12:12 PM Sun 17 May 2009 GMT
Well what a start to the season. Bags of controversy, protests, some freakishly aggressive driving, not to mention a dry-pit full of P1 babes, the best pilots in the business and a visit from Malta's Prime Minister.
If the glorious weather was tranquil, the Sliema location serene and Maltese hospitality generous, the rip-roaring first round of Powerboat's P1 World Championship action could only be described as brutal and barnstorming.
Reigning SuperSport champions Aaron Ciantar and Angelo Tedeschi are once again going to take some beating, especially after claiming victory in relatively quiet conditions, not usually associated as the Chaudron-manufactured #43 Ukrainian Seagull's forte.
If the SuperSport class wet the appetite for a scintillating season then the race for Evolution gold also looks like it's going to go right down to the wire.
#88 SNAV OSG had the pace and most importantly the patience to claim the all-important Grand Prix of the Sea victory but if the #10 Cigarette Smash Poker hull hits all the right throttles and the #77 Lucas Oil Budweiser sorts out its reliability issues, not to mention the hotly anticipated return of lightning-fast Italians, Marco Penessi and Max Ferrari, we could have a race on our hands.
Has the Evoltuion class ever been so competitive? We think not!
British eyes will certainly be keeping tabs on both classes in 2009. Both #47 Silverline and the new Team 26 Racing team will reflect on decent starts but can be confident looking ahead with trepidation and much more to offer.
Having brought some much-need panache to the pits with their gun-ho, win at all costs attitude, Team 26 Racing won over many new fans over the weekend - no mean feat in Ciantar-country!
With #38 Baia Attolini and #44 Iko Casa also showing good speed against the Sliema current, competition is as hot as ever in the open-canopy class.
So what can we tell you about Turkey? The picturesque Bosphorus waterway is the location for Powerboat P1's second round of the 2009 season and is one of the busiest waterways in the world.
Connecting the Black Sea and the Sea of Marmara, the Bosphorus is lined with palaces, ruins, villages and gardens, as well as housing two great suspension toll bridges, Bogazici Bridge and Fatih Sultan Mehment Bridge, which will make for amazing viewpoints.
P1 is heading to one of Istanbul's most glamorous locations to spread its gospel between June 19-21. Exclusive parties , mouth-watering cuisine and a large band of VIP's makes P1's first trip to Istanbul, one not to be missed!
www.powerboatp1.com
by Sam Feasey
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Rundle Island, QLD
