Qatar 95 quickest in first Practice Race Dubai GP

by Class-1 media on 12 Dec 2008
With several outfits fielding revised driver line-ups, today’s first official practice of the season’s final race-weekend offered up few clues as to how the teams or boats will fare on race day. But with vastly different conditions to last weekend, times will be quicker and top speed the key to taking anything from the Emirates & Dubai Duty Free Grand Prix.

Qatar 95’s Abdullah Al-Sulaiti and Matteo Nicolini set the fastest time of the afternoon session, with team-mates Sheikh Hassan and Steve Curtis in Qatar 96 less than a second behind them.

A problem with an alternator saw the World Champions Elect, Victory 1’s Mohammed Al Marri and Nadir Bin Hendi, manage only one lap and finish off the pace, with Abdullah Al Mehairbi and Jean-Marc Sanchez, Victory 7, going third fastest ahead of Jotun, who have overcome the problems with their drive plates which prevented them from starting the last race.

A couple of excellent laps from Roscioli Hotels Roma put them at the front of a pack of boats, with Negotiator, Maritimo and Foresti & Suardi all within five seconds of the Spanish team.

Last week's third-placed boat, Giorgioffshore, fielded a new driver, with Ahmed Al-Suwaidi joining Nicola Giorgi, with Spirit of Spain’s new throttleman, Christian Rivolta, making his Class 1 debut, coming in to partner Mohammed Abdelkader Ahmed.

First official practice - results:
1. Qatar 95 - A Al-Sulaiti (QAT) / M Nicolini (ITA) – 02.31,59
2. Qatar 96 - H Al-Thani (QAT) / S Curtis (GB) – 02.32,53
3. Victory 7 - A Al Mehairbi (UAE) / JM Sanchez (FR) – 02.34,10
4. Jotun 90 - IB Aarbakke (NOR) / J Tandberg (NOR) – 02.34,45
5. Roscioli Hotels Roma 88 - S Carrasco (ESP) / G Carpitella (ITA) – 02.39,46
6. Negotiator 50 - C Parsonage (GB) / W Moore (US) – 02.41,12
7. Maritimo 11 - T Barry-Cotter (AUS) / PV Nilsen (NOR) – 02.43,96
8. Foresti & Suardi 8 - K Selmer (NOR) / G Montavoci (ITA) – 02.44,82
9. Giorgioffshore 18 - A Al Suwaidi (ITA) / N Giorgi (ITA) – 02.48,00
10. Spirit of Spain 60 – Christian Rivolta (ITA) / M A Ahmed (ESP) – 03.01,14
11. Victory 1 - M Al Marri (UAE) / N Bin Hendi (UAE) – 03.16,39

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