InTouch Magazine Articles Archive

Issue 19, June 2008

P1 Victory in Italy

By Emma Barwell.

to Italy ended with the reigning world champions storming to victory in the first round of the 2008 Powerboat P1 Grand Prix of the Sea season on Saturday afternoon. The Fountain 99 boat of Cyprus & UK Bournemouth’s 1st4Boats.com team, arrived on the back of a transporter in the Adriatic resort of San Benedetto with just a few hours to spare after it was held up in the port of Zeebrugge.

But with only minutes to test the boat before the Evolution race, driver James Sheppard and throttleman Craig Wilson triumphed in a thrilling duel with the Lucas Oil boat of UK Southampton-based Shelley Jory and American Nigel Hook.
The Ilmor-powered Fountain 99 experienced engine problems in the early stages of the race but Sheppard and Wilson made up 13 seconds in the last three laps to come home comfortably in first place.
Delighted team owner Ben Matley said: “It was an incredible team effort. After the problems we had getting the boat here, I would have settled for second or third place. But to win and pick up 100 points was absolutely fantastic.

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