Smaller Xcat series provides incentive for Class I newcomers
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, taking the number of teams to nine and boats competing in Class 1 offshore powerboat racing in 2009 to 13.
Team Spirit of Spain sees Spaniard, Carrasco and Italian throttleman, Giovanni Carpitella, continue the partnership that they formed in Dubai last season where they finished an impressive fourth in the final race of the year. The Spanish-Italian pairing will showcase a Mike Peters-designed, Outerlimits-built hull, powered by twin, Chief V8 supercharged power-plants.
The second boat, another 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 in Dubai.
The Carrasco-Carpitella partnership promises to be a strong pairing and their year has started well. Outside their Class 1 commitments they are proving to be a potent partnership in the Middle East XCat Series. Here they recently put one over their Class 1 rivals, Victory’s Al Zafeen and Bin Hendi, by winning the second race in their aptly namedLa Vida Locaand after a fourth placing in the first race now lead the XCAT Series.
