The Italian/Australian partnership of Giovanni Carpitella and Darren Nicholson secured 1st position in 222 Offshore at the opening round of the 2022 UIM XCAT World Championship. The team passed the flag in 3rd position, but 4 boats got DSQ for missing a turn. That made a huge effect on the podium. Promoted to 2nd place was Team GB and defending Worldchampion, Dubai Police rounded off the podium with 3rd place.

PowerboatracingWorld spoke to Carpitella after the race :

The two Abu Dhabi boats did the short lap twice, when I was leading the race they crossed in front of me. After lap 3 the race control told us to cancel the short lap, since one bouy was destroyed, witch they did not.

 

Even Darren and myself finished 3rd, we won the race, of cause they got DSQ

PowerboatracingWorld.com asked Shaun Torrente how he looked at it :

Me and Faleh posted pole, and won the race by over 40 sec. We did what we came here to do.

 

The race director changed the course during the race, and its evident, we won the race not because we took the short lap, even with a 30 sec penalty we would have won it today.

2nd round of the UIM XCat Worldchampionship will take place tomorrow, 6th of march with Pole position and round 2.