Wild cards sign up for Vigo Grand Prix of the Sea

Friday 22 August 2008

Team Konrad Propulsion Systems (top) and #05 Tullio Abbate Team will be racing in Vigo, Spain

Two SuperSport-class wild card entries have signed up for the upcoming Vigo Grand Prix of the Sea in Spain – one, the returning #05 Tullio Abbate Team who have already taken part in the events in Italy and Tunisia; the other a new British-based team that plans to race in Spain and Portugal, and possibly the 2009 season as well.

The #05 Tullio Abbate Team entry will once again be crewed by pilot Vadim Gataullin, throttleman Claudio Giovio and navigator Mario Riva in Vigo for the Spanish event on September 12-14.

The new British-based Team Konrad Propulsion Systems outfit will use a US-built Velocity 390 hull, powered by Mercury Racing engines. Team boss Daniel Cramphorn will take the pilots’ seat, with Kim Collins on throttles and Barry Keen in the navigators’ seat.

They’re also planning to enter the Portuguese Grand Prix of the Sea in Portimao on September 26-28, and could consider an assault on the SuperSport class title in 2009 if all goes well.

“Since visiting a couple of Powerboat P1 races last year, I decided that I had to be involved in the championship,” said Cramphorn. “The events were simply amazing. The professionalism, excitement and glamour of the event had me hooked straight away and I began talking to Velocity about building a boat for me to run in the series. If everything goes well this year, we’ll hopefully be campaigning the whole season in 2009.”