EMIRATES GRAND PRIX - Dubai, UAE – round 8
DUBAI HOLDS THE KEY TO TITLE RACE
The battle for overall honours in the 1999 Class 1 World Powerboat Championship is now a two-boat race. Whilst the outcome of the next two races is very much uncertain, what is now a forgone conclusion is that the Dubai based Victory Team will regain the Class 1 World Crown that they last held in 1996. But who will be crowned World Champion – Ali Nasser and Randy Scism, Victory 7 or Khalfan Harib and Mohamed Al Ghaith in Victory 4?
Championship leader’s, Nasser and Scism, carry a valuable 31 point lead into the final two rounds and need to score only 10 points from the Emirates (Friday 29 October) and Dubai Duty Free (Friday 5 November) Grands Prix to clinch the title, but know that they have a fight on their hands.
Back in the cockpit of their rebuilt and favoured boat, damaged after a testing crash in Arendal, Khalfan Harib and Mohamed Al Ghaith’s dramatic win in the last round moved them into second place in the Championship, keeping the title race alive.
It will be a fascinating duel that lies in wait – not only a battle between team-mates and rivals – it is Seatek against Lamborghini – diesel versus petrol. Both crews have collected wins this season and are clearly in the strongest boats. However the fluctuating fortunes of several teams last time out in Fujairah demonstrated the uncertainties that may lie ahead.
In the Pole Position Trophy it is a three-way fight, with Saeed Al Tayer and Felix Serralles in Victory 44 holding a two-point advantage over Victory 7. However, Edoardo Polli and Laith Pharaon in Hyatt will not give up their title without a fight and after their second place in the Fujairah Grand Prix, will be more determined than ever to spoil Victory’s party.
Outside the title races, it is a question of pride. Defending Champions, Bjorn Gjelsten and Steve Curtis will be out to put Spirit of Norway back on the podium and so put a frustrating 1999 season behind them. For Jolly Motor too, it is a further opportunity to demonstrate that they have a winning boat by banishing the inconsistency that has plagued them all year.
However, for Claudio Dionisio and Roberto Biancalana’s Binautica, consistency has been their strength and the target is still a podium finish to complete a very solid season.
Both No Fear and Jotun proved last time out that the potential is clearly there, with both camps running as high as third before recurring problems halted their charges. With a little luck it is only a matter of time before both make the podium.
For Ugur Isik and Philippe Benhamou in Isiklar, it has been a positive first season together. They will be keen to improve on their fifth place in Istanbul, their best this year, while L.A. Jeans will be hoping to end the season by going the distance!
Breaking from the tradition of an oval course, this year’s 12 lap, 128Nm Emirates Grand Prix includes two additional tight turns and with temperatures soaring above 35C will prove to be a energy sapping course.
For the Victory Team the final two rounds will cap a remarkable season but more importantly completes a period of long term planning and development. The titles are in sight and the outcome will re-establish Victory as the leading force in Class 1.