Spirit Set New Pole Position Record

[Rupert Munro]

Spirit of Norway completed a season of Class 1 Pole Position Wins today taking their season tally to 7 and setting a new record. Congratulation to Steve Curtis & Bjorn Gjelsten.


1st. Spirit of Norway - 2nd. Victory 77 - 3rd. Qatar 96

[shifter]

07/12/2007

SEVEN IN A ROW FOR SPIRIT OF NORWAY

Friday, 7 December, DUBAI (UAE): Today’s seventh and final round of the 2007 Class 1 Edox Pole Position Championship produced a nail-biting finale, with Spirit of Norway’s Bjorn Gjelsten and Steve Curtis producing a scintillating lap to set the fastest time and maintain their unbeaten run, taking their seventh win of the season. The battle for the runners-up slot went down to the very last run of the 75-minute session, with Victory 77’s Arif Al Zafeen and Jean-Marc Sanchez producing their best lap to go second quickest to edge out Sheikh Hassan and Matteo Nicolini in Qatar 96.

Spirit of Norway set the pace on their opening lap with a time of 2m 31.84s, which looked to be good enough to take the win, with their main rivals, Victory 77 and Qatar 96, failing to match it on their opening laps, going second and third quickest. Chris Parsonage and Bard Eker then put Negotiator into third place on their first run, posting 2m 34.57s, but immediately improved on their second lap to grab second spot with 2m 32.10s. Both Victory 77 and Qatar 96 went again, with Victory 77 improving and matching Spirit of Norway’s 2m 31.84s, but then saw Qatar 96 snatch the provisional pole with 2m 31.51s, forcing the Edox Pole Position Champions to go again, with Spirit of Norway knocking three seconds off their own time to grab back the provisional pole with 2m 27.98s. Victory 77’s final run failed to trouble Spirit of Norway but 2m 29.89s was good enough for second in qualifying and second overall in the Edox Pole Position Championship, with Qatar 96 relegated to third place. Negotiator finished the quickest of the V8 runners in fourth place, with Jotun and Victory 7 completing the top six.

Today’s result sets up a mouth watering prospect for tomorrow’s Dubai Grand Prix, the final race of the season, with the four boats still in with a shot at lifting the WPPA Class 1 Middle East Championship lining up beside each other and separated by just 11 points - with Spirit of Norway and Qatar 96, who are currently tied in second place in the overall world championship standings on 96 points, starting with the newly crowned World Champions, Victory 77, between them!

EDOX POLE POSITION – round 7
1. Spirit of Norway 10 – B Gjelsten (NOR)/S Curtis (GB) – 2m 27.98s
2. Victory 77 – A Al Zafeen(UAE)/JM Sanchez (FR) – 2m 29.89s
3. Qatar 96 – H Al Thani (QAT)/M Nicolini (ITA) – 2m 31.51s
4. Negotiator 50 – B Eker (NOR)/C Parsonage (GB) – 2m 32.10s
5. Jotun 90 – C Zaborowski (NOR)/J Tandberg (NOR) – 2m 32.48s
6. Victory 7 – T Al Sayed (UAE)/N Hendi (UAE) – 2m 33.14s
7. Qatar 95 – A Al Sulaiti (QAT)/L Nicolini (ITA) – 2m 35.32s
8. Spirit of Norway 20 – T Barry-Cotter (AUS)/P Nilsen (NOR) – 2m 42.17s
9. Foresti & Suardi 8 – M Pennesi (ITA)/G Montavoci (ITA) – 2m 46.12s
10. Fainplast 2 – K Selmer (NOR)/M Esperto (ITA) – 2m 55.06s
11. SeveneleveN 18 – G Manuzzi (ITA)/N Giorgi (ITA) – 3m 10.06s

EDOX POLE POSITION CHAMPIONSHIP – after round 7 of 7
1. Spirit of Norway 10 – B Gjelsten (NOR)/S Curtis (GB) – 140pts
2. Victory 77 – A Al Zafeen(UAE)/JM Sanchez (FR) – 78pts
3. Qatar 96 – H Al Thani (QAT)/M Nicolini (ITA) – 73pts
4. Jotun 90 – C Zaborowski (NOR)/J Tandberg (NOR) 65pts
5. Victory 7 – A Al Sayed (UAE)/N Hendi (UAE) – 58pts
6. Qatar 95 – A Al Sulaiti (QAT)/L Nicolini (ITA) – 45pts
7. Negotiator 50 – B Eker (NOR)/C Parsonage (GB) – 28pts
7. Spirit of Norway 20 – T Barry-Cotter (AUS)/P Nilsen (NOR) – 24pts
8. Foresti & Suardi 8 – M Pennesi (ITA)/G Montavoci (ITA) – 22pts
10. SeveneleveN 18 – T Polli (ITA)/N Giorgi (ITA) – 7pts
11. Fainplast 2 – K Selmer (NOR)/M Esperto (ITA) – 5pts


Here you go.

