THE EAGERLY anticipated final round of the Powerboat P1 World Championship is just over a week away and with the competition still wide open, this deciding round will see the overall winners crowned on the River Arade in Portimão.
The championship leading teams in both Evolution and SuperSport Class extended their title chances in the penultimate P1 Grand Prix of the Sea in Zeebrugge, Belgium earlier this month, leaving the chasing teams with everything to race for in Portimão.
In the Evolution Class, British team King of Shaves, piloted by Craig Wilson and James Sheppard, have a 130 point lead over 2006 World Champion Giancarlo Cangiano, racing this year with driver Giovanni Carpitella in OSG. The Italians are still in with a chance of the title but only if mistakes are made by the British. US team Lucas Oil–Outerlimits is in third position going into the final two rounds, with Wettpunkt.com in fourth place.
Britons Jackie Hunt and Mike Shelton in Extremeboat have increased their lead in the SuperSport Class to 110 points, following another double win at the Belgian Grand Prix.
Shelton told The Resident: “It could not have had a better ending, winning both races to take the Belgian GP title and at the same time seeing our main two competitors lose ground in the championship standings”.
Main contenders
But with a maximum 210 points up for grabs in the Portuguese Grand Prix of the Sea, the battle for the title is still wide open and Roscioli Hotels Roma, Buzzi Bullet III
 Will King of Shaves win in Portimão? |
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and VoomVoom.com are the main contenders for podium places.
Now in its fifth year, Powerboat P1 has firmly positioned itself as one of the most competitive, glamorous and professionally-run international motorsports. Thousands of spectators are expected to line the banks of the Arade to watch the adrenalin-filled action and the off-water entertainment, which promises to provide an eclectic festival atmosphere.
On September 29, round 11 of the 2007 Powerboat P1 World Championship will take place between 3pm and 4.30pm. The Endurance race will be in a counter-clockwise direction and each lap is 8.133 nautical miles. Evolution boats must complete a total of 10 laps and the SuperSport boats must complete nine laps.
The following day will see the 12th and final round of the Championship play out from 3pm until 4.30pm. The Rally will be raced in a counter-clockwise direction and each lap is 6.056 nautical miles. Evolution boats must complete nine laps and the SuperSport boats must complete eight laps of the course.
Will the British make it a double and take the Evolution and SuperSport world titles or are the Italians too strong to hold off? Find out at the Portuguese Grand Prix of the Sea in Portimão.
Jackie Hunt and team mate and husband Mick Shelton will be speaking at a dinner at the Boca do Rio Restaurant, Mexilhoeira da Carregação (near Portimão) on September 26.
The event has been organised by The Resident in conjunction with the British-Portuguese Chamber of Commerce and tickets are priced at 27 euros per person, which includes welcome drinks, three course buffet dinner, wine and coffee.
For more information, please visit www.bpcc.pt/eventdetail.asp?id=189 or email vania@portugalresident.com. Bookings should be made by noon on September 24.
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