Andree

SPIRIT OF NORWAY CLINCH WORLD TITLE AS VICTORY 7


WIN DUBAI GRAND PRIX IN DRAMATIC FINISH


Gjelsten, Curtis cruise to championship triumph as Nasser, Al Qama win
Emirates Airline, Dubai Duty Free-sponsored race

Dubai, UAE, October 18, 2002: Steve Curtis and Bjorn Rune Gjelsten in
Spirit of Norway clinched the 2002 UIM Arbank Class 1 World Offshore
Powerboat Championship today as their closest rivals for the title, Ali
Nasser and Ali Al Qama in Victory 7 rounded off an intriguing season by
winning a dramatic Dubai Grand Prix.

Even before the start of the championship's last of eight rounds,
sponsored by Emirates Airline and Dubai Duty Free, it was clear that it
would need a mechanical disaster to prevent Curtis and Gjelsten from
clinching the world crown, but the Anglo-Norwegian pairing had a smooth
passage to finish second on the day.

The real drama unfolded on the 13th of 15 laps, as Nasser and Al Qama,
who had led for virtually the entire race, moved wide on a turn, and
Saeed H.Al-Tayer and Mohammed Al Marri in Victory 1 briefly took the
lead.

Had they been able to hold on to it, last year's world champions would
have climbed above Australians Bill Barry-Cotter and Peter McGrath in
Riviera to secure third place in the world title race.

But in a final twist of championship fate, their challenge spluttered to
a halt soon afterwards when their engine's alternator seized. Victory 7,
having also fallen temporarily behind Spirit of Norway, suddenly made a
great surge to regain the lead, and went on to win comfortably.
Dubai Grand Prix Final 2

Riviera completed the top three, and the leading trio received their
race and championship trophies at Dubai International Marine Club from
H.H.Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of Emirates Airline and
President of Dubai Civil Aviation Authority.

Becoming the most successful throttleman in Class 1 world championship
history, Curtis, described by his driver, Gjelstin, as "aggressive - a
winner," said: "This is probably the toughest of my four world
championship wins. I'll carry on as long as I enjoy the sport, and as
long as Bjorn wants me."

Race starts in the UIM Arbank Class 1 World Offshore Powerboat
Championship are seldom anything less than spectacular, and this one was
no exception, as the 11 boats roared to life, the two Victory catamarans
immediately making their intentions clear as they quickly forged ahead.

With Victory 7 soon in front, and Victory 1 settling into second place,
Spirit of Norway were content to relax into a comfortable third
position, while Riviera's grip on third place in the championship did
not immediately look secure as they slipped back, hindered by a leaking
fuel tank.

While they avoided any terminal problems, three other crews were not so
lucky. Roscioli Hotels went out on the second lap with engine failure,
ECS was halted on lap six by a broken turbo charger, and Highlander went
out on lap nine with a broken right propeller.

But there were no problems for Curtis, the youngest ever Class 1 world
champion, and Gjelsten, who is also the chairman of English First
Division football club, Wimbledon.



Dubai Grand Prix Final 3

Englishman Curtis, born in Wimbledon and now living in Hythe, Hampshire,
won the first of his four titles in 1987.

He was also the first Englishman to capture the world crown, and the
first man to win it three times. From his maiden world championship
success to his latest, he has seen the pace of Class 1 offshore boats
climb from 110mph to the 160mph top speed that has taken Spirit of
Norway to glory this season.

Spectators lapped up a brilliant cocktail of entertainment at Dubai
International Marine Club, the race action blending in perfectly with
the "Lifestyles" festival of music, fashion and luxury which added an
extra dimension to the Dubai Grand Prix.

"This is the shape of things to come in powerboat racing in Dubai," said
Nick Webb, director of Streamline Marketing, the marketing managers for
event. "We set out to make the Grand Prix more of an all-round
attraction, and we're very pleased with the way things have gone at the
first attempt. Now we can build on this success in the future."


