Nettuno’s Class 1 renaissance
The Castello San Gallo stands proud, casting a protective wall around Nettuno, Italy. Built in the 16th century, it offers a stark reminder of invading Saracen and Turkish pirates who assaulted this beautiful coastline. On Sunday the 27th September the Class 1 fleet of modern day pirates, come to Nettuno, not to invade, but to seek the sanctuary of Marina di Nettuno, the venue for the Italian Grand Prix, round 5 of the 1998 U.I.M. Class 1 World Powerboat Championship.
The battle for the Championship is developing into a titanic struggle, with any one of 5 boats staking their claim for the title.
Following their decisive victory in Istanbul, Jolly Motor, crewed by Massimo Lippi and Lamberto Leoni are riding high and full of confidence. Throttleman Lippi will receive a heroes welcome in front of his home crowd as he bids to make it two wins in a row. "I know these waters well and if the conditions remain calm I think it will suit us," he commented. "But the Championship is very tight at the moment and I know that many teams will be getting in some extra testing before the race."
Championship leaders Bjorn Gjelsten and Steve Curtis in Spirit of Norway come to Nettuno with a valuable 17 point lead, but are in no doubt of the pressure they will be put under. "We have been chased all season by many challengers, Jolly Motor and Victory, so there is no added pressure on us." Said Gjelsten. "We know what we have to do. Our testing has gone well but testing is one thing, racing is another. Both Steve and I will be hoping for a rough race as the outcome will then depend as much, if not more, on the skill of the driver and throttleman than solely the power and reliability of the engine."
Hunting in a pack, Victory 7, 4 and 5 are all very much in contention and waiting for a mistake from the two front runners. Ali Nasser and Randy Scism in Victory 7, to date have had the edge over their stable-mates, recording the only win for the Victory camp so far this season. Whilst Khalfan Harib and Mohamed Al Gaith, in the latest specification Victory 4, have showed tremendous promise in the new boat and there is clearly a great deal more to come. Saeed Al Tayer makes a welcome return to racing after missing the Istanbul race due to illness, to team up with throttleman Felix Serralles.
Two boats on the verge of delivering their long awaited promise are Riviera and Caesar Marine. But the gremlins continue to plague them, on and off the water and both crews will be hoping that this last race in European waters will signal a change in fortune. As for Pole Position the title as good as belongs to Bilba, some consolation for Edoardo Polli and Laith Pharaon. The big question is can they beat Kjell Rokke’s fastest time of 252.31Km/h set in Arendal in 1997?
Eleven boats will line-up for the 124.5Nm 10 lap Italian Grand Prix and casting a rueful eye over Nettuno and the race, will be the statue of Neptune, Ruler of the Sea and symbol of the city, to see if any team dares to steal his crown.