Dubai: Ian Blacker teamed up with new partner Garry Ballough in Kingfisher 1 to win the GCC Class III powerboat title at Mina Seyahi last weekend.
Qatar 96, piloted by the Nicolini brothers finished second with Wind of Rome in third.
The race began in dramatic style with Damas, driven by Victory Team's Rashid Al Merri and throttleman Salem Al Hamli, taking the lead.
They took a big lead over last round winners Qatar 96 but in the seventh lap were hit by technical problems.
Carrera, driven by first timer Thalib Al Sayed and Kristian Tzanov, a Class 1 powerboat racer, had a narrow escape when their boat flipped over. The duo found themselves locked in the cockpit before it was broken open by the rescue team. They suffered minor injuries.
Then in a dramatic twist of events, Kingfisher 1 who were among the first five, pulled up and won the championship. Close on their heels was Wind of Rome with Fabio Bertolacci and throttleman Amedeo Mignogna racing to clinch the third place at the podium.
"This was a tough race. Class 3 is proof that competition exists and the two long laps that are mandatory has added more excitement to the race", said Saeed Hareb, Managing Director of the DIMC and organiser of the races.
"I am particularly happy about the Class III for the way it has progressed. What started out as a jolly race has now turned into a competition for serious racers who use the Class III as a platform to get to Class 1."
The fifth round will be held next Friday in Abu Dhabi.
Results
GCC Class III Championship: 1. Kingfisher 1 (400); 2. Qatar 96 (300); 3. Wind of Rome (225); 4. La Vida Loca (169); 5. Kingfisher 11 (127).
Overall points: 1. Qatar 96 (1195); 2. Al Maoud (847); 3. La Vida Loca (769); 4. Wind of Rome (672); 5. Kingfisher 1 (557).
