General News 09 September 2009 - The Powerboat P1 World Championship reaches its nail biting finale in Siracusa, Sicily at the weekend with three teams still battling for the Evolution Class world title.

With British challenger, Silverline, defending a slender lead from two of the Championship’s top Italian boats, SNAV OSG and Cigarette Smash Poker, the outcome will remain in the balance until the last lap of the final race. High drama is guaranteed.

Leading the charge is the OSG Racing Team with team owner and throttleman Giancarlo Cangiano and driver Hannes Bohinc, two of the stalwarts of P1.

Both pilots have previously won world titles on the season’s final day of reckoning.

“We shall be prepared and try to stay relaxed,” says Cangiano. “We have won the last two GPs so the momentum is with us but this is motorsport; unpredictable with no guarantees.

Five of the competing boats have the potential to win the Grand Prix of Sicily so nothing is clear cut. Our first priority is to prepare well and then to make sure we finish each race to secure the 50 reliability points.”

50 reliability bonus points are available to teams that complete the second half of the season on the same two engines. Of the top three challengers, only SNAV OSG has successfully finished the four previous races without a change of engine.

“If Silverline and ourselves complete both races in Sicily we will need to finish at least two places above them in each race to secure the World Championship,” explains Austrian Hannes Bohinc.

“It sounds straightforward but is anything but!”

 1 -  47 -  Bullet Racing -  GBR -  646pts

2 -  88 -  SNAV OSG -  IT -  571pts

3 -  10 -  Cigarette Smash Poker -  IT -  542pts

4 -  77 -  Lucas Oil Budweiser -  USA -  418pts

5 -  33 -  Furnibo -  BEL -  370pts

6 -  66 -  Cranefields Wine -  DE -  205pts

7 -  53 -  Metamarine Pignolo 53 -  IT -  202pts

In each racing class, World Championship points are awarded to the top eight finishers; the Winner receiving 100 points, 2nd place 90 points, 3rd place 81 points, 4th place 73 points, 5th place 66 points, 6th place 60 points, 7th place 55 points, 8th place 51points, 9th place 48 points, 10th place 46 points, 11th place 45 points and 12th place 40 points.  With a Grand Prix of the Sea event comprising two rounds, a maximum ‘prize’ of 200 points is on offer. 

In addition, a total of 100 ‘performance points’ are on offer to teams which complete the 2009 season using the same engines.