellers for Class 1.
The Propeller thickness cannot
be altered, and will be specified
by the manufacturer and/or the
WPPA. Propeller cup may be
altered; however, this will void any
warranty claim that may arise. The
manufacturer will specify the areas
that can be modified.
Three sets of propellers which were
used in the 2008 season can be
registered and used for the 2009
season and can only be replaced
with the official supplier’s Class 1
2009 specification propellers.
All Propellers must adhere to the
Minimum thickness.
Three different pairs of propellers
per boat will be allowed. Propellers
can only be changed for the identical
type as those initially registered, due
to damage or wear.
Propellers will be allocated to a
boat, for use on that boat only. For
instance a two-boat team may not
swap registered propellers from one
boat to the other. However a twoboat
team with fewer than 4 sets of
registered propellers may use them
on either boat.
For 2009 Season only, 1x set of
propellers can be changed for a
different diameter or pitch during
the racing season.
CREW CONTROL:
The system must be homologated
and fully inspected before
installation, including all drawings
and details of components. The
system must meet the rule and the
‘spirit of the rules’ in all aspects.
The scrutineer’s decision not
to allow any or all components
in the system is entirely at his
discretion and cannot be appealed.
The system cannot be improved,
changed or modified in any way
without prior written approval.
Rule
“All control inputs affecting
trimming and steering of the
boat must be directly provided
by the crew. It is not permitted
to interface the operation of the
control surfaces, drives, ballast
tanks, fuel tanks or throttles with
any devices that provide additional
control input, whether electronic,
mechanical, hydraulic, pneumatic,
or any other source.”
Any additional sensing devices,
such as, but not exclusively, those
used in a data acquisition system,
must be demonstrably physically
independent of any individual
control system.”
For 790 HP naturally aspirated
4100kg boats;
Steering must be by either drives
or rudders, not both.
Rudders must only be allowed to
move on one axis (no retractable
rudders).
Drives must not steer independently
of each other (no toe in or out
underway). If an electronic tie
bar is used, a data logger must be
fitted at the team’s cost.
page 22

February 2009 n.2
Generating worldwide media
coverage across six continents.
2008 MEDIA
STATISTICS
For information contact:
Nigel Quilter
tel: + 44 (0) 1252 713223 mob: + 44 (0) 7785 325346
email: q@class-1.com class-1.com
5 ‘live’ event broadcasts
67 international and national broadcast and news crews on event
376 international and national media on event
43 countries
255 media accredited on class-1.com
8,416,375 page views class-1.com
Class 1 ‘official’ highlights programme
203hrs 43minutes of broadcast exposure
443 million households
445 territories
2008 TV
REPORT
page 23

February 2009 n.2
QATAR / Doha
SPAIN / Alicante
RUSSIA / Moscow
NORWAY / Arendal
ROMANIA / Constanta
UKRAINE / (tbc)
ITALY / Stresa
MIDDLE EAST / (tbc)
U.A.E. / Dubai
25 April
7 June
5 July
19 July
30 August
6 September
4 October
20 November
12 December
UNION INTERNATIONALE MOTONAUTIQUE - UIM
The Union Internationale Motonautique (U.I.M.), was formed in 1922 and is the world governing body for marine motorsport and is recognised as such by
both the General Association of International Sports Federations (GAISF) and the International Olympic Committee (IOC).
President: Raffaele Chiulli
General Secretary: Régine Vandekerckhove
WORLD PROFESSIONAL POWERBOATING ASSOCIATION - WPPA
thewppa.com
The WPPA was founded on 2 December 2006, based on an agreement between Saeed Hareb and the International Offshore Team Association (IOTA) and
is located in Dubai.
The WPPA has reached an agreement with the UIM, under the terms of which the Association has the exclusive right to manage Class 1 powerboat racing.
The WPPA is responsible for the development of this Class, for setting the Rules and for providing the Race Officials.
General Secretary: Sid Bensalah
INTERNATIONAL OFFSHORE TEAM ASSOCIATION - IOTA
class-1.com
Founded in 1987, the International Offshore Team Association (IOTA) is the organiser and the officially-sanctioned promoter and worldwide television
and commercial rights holder of the Class 1 World Powerboat Championship. It represents the collective interests of all teams competing in the
championship.
President: HE Sheikh Hassan bin Jabor Al-Thani
General Secretary: Marco Sala
TIMING
FOR INFORMATION CONTACT:
Nigel Quilter tel:+44(0)1252 713223 / mob:+44(0)7785 325346
q@class-1.com / q@q4media.com / class-1.com
page 24