Good job steve and bijorn.
pat W

[Ben Mazur]

Should make for an interesting race tomorrow. Spirit of Norway is in a good position to take the Middle Eastern championship.

[Ben Mazur]

Some interesting shots of practice and pole position runs by Bastiani and Palfrader

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p54/reeferracing/D207IMG_7827_HRx.jpg
http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p54/reeferracing/D207_P8R5533_HRx.jpg
http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p54/reeferracing/D207HA1Q2370_HRx.jpg

[Ben Mazur]

This must have been exciting

http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p54/reeferracing/1-1.jpg
http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p54/reeferracing/2-1.jpg
http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p54/reeferracing/3-1.jpg

[Ben Mazur]

...
http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p54/reeferracing/D207_P8R5516_HRx.jpg
http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p54/reeferracing/D207IMG_7819_HRx.jpg

[Ben Mazur]

WPPA CLASS 1 WORLD POWERBOAT CHAMPIONSHIP - ROUND 8
WPPA CLASS 1 MIDDLE EAST CHAMPIONSHIP - ROUND 4
DUBAI GRAND PRIX, DUBAI, 6 - 8 DECEMBER 2007

08/12/2007
SPIRIT OF NORWAY COMPLETE THE DOUBLE TO WIN MIDDLE EAST CHAMPIONSHIP

Saturday, 8 December, DUBAI (UAE): Spirit of Norway’s Bjorn Gjelsten and Steve Curtis completed the Dubai-double to take their fourth win of the season in today’s Dubai Grand Prix, the final race of the 2007 WPPA Class 1 World Powerboat Championship to clinch the WPPA Class 1 Middle East Championship. The newly crowned WPPA Class 1 World Powerboat Champions, Victory 77’s Arif Saif Al Zafeen and Jean-Marc Sanchez finished second, with Sheikh Hassan Bin Jabor Al-Thani and Matteo Nicolini coming home in third place in Qatar 96.

With the first race start aborted and red-flagged by officials, it was Spirit of Norway who seized the immediate advantage at the restart to lead after the first lap from Victory 77 and Qatar 96. Victory 7 made up ground on lap one, moving into fourth place ahead of Qatar 95 and Negotiator, who dropped from fourth at the start to seventh.

Spirit of Norway held the lead until they took their long laps, dropping them to second on lap 8 behind Victory 77, but ahead of Qatar 96. The lead trio held station until Victory 77 was forced to take their long laps, with Spirit moving back into the lead on lap 15, and going on to win the 21-lap, 94.18Nm, Dubai Grand Prix by 31 seconds.

Victory 7 finished fourth ahead of Qatar 95, with Foresti & Suardi completing the list of finishers in sixth. Spirit of Norway 20 hit trouble and retired on the opening lap, with Jotun’s miserable season of bad luck continuing when they stopped on lap 3 along with Fainplast. Negotiator went five laps later followed by SeveneleveN, out on lap 11.

DUBAI GRAND PRIX – round 8
1. Spirit of Norway 10 – B Gjelsten (NOR)/S Curtis (GB)
2. Victory 77 – A Al Zafeen(UAE)/JM Sanchez (FR) + 00.31,62
3. Qatar 96 – H Al Thani (QAT)/M Nicolini (ITA) + 01.16,79
4. Victory 7 – T Al Sayed (UAE)/N Hendi (UAE) + 01.50,51
5. Qatar 95 – A Al Sulaiti (QAT)/L Nicolini (ITA) + 02.13,15
6. Foresti & Suardi 8 – M Pennesi (ITA)/G Montavoci (ITA) + 2 laps
SeveneleveN 18 – Giorgio Manuzzi (ITA)/N Giorgi (ITA) – dnf
Negotiator 50 – B Eker (NOR)/C Parsonage (GB) - dnf
Jotun 90 – C Zaborowski (NOR)/J Tandberg (NOR) - dnf
Fainplast 2 – K Selmer (NOR)/M Esperto (ITA) – dnf
Spirit of Norway 20 – T Barry-Cotter (AUS)/P Nilsen (NOR) – dnf

