Seahorse looks at Cigarette SuperSport entry

Tuesday 26 August 2008

The #10 Fantastic 1 Cigarette team won their first race of 2008 in Tunisia

The Seahorse International outfit which runs the Cigarette Evolution-class entry #10 Fantastic 1 is keen to expand its Powerboat P1 assault into the SuperSport class next year. The Italian-based Cigarette importer is actively talking to its customers about putting together privateer entries for 2009 for a double-edged assault.

The Seahorse International-run Cigarette Racing Team Europe has had an impressive first year in the Evolution class in 2008 with the Mercury-powered #10 Fantastic 1 boat, winning its first race in Tunisia and currently running fifth in the championship standings, with a realistic chance of finishing the season in the top three.

It’s now looking at expanding that programme into the SuperSport class. “Our intention would be to bring more than one boat in 2009,” Seahorse owner Luigi Foresti said. “We hope at least two or three. We think there would be enough potential clients. We believe the Cigarette 39 Unlimited with an engine of 600hp would be ideal to compete in the class.”

Foresti said he was pleased with the progress of the Cigarette Racing Team Europe – which is also run by Eugenio Voltolino – in 2008, and said it was the perfect launching pad for a dual-class assault in 2009.

“We had a few difficulties at the start of the year because the boat arrived just five days before the start of the season,” he said. “But we were very happy to have won our first race in Tunisia as all the boats have very high performance, and reliability is important. During the course of this year we’ve got the experience we needed to be present next year as both the official Cigarette Racing Team Europe in Evolution and with client teams in SuperSport.”