9:53 PM Sat 24 Sep 2011 GMT
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'Arendal Norway - Class One World Powerboat Championship 2011'
Simon Palfrader
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If there is such a thing as 'home advantage' when it comes to racing on water, then Guido Cappellini believes he may just have an edge racing on Lake Como! 'I have always won when racing on this Lake. So there's a very special relationship and alchemy between me and this water, and I am confident we won't break it. I don't want to say much, but considering the latest evolution of the boat I think we can positively think of a podium.'
In his fourteen starts in Class 1, Cappellini has already made his mark, climbing onto the podium five times - twice alongside fellow-Italian and throttleman, Giampaolo Montavoci. The pair grabbed their first podium on their debut outing in race 2 in Brazil in 2010, the event that heralded Cappellini's return to Class after a sixteen year absence following his debut in 1993 alongside Renato Molinari. A Second podium followed in Dubai. Cappellini's other three podiums coming in Stresa on Lake Maggiore and in Uddevalla, Sweden.
But, following a disappointing opening race of the season in Abu Dhabi, Cappellini opted for drastic measures to improve the overall performance of the former championship-winning Tencara, chopping out a large chunk of the middle section, with immediate, results finishing fourth.
'We took a boat to Norway that had undergone major changes, but the work we have carried out is in the right direction, and the results testify to that. We improved our pace and performance by over ten seconds compared to where we were in the races in Abu Dhabi and with this boat at this moment we are now up challenging the first group of Dubai, Qatar and Abu Dhabi,' he said.
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Abu Dhabi-UAE-4 December 2009 - Guido Cappellini Zepter Team at the Race 1 of the Gp of Abu Dhabi in the Corniche. - Vittorio Ubertone/Idea Marketing
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'Now we have to work very hard to find more pace - about three or four seconds - and get used to the boats handling characteristics, especially in the high speed turns. We know we are not yet at 100% of our potential. Shortening the hull has implied a different balance of the boat, and this hinders the handling, in particular on the rudder.'
'But we are both [Giampaolo] happy with the way it is going. It is normal that when you up the pace and push the boat to try to find its limit it is more difficult to drive, but this is normal in every motorsport. The top drivers, the fastest drivers are all pushing to the limit. To be at the front you have to push and push. This makes it harder and more challenging.'
Cappellini dominated the F1H2O Powerboat Championship for two decades, winning the World title ten-times, taking 62 race and seventy wins in qualifying, before switching formulas to move into Class 1 full time in 2010.
He made his F1 Powerboat racing debut in 1985, winning his first World title in 1993, which he retained for the next three years. He lifted his fifth title in 1999, and then claimed another hat-trick of titles in 2001, 2002 and 2003. He grabbed his ninth World crown in 2005 and his tenth in 2009.
Cappellini will now be looking for history to repeat at the Italian Grand Prix and try to record his first win in Class 1 on the same waters that he landed his first win in F1 in 1989, and where he added another four wins out of his tally of 62 on the F1H2O tour.
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Casey, TAS