WPPA CLASS 1 WORLD POWERBOAT CHAMPIONSHIP – after round 8 of 8
1. Victory 77 – A Al Zafeen(UAE)/JM Sanchez (FR) – 144pts
2. Spirit of Norway 10 – B Gjelsten (NOR)/S Curtis (GB) – 118pts
3. Qatar 96 – H Al Thani (QAT)/M Nicolini (ITA) – 112pts
4. Qatar 95 – A Al Sulaiti (QAT)/L Nicolini (ITA) – 75pts
5. Victory 7 – T Al Sayed (UAE)/N Hendi (UAE) – 71pts
6. Negotiator 50 – B Eker (NOR)/C Parsonage (GB) – 51pts
7. Foresti & Suardi 8 – M Pennesi (ITA)/G Montavoci (ITA) – 48pts
8. Spirit of Norway 20 – T Barry-Cotter (AUS)/P Nilsen (NOR) – 38pts
10. SeveneleveN 18 – T Polli (ITA)/N Giorgi (ITA) – 19pts
9. Jotun 90 – C Zaborowski (NOR)/J Tandberg (NOR) 14pts
11. Fainplast 2 – K Selmer (NOR)/M Esperto (ITA) – 12pts

[Boatless]

Looks like Jotun should switch hulls.

At some point if you can't beat them, join them.

[Rupert Munro]

I was looking on the c1 website and interested to see that Spirit is 1cm narrower and 1cm shorter than the Quatar boats?!?

[shifter]

08/12/2007

SPIRIT OF NORWAY COMPLETE THE DOUBLE TO WIN MIDDLE EAST CHAMPIONSHIP

Saturday, 8 December, DUBAI (UAE): Spirit of Norway’s Bjorn Gjelsten and Steve Curtis completed the Dubai-double to take their fourth win of the season in today’s Dubai Grand Prix, the final race of the 2007 WPPA Class 1 World Powerboat Championship to clinch the WPPA Class 1 Middle East Championship. The newly crowned WPPA Class 1 World Powerboat Champions, Victory 77’s Arif Saif Al Zafeen and Jean-Marc Sanchez finished second, with Sheikh Hassan Bin Jabor Al-Thani and Matteo Nicolini coming home in third place in Qatar 96.

With the first race start aborted and red-flagged by officials, it was Spirit of Norway who seized the immediate advantage at the restart to lead after the first lap from Victory 77 and Qatar 96. Victory 7 made up ground on lap one, moving into fourth place ahead of Qatar 95 and Negotiator, who dropped from fourth at the start to seventh.

Spirit of Norway held the lead until they took their long laps, dropping them to second on lap 8 behind Victory 77, but ahead of Qatar 96. The lead trio held station until Victory 77 was forced to take their long laps, with Spirit moving back into the lead on lap 15, and going on to win the 21-lap, 94.18Nm, Dubai Grand Prix by 31 seconds.

Victory 7 finished fourth ahead of Qatar 95, with Foresti & Suardi completing the list of finishers in sixth. Spirit of Norway 20 hit trouble and retired on the opening lap, with Jotun’s miserable season of bad luck continuing when they stopped on lap 3 along with Fainplast. Negotiator went five laps later followed by SeveneleveN, out on lap 11.

DUBAI GRAND PRIX – round 8
1. Spirit of Norway 10 – B Gjelsten (NOR)/S Curtis (GB)
2. Victory 77 – A Al Zafeen(UAE)/JM Sanchez (FR) + 00.31,62
3. Qatar 96 – H Al Thani (QAT)/M Nicolini (ITA) + 01.16,79
4. Victory 7 – T Al Sayed (UAE)/N Hendi (UAE) + 01.50,51
5. Qatar 95 – A Al Sulaiti (QAT)/L Nicolini (ITA) + 02.13,15
6. Foresti & Suardi 8 – M Pennesi (ITA)/G Montavoci (ITA) + 2 laps
SeveneleveN 18 – Giorgio Manuzzi (ITA)/N Giorgi (ITA) – dnf
Negotiator 50 – B Eker (NOR)/C Parsonage (GB) - dnf
Jotun 90 – C Zaborowski (NOR)/J Tandberg (NOR) - dnf
Fainplast 2 – K Selmer (NOR)/M Esperto (ITA) – dnf
Spirit of Norway 20 – T Barry-Cotter (AUS)/P Nilsen (NOR) – dnf

