A new Class-1 China team is created! Throttleman Pål Virik Nilsen teams up with Norwegian Marit Strømøy for the first Class-1 race in the 2013 season. The race will be held in Sanya, Hainan region, China 28-30 march. Both pilots who are from Sandefjord Norway will race a 40 feet Maritimo hull powered by two Mercury Class-1 engines with 850 horsepower each.
Pal says: Its great to be back in Class-1 and i look forward to the challenge. Racing with Marit will be a interesting thing because we have known eachother for over twenty years and we are from the same small city Sandefjord, in Norway. Marit is a talented powerboat racer and i look forward to see what we can accomplish together. We have been competitors in the past but never on the same team or boat. I know the boat from before when me and my regular driver Tom Barry-Cotter raced it in Dubai in 2008. The boat has gone thru major changes since that and i am looking forward to feel the difference and work from there.
We must be realistic and do not forget that this boat is not a winning boat. I have therefore quite low ambitions in results, but we will keep the focus on ourselves and our own progression during race weekend. If we can improve setup wise, run-wise and time-wise, i would be very happy.
Nine boats will line up for the historic first Class 1 Grand Prix to be held in China on 28-30 March are on their way to Sanya. The vessel loaded six of the fleet in Abu Dhabi last night, calling in at Jebel Ali port to pick up the other three early this morning. All teams is due to arrive in Haikou on the northern tip of Hainan Island around 15 March. The boats will then be trucked 300km to the luxury city port resort of Sanya in the south.
The provisional line-up for the season opener:
3 Victory – Al Zaffain/Al Marri
5 Abu Dhabi – Al Tayer/Al Mansoori
7 Victory Australia – Nicholson/McGrath
8 Subseapilot – Bratland/Jacobsen
10 LFFendi10 – Formilli Fendi/Carpitella
23 FA.RO ACCIAI – Gabbiani/Nicolini
74 Poliform – Cappellini/Montavoci
85 Visun-Sanya – Strømøy/Virik Nilsen
91 Zabo Isiklar – Isik/Zaborowski
Photo: Simon Palfrader. The boat when Pål Virik Nilsen & Tom Barry Cotter raced it in Dubai 2008.
Pål and Marits boat facts:
Length: 12.83 m
Beam: 3.44 m
Weight: 4950 kgs
Engines: 2 x Mercury-Class 1 9.1litre, V8
Valves: 16
Cylinders: 8
Power: 850hp per engine @ 6350 rpm
Builder: Maritimo Australia
Construction: Composite
Hull: Catamaran
Posted by wwwebteam
Photo on top: Atle Slettingdalen