Maritimo set to take on the world's best

6:48 AM Tue 7 Apr 2009 GMT

'One of the Maritimo Performance 920hp race engines being tested on the dynoa at the Coomera race headquarters.' Bob Wonders Click Here to view large photo

The Maritimo Offshore Race Team marks its return to the UIM/WPPA Class 1 World Powerboat Championship when it lines up in the Qatar Grand Prix, Doha, on April 25, the same venue where Bill Barry-Cotter and Peter McGrath achieved the team's historic maiden win in 2002.

Leading Maritimo's two-boat assault on the 2009 world title is Class 1's youngest competitor Ton Barry-Cotter, who celebrated his 21st birthday on March 27.

He made his Class 1 debut in Greece in 2007 and will again be partnered by Norwegian throttleman Pal Virik Nilsen in 'Maritimo 11'.

After racing together for two-years and with 19 races to their credit, the pair will line up in Qatar as the most experienced driver/throttleman combination in Class 1.

Straight-talking New Zealander, Peter 'Muddy' McGrath, back in Class 1 for the first time in more than three-years, rates as the most experienced of the four Maritimo pilots with 25 starts, a win and nine podiums to his credit.

McGrath will throttle 'Maritimo 12' alongside Italian Giorgio Manuzzi who, although starting just his second year in Class 1, grabbed his first podium finish in Dubai last year.

Manuzzi also competes in the Italian GT automobile series and drives a Maserati.

Maritimo will campaign two of the team's new 12.90-metre race boats in Qatar, each powered by dual Maritimo Performance 9.1-litre supercharged V8 engines developing about 920hp.

Eleven boats are expected to line up for notoriously fast and tricky Doha Bay circuit for the 21-lap, 96.45 nautical mile Qatar GP.

New rule change sin place for 2009 include limiting the use of any electronic interface with trim, steering and drives to aid the pilots.

With several new crews still to be confirmed, the outcome of the opening round is hard to call, but Maritimo is certain to be up against some daunting competition.

Dubai's Victory Team will start as pre-race favourites as it launches the defence of its World, Middle East and Edox Pole Position titles.

The team has named a formidable pairing in the number 1 boat with 2007 and 2008 World Champions Arif Al Zafeen and Nadir bin Hendi sharing the cockpit.

Team manager Gianfranco Venturelli is remaining tight-lipped as to who might crew the team's second boat.

Team Qatar will also field a strong two-boat attack with Sheikh Hassan and eight-time World Champion Steve Curtis - who crashed out spectacularly in Doha last year on the second lap in qualifying - looking to make amends.

Curtis and Sheikh Hassan will run the Skema V-12-powered 'Qatar 96' while their team mates and winners of the final race in 2008, Abdullah Al-Sulaiti and Matteo Nicolini will run Sterling V8 powerplants in 'Qatar 95'.

Ugland Offshore Racing's triple race winner and defending European champion, Jorn Tandberg, is yet to reveal who will sit beside him in the Class 1 Mercury-powered MTI hull, with Giorgioffshore and Team Duemme Espana also yet to confirm their crews.

Italians fill both seats in the Veneta Marina-Scam outfit, with Francesco Pansini teaming up for the first time with Giampaolo Montavci, wile another Italian, Giovanni Carpitella will partner relative rookie Abdelkader Ahmed aboard 'Spirit of Spain.'

by Bob Wonders

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