WPPA CLASS 1 WORLD POWERBOAT CHAMPIONSHIP – after round 8 of 8
1. Victory 77 – A Al Zafeen(UAE)/JM Sanchez (FR) – 144pts
2. Spirit of Norway 10 – B Gjelsten (NOR)/S Curtis (GB) – 118pts
3. Qatar 96 – H Al Thani (QAT)/M Nicolini (ITA) – 112pts
4. Qatar 95 – A Al Sulaiti (QAT)/L Nicolini (ITA) – 75pts
5. Victory 7 – T Al Sayed (UAE)/N Hendi (UAE) – 71pts
6. Negotiator 50 – B Eker (NOR)/C Parsonage (GB) – 51pts
7. Foresti & Suardi 8 – M Pennesi (ITA)/G Montavoci (ITA) – 48pts
8. Spirit of Norway 20 – T Barry-Cotter (AUS)/P Nilsen (NOR) – 38pts
10. SeveneleveN 18 – T Polli (ITA)/N Giorgi (ITA) – 19pts
9. Jotun 90 – C Zaborowski (NOR)/J Tandberg (NOR) 14pts
11. Fainplast 2 – K Selmer (NOR)/M Esperto (ITA) – 12pts



Here are the results.


Jotun is the only team running trimax.

pat W

[shifter]

It looks like he is running outboard rotation as well.

pat W

[Boatless]

Does that explain what Jotun's problem is? The drive that is.

[shifter]

The drive should not make a difference because last year King of Shaves did the same sort of thing with BPM drives. It was just a difference between the other boats.

One possible senario:
The rudder lifts the back of the boat in a corner causing bow steer and the add a little (outboard) prop walk and away she goes.

Cutting the throttles in the corner makes for a bow steer condition too.

It would be interesting to see what cutting the hump off the boat changed in aero and cg.

Lots of unknowns. It will be interesting to see what they do next. v12's?

pat W

[Boatless]

King of shaves did not have the experience that Jotun has, but going over is going over.

What power does Jotun run?

Jotun should possibley be speaking to the Victory Team for a new hull?

[Rupert Munro]

What power does Jotun run?



Mercury Class 1, 9.1litre with Trimax drives - 900hp per engine @ 6500RPM engine will run to 6500RPM

[Boatless]

Did Mercury take an 850 call it a 900?

I know the Merc. 850 makes close to 925 hp so this would seem to make sense but the 6500 rpm seems it would make more than 900 hp.

[Rupert Munro]

I expect that it is just one of their production engines tuned to give the extra power.

[Boatless]

????

Mercury's engines are a net power rating. 850 means 850 at the propeller so this means the engines gross power has to be higher in order to yield 850.

Likewise, the Merc 850 has a 5,800 rpms rating. Seems if you take this engine, use a solid lift cam and turn 6500 it would make 1,000 hp pretty easy.

Does the Class 1 sanctioning body dyno the racers engines like they do in P1?

[Ben Mazur]

It should be the 1075SC that's restricted to 930 hp horsepower, i.e.

Engine Spec:

V8
Displacement 9100cc
Max power 1075HP (limited to 930HP for Class 1 racing in 2006)
Full throttle range 5600-6000 r.p.m
Unleaded Fuel
Compression ratio 8:1
Sequential fuel injection
Weight 782 Kg
Seawater cooling system
Dimensions (w x l x h) 101cm x 139cm x 76cm

The engines are also dynoed.

01. ENGINE PARITY
METHOD OF CONTROL TO ENFORCE THE RULE THAT NO ENGINE IS
ALLOWED ABOVE 927HP AT ANY TIME
• After initial registration and acceptance of the engines, in order to
be accepted for racing,1 of each type of engine from the individual
manufacturers/tuners must be sent to the WPPA/Class 1 appointed
Dyno Test Facility and perform a max torque rpm and power run
with the relevant air box and restrictor fitted.
• All engines will be fitted with a simple data logger, completely
independent from the engines' control system,that will record rpm,
max boost pressure and air depression inside the air box; additional
measurement points may be added if more control is required.The
data logger will be fitted to the engines during the season and
Teams may be requested to duplicate race-recorded data on the
Dyno,if their engine is chosen and sent for testing during the season.
• For any race that is subject to Post-Race Engine Dyno Testing,
the finish order is provisional pending the report from the Dyno
Test Facility.
• A minimum of 1 engine per race may be sent to the Dyno for testing;
the method of choice is at the discretion of the Chief Technical
Commissioner.
• Engines that are chosen to be dyno-tested and have not completed
their 2- race period for bonus points,have the choice of the following
with no loss of points: