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| THE BEST SHOW | Villa Real del Santo Antonio, May 25 2008, remember the date. The Boat GP team is back in business, and working in conjunction with Leif Arhlborg, they provided the management, rescue, timing, and organisation of a spectacular start to the European Formula 2000 powerboat racing season.
| Fourteen drivers signed on, representing the cream of the class. Some boats were unfortuneately still in transit from previous events, but the Portugese harbour provided a challenging course that demanded the maximum from all drivers.
From pole position Jonas Andersson leapt into the lead and set the tempo of the race, which was fast and furious. Closely followed by Jean Baptiste Thomas who was intent on wresting the lead in what was aready a hotly contested race.
Colin Jelf, the defending World Champion, was recovering from what was for him a poor start, and slipped into third place, and started to eat into the lead of the two boats in front of him.
Rick Haakonsen meanwhile, was quietly working his way through the field to demonstrate that he had lost none of his touch in mastering tight circuit hand to hand racing.
Jelf overtook Thomas, and set off in earnest after Andersson, reeling him in lap by lap, and overtaking him on the exit of buoy number one to take the lead
An exciting battle developed, with no quarters given, with Andersson trying every method to overtake Jelf, and in so doing surviving a massive hook on buoy 3. In the end his persistence paid off, and he overtook Jelf at the exit of the chicane to hold the lead unti the end of the race despite enormous pressure from the World Champion.
Final conclusions????
A spectacular race of Champions, the driver skills reflected by a no stoppage race, a well organised event that provided classic excitement to the spectators lining the grandstands and harbour wall.
Watch this space for further Boat GP events scheduled for this year, and even more spectacular development for the future.
| 15/Jun/2008 |
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