SPIRIT OF NORWAY FLIES IN FIRST TEST
To finish first, first you must finish – an old adage that both Bjorn Gjelsten and Steve Curtis are acutely aware of, following a season of intense frustration.
Plagued by mechanical gremlins throughout 1997 that thwarted any realistic championship bid, success finally arrived at the last race of the season in Dubai. It was just reward for the Anglo-Norwegian pairing who, time and time again proved their competitiveness by leading the field before engine failure put paid to a string of potential podium finishes.
Following a winter of intensive development and discussion with engine supplier Lamborghini, the pair took to the waters to put their Lamborghini powered Tencara catamaran through its paces. "Reliability is a key issue for us right now," said Bjorn Gjelsten. "We worked very closely with Lamborghini over the winter and I think they have done their part of the job. So it is now up to us to get the boat set-up correctly and we have put in some very good runs. I believe we have a very good all round boat."
In perfect conditions on ‘pond-like’ waters off Slamastad, 30kms south-west of Oslo, the pairing of Gjelsten and Curtis, who are widely tipped for this year’s title, carried out a rigorous test programme, at times reaching speeds in excess of 150mph.
Throttleman, Steve Curtis was pleased with the day’s test. "Everything has gone well. We have been relatively aggressive and hard on the boat and engine, giving it a thorough shakedown. It involved a lot of stop-starting - we’ve been doing a fair amount of prop testing, making sure we have ballast tanks that are working and generally checking all the systems from the GPS to the steering."
Whilst both men are happy the way things are shaping up for the opening round in Taranto, Bjorn Gjelsten was quick to point out that to be successful requires more than just a well set-up and reliable boat. "I think Steve and myself have a very good feel for each other – it is important to have a harmony – you can’t really learn it or teach it, it is something that just develops."