- Dubai, United Arab Emirates -
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HARIB AND AL GHAITH TAKE IT IN STYLE
Nettuno (ITALY): Despite the upperhand currently held by Norway’s Bjorn Gjelsten, Khalfan Harib gave the Dubai Victory Team’s title ambitions a massive boost with a stunning win in the Italian Grand Prix - round five of the UIM Class One World Offshore Championship - in Nettuno. With three rounds remaining - one in Fujairah and two in Dubai - the Victory Team is now in a good position, although they have two significant figures ahead of them in the shape of Gjelsten and his throttleman Steve Curtis. The Spirit of Norway crew have shown remarkable consistency this year and have been in the top three in every race. But as in all sports, streaks come to an end and Harib will be hoping the balance of good fortune is swinging his way and out of the Norwegian camp. "The Italian win came at just the right time for us," said Harib, who outsmarted the rest of the field in Nettuno alongside driver Mohamed Al Ghaith. "We were under pressure to get a result and give us a fighting chance in the championship." Held in the worst sea conditions seen for several years, the Italian Grand Prix saw Harib come of age as a Class One throttleman, while Al Ghaith earned his first Class One victory. It was a controlled, gutsy and skillful performance by the two men who go into powerboat racing history as the first all-Arab crew to win a race at the sport’s highest level. Despite the rough water - which led to the race being shortened to 84Nm - Harib and Al Ghaith led from start to finish in a boat which is progressing race by race. Hampered by the conditions, speeds were down with Victory 4 taking the chequered flag at an average speed of just 116.10kmh. Second were Gjelsten and Curtis, while Felix Serralles and stand-in driver Henry Simon took third in Victory 5. "I have had many wins, but this was particularly memorable as it was my first as a throttleman," added Harib whose embrace of the UAE flag at the finish said more about his delight than any words. "We still have a lot of work to do but at least we are in with a chance. Another Spirit of Norway win in Italy would probably have killed off the championship race." As it stands, five boats remain in with a chance of winning the Class One title - three of them from the Dubai Victory Team. Just 36 points separate the leading five with Gjelsten and Curtis ahead on 82, Harib and Al Ghaith hold second on 59 in Victory 4, while third place is the property of the Victory 7 crew of Ali Nasser and Randy Scism on 57 points. The other two contenders for the championship are Jolly Motor (Lamberto Leoni and Massimo Lippi) on 55 and Victory 5 (Saeed Al Tayer/Felix Serralles/Henry Simon) which has 46. "It is tight, but we could win all three remaining races and still not be champions," said Harib. Grand Prix winners are awarded 20 points, while those who finish second receive 15 - meaning Gjelsten and Curtis can win the title with three second-place finishes. However, there was bad news for the Norwegian camp when their Lamborghini-powered cat was damaged during testing for the Italian race. A crack appeared in the tunnel and will undoubtedly have been worsened by the pounding it took in the eight-foot swells that dominated Sunday’s race. "The boat has been damaged and we will have some work to do before it leaves Italy by ship for the UAE," admitted Curtis. In each of the past few seasons, the winners of the Class One title have taken it courtesy of four wins in the year. This season, four different crews have shared the five wins with Gjelsten and Curtis taking two and Victory 4, Victory 7 and Jolly Motor one each. "We are still a long way from four race wins," smiled Harib. "The difference now is that Mohamed and I are confident with the boat. People must remember that the Italian race was only our third in this boat so we have been getting to know it. In Nettuno, I felt at last I could trust it." Result - Italian Grand Prix (Nettuno)1. Victory 4 - Harib/Al Ghaith (UAE) 1h:20m:27s (Avg. 116.10kmh) Overall World Championship Positions After 5 rounds1. Spirit of Norway - Gjeslten/Curtis (N) 82pts |
