The Dubai based Victory Team set the opening lead in this year's world offshore championship after the team's Lamborghini powered Victory 7 won the opening round of the series at Trieste on June 3.
The Dubai based Victory Team set the opening lead in this year’s world offshore championship after the team’s Lamborghini powered Victory 7 won the opening round of the series at Trieste on June 3. The result gives Saeed Al Tayer and Mohammed Al Marri 20 valuable points in their quest for the 2001 title.
The event was led in the opening stages by the Norwegian entered Spirit of Norway driven by Bjorn Gjelsten and English throttleman Steve Curtis but their challenge came to an end on the third lap with a blown engine.
At this stage the eventual winner filled second slot with Italian Edoardo Polli lying third in the Seatek powered Highlander but with the Norwegian out of contention, Victory 7 steamed ahead and never looked back. Highlander was next to go with mechanical problems; its place filled by the second Victory Team boat, Victory 1, driven by Ali Nasser and Ali Al Qama.
Meanwhile Britain’s Ken Thorne driving his new Seatek powered Italian Nicolini outfit World of Cars was quickly moving up. From last position on the first lap, they slowly moved up the fleet picking off boats one by one to eventually claim third place.
It was in this pattern the race eventually finished, the winner setting a speed of 124.36mph, and a result giving Thorne his first podium place for almost two years.
World Offshore Championship
Round 1: Trieste
Results
1. Victory 7 S.Al Tayer/M.Al Marri (UAE) Victory/Lamborghini 20pts
2. Victory 1 A.Nasser/A.Al Qama (UAE) Victory/Seatek 15pts
3. World of Cars K.Thorne/M.Nicolini (GB/It) Nicolini/Seatek 12pts
