Cowes-Torquay 4 September 2009 -- “This is a monster, monster boat, another Fabio Buzzi success story,” exclaimed Hannes Bohinc the Austrian powerboat ace after his Wettpunkt.com team came so close to victory in last weekend’s 202 mile Cowes Torquay Cowes.

The FB RIB 39 is built for pleasure use and the Hannes Bohinc racing version was making its debut after just 2 weeks of testing on Lake Como’s relatively flat waters. In tough conditions, with three metre waves in places, a ruptured fuel tank ended the challenge of Wettpunkt.com with the chequered flag in sight.

“That is motorsport, the luck was not on our side but we can be satisfied with our achievement, the crew and the boat performed exceptionally well,” continued Bohinc. “These FPT engines may not yet have the desired acceleration for this type of racing but they ran and ran and, like the boat, handled everything that was thrown their way.”

At the half way stage Wettpunkt.com lay in fifth position and several miles behind the lead boat but the experienced crew of throttleman Bohinc, driver Max Holzfeind, and navigator Ed Williams-Hawkes chose a return route that would lead them back into contention and put victory within their grasp.

The eventual winner was the Ilmor-powered CUV, Cinzano, completing the distance in 3hours 35’ 20 seconds and winning by a margin of just 11 seconds from Hot Lemon, the closest finish in the event’s 49 year history.

“In the final 20 miles our concentration was fully on reeling in Hot Lemon,” explained a victorious Markus Hendricks, the owner/pilot of Cinzano. “Then suddenly we saw the rooster tale of Wettpunkt.com on our left and knew it would be close as we battled to the line. I am very pleased to win but commiserate with Hannes and his team that their race should end in this way so close to home.”

Bohinc now turns his attention to the final event in the Powerboat P1 calendar, the Grand Prix of Sicily (12/13 Sept), where he will look to secure a second Evolution Class world title for the Italian OSG Racing team.

Racing alongside throttleman and team owner, Giancarlo Cangiano, the two former world champions lie in second place knowing that podium finishes in both races are the minimum requirement to take this much coveted crown.