Voltolina: ‘More to come from Cigarette’

Monday 06 October 2008

The #60 GFN Gibellato and #10 Fantastic 1 Cigarette boats battle in Tunisia

Cigarette Racing Team Europe boss Eugenio Voltolina has said that a stunning rookie year for the #10 Fantastic 1 entry in Powerboat P1’s Evolution class is just the start of its potential to challenge for the overall championship in coming years. The Italian-based outfit finished fifth in the points rankings, and scored a win in Tunisia.

Although the #10 Fantastic 1 boat – which is run by Cigaretter importer Seahorse International – suffered a few early-season teething problems, by the end of the year it was a consistent frontrunner and podium finisher, with the win in Tunisia almost being followed by another in Vigo, Spain, had it not been for a missed buoy penalty.

“In conjunction with our technical partners, we’ve started a research and development programme for the long term, with a working methodology based on processes that require time to give their best results,” Voltolina said. “We’ve already dramatically improve the geometry, stiffness and weight of the boat, creating a rigging in the engine room that can also be transferred to the production of Cigarette pleasure boats.

“Our win in Tunisia was the liberation from a kind of curse. But we knew sooner or later that we’d be able to achieve a perfect boat. #10 Fantastic 1 could definitely win many races, and maybe even the title. The hull and engines are exceptional. We’ve had problems with some components which have prevented us from crossing the finish line, but we managed to resolve them and reach a remarkable level of reliability. It was fantastic to climb on top of the podium in Tunisia, but we were always aware of our potential and therefore we’re not surprised by the result.”