Dubai Grand Prix results:

1. Victory 7 (No. 7) Ali Nasser / Ali Al Qama (UAE/UAE) 59 mins 55 secs
(15 laps)
2. Spirit of Norway (No. 10) Bjorn Gjelsten / Steve Curtis (Norway / GB)
1:00:08 (15 laps)
3. Riviera (No. 11), Bill Barry-Cotter / Peter McGrath (Aus/Aus)
1:00:32 (15 laps)
4. Damas (No. 2) Kristian Tzanov / Giovanni Carpitella (Italy / Italy)
1:00:24 (14 laps)
5. Victory 1 (No. 1) Saeed H. Al Tayer / Mohammed Al Marri (UAE/UAE)
52:01 (13 laps)
6. GFN Gibellato (No. 9) Giampaolo Montavoci / Tomaso Polli (Italy /
Italy) 1:00:09 (13 laps)
7. Binautica (No. 5) Roberto Biancalana / Claudio Dionisio (Italy /
Monaco) 1:02:55 (13laps)
8. Jotun (No. 90) Andreas Ugland / Jann Hillestad (Norway / Norway)
42:03 (10 laps)



Dubai Grand Prix 4







2002 UIM Class 1 World Offshore Powerboat Championship final positions:

1. Spirit of Norway (No. 10) Bjorn Gjelsten / Steve Curtis (Norway / GB)
131pts
2. Victory 7 (No. 7) Ali Nasser / Ali Al Qama (UAE/UAE)
120pts
3. Riviera (No. 11), Bill Barry-Cotter / Peter McGrath (Aus/Aus)
90pts
4. Victory 1 (No. 1) Saeed H. Al Tayer / Mohammed Al Marri (UAE/UAE)
76pts
5. Jotun (No. 90) Andreas Ugland / Jann Hillestad (Norway / Norway)
41pts
6. Damas (No. 2) Kristian Tzanov / Giovanni Carpitella (Italy / Italy)
38pts
7. GFN Gibellato (No. 9) Giampaolo Montavoci / Tomaso Polli (Italy /
Italy) 31pts
8. Highlander (No. 27) Edoardo Polli / Renny Harlin (Italy/Finland)
20pts
9. Binautica (No. 5) Roberto Biancalana / Claudio Dionisio (Italy /
Monaco) 18pts
10. ECS (No. 4) Matteo Nicolini / Bernhard Bellmann (Italy / Germany)
13pts
11. Roscioli Hotels (No. 8) Nicola Giorgi / Kurt Prufert (Italy /
Germany) 12pts

Dredgeking

andree, i know lamborghini distributed marine engines in the US udring the 1980's, but why are they not used in the US now?

Andree

I don't know. Maybe they are too expensive but the V12 has a incredible sound. The race engines from the Victory Team produce about 1100Hp and the regular version around 950. the problem is maybe the technic. For the American Big Block you just need a experienced mechanican. Most of the lamborghinis in Class 1 were serviced by italian Lamborghini technicans. So if anyone has a old lambo in his warehouse he won't use, I will take the old stuff for free+I pay shipping. I think this is a generously offer

timucin

old lambos are very expensive to maintain and needs highly trained technicians.you should order and wait for the parts.nothing is on the shelf.they are heavy.

bb roller cam : 300 usd app. need 1
lambo cam :1200 usd app. need 4
billet crankshaft bb: 2000 usd. (forged starting from 500usd)
lambo crank: 4500 usd
mech fuel injection including man. bb : 3000 usd app.
fuel injection inc. man. :7000usd lambo

Dredgeking

why don't the class 1 teams use chevy big blocks?

Andree

I think they get more ponys from the Lambos. I think it is hard to get 1100 Hp from a naturally aspirated 502. But next year the diesel will be banned and a few teams, like Eduardo Poli with Highlander, thinking about buying Big Blocks.

timucin

if they do, then they cannot spent millions....LOL!

more expensive=much better :European way of thinking

shifter

It has finally come full circle. Polli helped in the resergence of diesel and now the demise. The big block is not competative with the lambo any more because of the compression restriction 11.5 to 1. The lambo cannot make any more compression because of cylinder head design. The big blocks used to run 14.5 to 1. The air restricter further handicaps the bb.
There are other v12 motors out there.
Competion drives the cost down.

Good job Steve Curtis and Bjorne Gjelsten!!!

Andree and Timucin, Thanks for the updates this year.

pat W

Dredgeking

i wonder how the v10 viper engine marinized by the french would compete angainst the v12 lambo? jo with pantera had some experience with that earlier this year, but i haven't heard much about it.