Matteo Nicolini - 14/07/08

Class 1’s top throttleman got his first taste of Powerboat P1’s Evolution class off to a winning start in last weekend's Tunisian Grand Prix of the Sea

It has been an incredibly interesting weekend joining Luca Formilli Fendi in the #10 Fantastic 1 boat, and competing in the Sprint race of the Tunisian Grand Prix of the Sea. Especially as we won on our first outing together!

It all started yesterday, when technical manager and regular throttleman Lino Di Biase rang me. He explained that he had suffered a bad accident in the Endurance race on Saturday that hurt him slightly, and he then asked me to come down to Tunisia to run in his team in the Sprint race on Sunday. I looked around me, was raining a lot through northern Italy, and I didn’t have any commitments for the weekend, so I was more than happy to come to the sunshine of Tunisia.

For a long time, I’ve heard talk about the Powerboat P1 championship, from its initial season in 2002, and – while racing in Class 1 – I always noticed the improvements in a championship that I consider to be growing and very important to the offshore racing world. I was very curious to try one of the boats and honestly, if Class 1 is the top class for catamarans, then Powerboat P1 is the best for monohull production boats.

I’ve taken advantage of this experience, racing in Tunisia, to understand how win in this championship. The Nicolini Offshore company I run with my brother Luca has built a boat for the Powerboat P1 championship for a client, and this race was very helpful for understanding how to prepare better. I am sure that now, with a customer ready to take over the boat, we are ready to participate to the Powerboat P1 championship.

But I’ve noticed that these are very tough races. It was incredible hot in the cockpit in Tunisia, and, although the top speed is obviously lower than in Class 1, these Powerboat P1 races are incredibly difficult and hard. The most important thing - as I said - is to get the boat to the finish line. Racing at maximum speed is obviously relatively important, but in some ways it’s better to manage the race and score points at the finish. Taking the maximum speed is relatively important, better manage the race and get to the end.

It has been an incredibly positive experience, and I can only say good things about the Powerboat P1 championship. I hope I can come back soon!