The list of venues and countries signing up to host the WPPA (World Professional Powerboating Association) Class One World Powerboat Championship is growing. From last season's field of eight there is enough indication that the number is likely to cross the dozen mark.

The last season of the Powerboat Championship (the equivalent of Formula One on water) produced a number of highs for the sport. If F1 rookie Lewis Hamilton missed out on the chance to win the championship honours, another rookie in the powerboats, Arif Al Zafeen of Victory 77, made sure there were no such hiccups.

Last season's highlights included the UAE-based team winning top honours, five-times Class 1 World Powerboat Champion Bjorn Rune Gjelsten of the Spirit of Norway team announcing his retirement from the sport and Sheikh Hassan Bin Jabor Al-Thani, president of Qatar Motor Sport Federation, buying the Spirit of Norway team.

'The last season of the Powerboat Championship (the equivalent of Formula One on water) produced a number of highs for the sport'


The Victory 77 team of Al Zafeen and JM Sanchez finished the championship with 144 points, followed by Spirit of Norway team comprising of Gjelsten and Steve Curtis with 118 points.

The Championship race was a triangular fight up to the end of the Egyptian Grand Prix with the teams heading for the eighth leg in Doha. Victory 77, Qatar 96 and Spirit of Norway were all in contention until Victory 77 beat them all to the top prize.

In Doha, Al Zafeen and his partner made sure they got the first spot. Victory 77 won the overall Championship with one race still to go, thus leaving the other contenders to fight for the remaining spots.

Qatar teams took the third and fourth spot with 112 and 75 points respectively. Qatar 96, with Hassan Al Thani and Matteo Nicolini finishing behind the Norwegian team and Qatar 95, comprising A Al Sulaiti and Luca Nicolini, following them.

The retirement of Gjelsten has brought the curtains down on a glittering career during which he dominated the sport. It also brought to an end his partnership with Curtis, with whom he won 34 Grand Prix from 82 starts in a career spanning ten years.

"I feel that this is the right time for me to retire and there are many reasons that have influenced my decision," Gjelsten said.

"It is a question of priorities and about the commitment and the time that the sport demands from you as well as the physical and mental demands required to remain at the top of your game."

The racing season will open with the Qatar Grand Prix in Doha before heading to Rio at the end of April. The Class 1 fleet will then be shipped back to Europe for four races that make up the European Championship, starting in Budva, Montenegro and then heading to Arendal for the first of two races in Norway, with the second in Oslo still to be finalised.

Constanta-Mamaia in Romania will host the final round in Europe, with the boats then shipped to Porto Marina in Egypt and on to the United Arab Emirates for the traditional back-to-back end of season double-header in Dubai.

IOTA also confirmed that they are currently in talks with Valencia (Spain), Marseille (France), Yalta in the Ukraine and Shenzhen in China and will present the final calendar at the Düsseldorf Boat Show - 'boot Düsseldorf' - in January.

2008 CALENDAR - provisional:
February 28 -March 1 - QATAR, Doha
April 25-27 – BRAZIL, Rio de Janeiro
May 23-25 – MONTENEGRO, Budva
July 18-20 – NORWAY, Arendal
August 15-17 – NORWAY, Oslo
August 29-31 – ROMANIA, Constanta-Mamaia
October 16-18 – EGYPT, Porto Marina
November 27-29 – UNITED ARAB EMIRATES, Dubai
December 4-6 - UNITED ARAB EMIRATES, Dubai

WPPA Class 1 World Powerboat Championship: How they finished:
1. Victory 77 – A Al Zafeen(UAE) JM Sanchez (Fr) – 144pts
2. Spirit of Norway 10 – B Gjelsten (Nor) S Curtis (GB) – 118pts
3. Qatar 96 – H Al Thani (Qat) M Nicolini (Ita) – 112pts
4. Qatar 95 – A Al Sulaiti (Qat) L Nicolini (Ita) – 75pts
5. Victory 7 – T Al Sayed (UAE) N Hendi (UAE) – 71pts
6. Negotiator 50 – B Eker (Nor) C Parsonage (GB) – 51pts
7. Foresti & Suardi 8 – M Pennesi (Ita) G Montavoci (Ita) – 48pts
8. Spirit of Norway 20 – T Barry-Cotter (Aus) P Nilsen (Nor) – 38pts
9. SeveneleveN 18 – T Polli (Ita) N Giorgi (Ita) – 19pts
10. Jotun 90 – C Zaborowski (Nor) J Tandberg (Nor) 14pts
11. Fainplast 2 – K Selmer (Nor) M Esperto (Ita) – 12pts