Victory 1 crowned Edox Pole Position Champions

by Class 1 media on 13 Dec 2008 Newly crowned Class 1 World Champions, Mohammed Al Marri and Nadir Bin Hendi, completed the second part of their title treble bid, in sensational style today after beating arch-rivals Qatar 96 in a nail-biting qualifying session to win the Edox Pole Position Championship.

In a winner-take all shoot out with Sheikh Hassan and Steve Curtis, the Victory 1 crew posted the fastest time of the session, just five one-hundredths of a second faster than Qatar 96 to win their fourth Edox Pole Position of the season and lift the Victory Team's sixth Pole Position Championship. 'We couldn't have scripted it better,' smiled Bin Hendi. 'We were lagging well behind early on in the session but once again we've turned it around and produced the best time of the day. Thanks to our crew, we feel we can win every time.'

After seeing Victory 1 set the early pace, Qatar 96 grabbed the advantage, taking the provisional pole with a time of 2m 37.71s on their first lap. Al Marri and Bin Hendi failed to match it on their second lap, but on their third run and with Qatar 96 also on a flying lap behind them, posted 2m 37.29s to re-take the provisional pole. And despite throwing everything at it, Sheikh Hassan and Steve Curtis came up just tenths short, posting a time of 2m 37.34s, in one of the closest pole position shoot-outs in the history of the event. 'The last boat we wanted to see in front of us on our third run was Victory 1. But tactics are all part of racing.' said a disappointed Sheikh Hassan, who must now focus on winning tomorrow's Emirates & Dubai Duty Free to take something from the season.

Jotun's Inge Brigt Aarbakke and Jorn Tandberg put together a series of very consistent laps, with a best of 2m 38.92s to finish as the highest placed European team, taking third place, their fifth top three finish in qualifying this season, and third overall in the Edox Pole Position Championship.

A first lap time of 2m 38.98s, six hundredths of a second behind Jotun, saw a disappointed Abdullah Al-Sulaiti and Matteo Nicolini, have to settle for fourth place on the grid for the Emirates & Dubai Duty Free Grand Prix.

Sergio Mora Corrasco and Giovanni Carpitella produced their best performance of the weekend, setting a time of 2m 41.50s to take an excellent fifth place in Roscioli Hotels Roma, finishing ahead of Abdullah Al Mehairbi and Jean-Marc Sanchez in Victory 7.

Foresti & Suardi pipped Negotiator by four tenths of a second to finish in seventh place, with the Australian Norwegian pairing of Tom Barry-Cotter and Pal Virik Nilsen finishing in ninth place in Maritimo ahead of Nicola Giorgi, running with new-partner Ahmed Al Suwaidi in Giorgioffshore and Spirit of Spain's Abdelkader Ahmed and Christian Rivolta, running in his first Class 1 qualifying session.

Edox Pole Position - results
1. Victory 1 - M Al Marri (UAE) / N Bin Hendi (UAE) - 02.37,29
2. Qatar 96 - H Al-Thani (QAT) / S Curtis (GB) - 02.37,34
3. Jotun 90 - IB Aarbakke (NOR) / J Tandberg (NOR) - 02.38,92
4. Qatar 95 - A Al-Sulaiti (QAT) / M Nicolini (ITA) - 02.38,98
5. Roscioli Hotels Roma 88 - S Carrasco (ESP) / G Carpitella (ITA) - 02.41,50
6. Victory 7 - A Al Mehairbi (UAE) / JM Sanchez (FR) - 02.41,96
7. Foresti & Suardi 8 - K Selmer (NOR) / G Montavoci (ITA) - 02.46,64
8. Negotiator 50 - C Parsonage (GB) / W Moore (US) - 02.47,04
9. Maritimo 11 - T Barry-Cotter (AUS) / PV Nilsen (NOR) - 02.49,62
10. Giorgioffshore 18 - A Al Suwaidi (UAE) / N Giorgi (ITA) - 02.54,26
11. Spirit of Spain 60 - Christian Rivolta (ITA) / M A Ahmed (ESP) - 02.56,40

EDOX POLE POSITION CHAMPIONSHIP - after round 8 of 8
1. Victory 1 - 122pts 2. Qatar 96 - 114pts 3. Jotun 90 - 82pts 4. Qatar 95 - 68pts
5. Victory 7 - 50pts 6. Foresti & Suardi 8 - 28pts 7. Giorgioffshore 18 - 22pts
8. Negotiator 50 - 20pts 9 Roscioli Hotels Roma 88 - 10pts
10. Spirit of Spain 60 - 6pts 11. Qatar 9 - 5pts

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