Italians Giancarlo Cangiano and Giovanni Carpitella win opening P1 round
OSG of Italians Giancarlo Cangiano and Giovanni Carpitella, the 2006 champions, won the opening Grand Prix of the Powerboat P1 World Offshore Championship in Malta in a race that will long be remembered for unforgiving sea conditions. Normally contested over two legs, severe weather forced the cancellation of Sunday’s race leaving the results of Saturday’s first round standing, with Wettpunkt.com in second and Kiton third.
Although the Italian entered Fainplast had been declared winner of the first race in the Evolution Class, a later protest that it had missed a course buoy was upheld and she was disqualified.
In SuperSport, the result was more decisive after an emphatic Round the Island performance by the British husband and wife team of Mike Shelton and Jackie Hunt driving Extremeboat. Conditions were some of the worse ever experienced for many taking part making this win even more impressive.
It was not without some relief that Sunday’s event was eventually cancelled. However, any initial disappointment for spectators was short lived when the organisers, in co-operation with the Maltese Armed Forces and Civil Protection, created a time trial contest within Grand Harbour, Valletta. This impromptu initiative, though not counting towards the Championship, was won by Extremeboat in SuperSport and in Evolution by the Outerlimits Powerboats team. The high speeds across the harbour by this all-American outfit will serve as a timely reminder that Americans Joe Sgro and Mike Fiore are serious contenders in the championship.
2007 Powerboat P1 World Championship
Maltese Grand Prix of the Sea
Results
Evolution Class
1. – 88 – OSG Racing – Italy – 80pts
2. – 81 – Wettpunkt.com – Austria – 60pts
3. – 90 – Kiton – Italy – 50pts
97 – Outerlimits – USA – DNF
64 – Fainplast – Italy – DQF
SuperSport
1. – 55 – Extremeboat – GB – 100pts
2. – 44 – Roscioli Hotels Roma – Italy – 80pts
3. – 47 – Buzzi Bullet – GB – 60
4. – 46 – Chaudron – Malta – 50pts
5. – 11 – Team Sunseeker – GB – 40pts
6. – 09 – Marex – GB – 30 (Wild Card)
Non finishers
03 – Carpenter – Italy – DNF
07 – VoomVoom.com – GB – DNF
08 – Sun Lik Beer – China – DNF
