Lassoued looking to race in Bahrain

Monday 14 July 2008

Abla Lassoued celebrates her Endurance podium finish with the #88 Kiton Outerlimits Evolution teams

Tunisian woman racer Abla Lassoued has said she’s already targeting a race in the Powerboat P1 season finale in Bahrain after scoring a points finish with the #88 Kiton Outerlimits team on her debut Evolution class event, this weekend’s Tunisian Grand Prix of the Sea. The Italian-based squad, who included Lassoued as a navigator for her home race, finished second in Saturday’s Endurance race, but failed to finish the Sunday Sprint race with an engine problem.

“Being in my country, supported by family and friends and the President of Tunisia and his wife – who have always tried hard to promote women in sports in Tunisia – has given me so much energy, courage and self confident to do this first race in the Powerboat P1’s Evolution class.

“It has been a difficult weekend – particularly physically in this heat – but the experience has been so great. The Evolution class boats are very demanding, and the power and the speed have impressed me a lot. But you need to be very brave in this championship.

“I’ve been very honoured to race with an Italian team, and I’ve learned a lot from their professionalism, their experience, and their kindness. I’ll be spending as much time as possible with the team in Vigo in Spain and Portimao in Portugal so that I can understand and learn more, and I really hope to race with them in Bahrain.

“I was very impressed with the organisation of Powerboat P1 and of the event through promoter Philippe Benhamou and his team, and I’d really like to thank them for supporting me and helping me with this opportunity.”