Round 6 – Aegean Grand Prix – Bodrum, Turkey
VICTORY 7 BATHES IN TURKISH GLORY
* Nasser and Scism crowned European Champions after victory in Bodrum *
* Polli & Pharaon’s early pace curtailed by blown motor*
* Victory 4 drives steady race to finish 2nd *
* Jolly Motor survives engine problems to finish 3rd *
Ali Nasser and Randy Scism in Victory 7, were crowned European Class 1 Powerboat Champions today, after another rounded performance at the Aegean Grand Prix in Bodrum took them to their second win in Turkey in the space of a week.
In a race of attrition, where the blistering heat and pace took their toll on impressive early leaders Hyatt and then Victory 44, Victory 7’s reliability proved the telling factor, on a day that ably demonstrated the old maxim, ‘to finish first - first you have to finish.’
The result follows Nasser and Scism’s equal dominance of yesterday’s Pole Position run and takes the Dubai-American pairing a step closer to their first World Championship title, as they look towards the three remaining races on home territory in the UAE.
"Actually we’re quite surprised, because we had a transmission problem from the first lap on, so had to run in fourth gear and swing wide to try and keep the RPM up on the corners," said Randy Scism later. "Our idea was to just get to seventy five per-cent distance so we were classified, but then we saw that Hyatt was having problems, so we started to think that if we could keep going, maybe we would have a chance," added an exuberant Ali Nasser.
"We’re really very happy to finish second because there were so many boats with problems out there," commented Mohammed Al Ghaith back on dry land with team-mate Khalfan Harib. "It shows that the old boat still has a little life in her," added the 34 year-old fighter pilot, under clear blue skies where despite a stiffening breeze, temperatures soared to a sweltering 36° C.
Commenting on Jolly Motor’s third place finish, a delighted Jim Dyke admitted afterwards: "This is probably the best race that Leonardo (Polli) and I have had together. It’s a great course for spectators and in some way for the drivers, because it’s so tight that you can see if you’re making up on boats or not. Mind you, if you’re not making ground then it can just as easily be a frustrating course," he added.
"We were side by side with Victory 4 until the engine switched off when we changed gear in front of the harbour," continued Leonardo Polli. "We reset everything and started again but that’s when we lost a place and we never managed to regain it."
Meanwhile, Andreas Ugland and Jann Hillestad finished fourth in Jotun, which aptly translates from Norwegian as ‘giant.’ At 14.75m long, the distinctive red vessel is the joint longest boat with Isiklar 22, but despite its size and an early turn of speed, Ugland and Hillestad’s charge was curtailed with recurring gearbox problems. "We’re a small team, so we’re really just trying to gain as much experience as we can, so we can move forward next season," said Ugland.
Unlike early race leaders Polli and Pharaon, who eventually retired with engine trouble, Saeed Al Tayer and Felix Serralles in Victory 44 were lucky to finish sixth, despite a sheared propeller blade that resulted in them losing the lead they had taken over from Hyatt. "I’m very happy for Ali and Randy, but I think we demonstrated today that we can compete with the diesel boats," said Al Tayer later. "We were getting faster as the race went on, so it’s a shame that Hyatt dropped back because I’m sure we could have nailed them on the straights," he added.
With a six week break until the next round in Fujairah, UAE on 15 October, the Victory Team will now undoubtedly undertake an extensive testing programme in the hope that they can lift the World Championship once more on home territory.