On one of the wettest days in recent history in the United Arab Emirates, Curtis, and his team mate Bjorn Rune Gjelston, played the tactical game perfectly, leaving championship rivals onboard Victory 77 trailing in their wake.
 | | Spirit of Norway |
After their worst pole position finish in five years, coupled with difficult driving conditions, the mood among Norwegian and English fans had been tense. However their 13 metre dual-engine catamaran moved into the lead in lap ten off the waters of the Mina Seyahi beach, and they never looked back. Victory 77 suffered from a poor start and at one point trailed Spirit by 60 seconds, and although the Dubai based team closed the gap to 15 seconds, they rarely threatened to pass Curtis and Gjelston. The win completes an up and down year for the Spirit team. They were certainties for the world championship earlier in the series, but saw their championship lead erode in recent races. Their response today in front of thousands of rain soaked spectators, proved they're perhaps a class apart in the world of class one. "It's fantastic - we had a terrible 10 days and it was always going to be down to us and Victory 77 - they did a really straight race. But we're obviously thrilled to bits - it's a shame it's raining for the party!." Class 1 is the Formula 1 of the powerboating world with 2-man teams taking part in offshore races in state-of-the-art 42-foot powerboats which can hit speeds exceeding 160 mph. Hamble-based Steve Curtis, 42, began his racing career on dry land, becoming a schoolboy and junior motocross champion in England. He moved to the United States to race powerboats in 1982, returning to compete in Europe in 1992. Outside the cockpit, he is involved in raceboat construction and design. His achievement in winning the Class 1 World Championship a record seven times was recognised earlier this year when he was awarded the MBE for 'services to sport' in the Queen's 80th Birthday Honours List. | 
