#07 VoomVoom.com win SuperSport Italian GP

Sunday 11 May 2008

#07 VoomVoom.com's Vahid Ganjavian and Gareth Williams celebrate their Italian GP of the Sea win

The #07 VoomVoom.com crew of pilot Gareth Williams and throttleman Vahid Ganjavian had the perfect surprise ending to their Italian Grand Prix of the Sea weekend, inheriting the SuperSport Sprint race win after the Endurance race-winning #44 Conam Yachts boat was handed a two-minute penalty for jumping the start.

The Sprint victory – allied to the #07 VoomVoom.com team’s second place in the Saturday Sprint race – gave Williams and Ganjavian the overall victory in the Italian Grand Prix of the Sea weekend.

On the course, the #44 Conam Yachts crew of pilot Aaron Ciantar and throttleman Angelo Tedeschi led the way from #59 Saho Offshore Rana’s team and the #07 VoomVoom.com boat, but the two-minute penalties that were ultimately applied to the #44 Conam Yachts and #59 Saho boats dropped them back down the order.

A second victory of the weekend would have given Ciantar and Tedeschi a clear lead in the Italian Grand Prix of the Sea and a crucial early-season lead in the standings after their home event, but – sadly – it wasn’t to be. It only became clear to the #44 Conam Yachts crew of their narrowly missed win when they reached the harbour.

Equally, Williams and Ganjavian were unaware of their surprise win until informed by someone else. “We didn’t know until one of the Baia High Performance OSG team told us there was the possibility of a penalty and a change in the results,” said Ganjavian.

Once the rules had been clarified – and after a bit of showmanship racing rivalry from Ciantar and Tedeschi on the podium, Williams and Ganjavian were able to take the top step of the podium and begin their celebrations. “That was a great finish to an excellent weekend,” said Ganjavian. “We’ve had some good racing, and San Benedetto del Tronto has been an excellent venue. This couldn’t have been a better start to the season.”