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10:00 PM Sat 9 May 2009 GMT
 | 'Copyright onEdition 2009?
All British Team 26 Racing piloted by driver Daniel Cramphorn (GBR) and Kim Collins (GBR) win the Supersport Class at the opening round of this year’s Powerboat P1 World Championship in Malta.'
Powerboat P1 World Championship © |
An hour after Jenson Button posted his latest F1 pole position another group of British likely lads wrote their own fairytale in the Mediterranean with Powerboat P1's newest recruits, Team 26 Racing, celebrating a debut victory in the season-opening sprint race at the Malta Grand Prix of the Sea.
Much in the same mould as Button's Brawn GP team, the Team 26 Racing duo of Daniel Cramphorn and Kim Collins came into the 2009 Powerboat P1 World Championship season as massive underdogs.
Even after Friday's deflating qualifying session, when a missed buoy saw the fresh faced boys from the south of England, demoted from fourth to seventh, Cramphorn conceded Team 26 Racing would've settled for fourth spot.
Hiding behind a beaming smile and cool dark sunglasses, Cramphorn failed to disguise his elation at finishing first and topping the season's first podium, 'It's just amazing and it still hasn't sunk in.'
'After such a low in yesterday's qualifying - we've given so much heart and money out of our own wallet's - is it worth it? Too right it is!'
'Things just went our way. There has been so much hard work in the build up - the boat often became our top priority with working commitments a distant second.'
'There was a lot of commotion in front of us, we just picked up the pieces and were in the right places at the right time. There was a lot of action close to the bow with other teams pushing their boats to the limits. I wasn't surprised that there were so many mishaps - I've never witnessed that kind of aggressive racing before. Everyone was going hell for leather!'
Having sought out Nico Bertels' expert eye at Bennico and with Akuma kitting our the team in their eye-catching red overalls, Team 26 Racing only anticipate getting sharper.
'After everything that's happened in the last eight months, with all the free help from friends that wanted to be involved and working on a shoe-string budget, we're over the moon.
'We've showed what we're capable of it so if there's anyone out there that wants to get involved, please get in touch. We need help to make it to the end of the Championship and bring the trophy home!'
www.powerboatp1.com
by Sam Feasey
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Macquarie Island, TAS
