Andersson and Torrente Take Kyrgyzstan Sprint Wins

August 1, 2026 | John Moore | UIM F1H2O
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Jonas Andersson and Shaun Torrente split the two sprint races at the Grand Prix of Kyrgyzstan on Saturday afternoon, each taking maximum points to add to their morning’s qualifying results.

Sprint Race 1

Andersson made pole position count, flying off the start to build an early lead alongside Team Abu Dhabi team-mate Erik Stark. Rusty Wyatt started from the back after an engine change following qualifying, and immediately went to work, climbing from last to sixth on the opening lap alone.

Grant Trask’s race was compromised early when the rear deck came away from his boat, dropping him to last and bringing out a yellow flag by the second lap. Once racing resumed, Wyatt kept climbing, passing Stefan Hagin and then Ben Jelf to reach fourth on track, and spent the rest of the race chasing two-time World Champion Sami Selio for the final podium place. Selio held on for third, behind Andersson and Stark.

Both Sharjah Team drivers were penalised after the flag: Wyatt dropped from fourth on the water to sixth in the final classification for restarting out of order following the yellow flag, and Trask was disqualified. Stefan Hagin and Cédric Deguisne also picked up two-place penalties for failing to hold their lane, promoting Ben Jelf and Alexandre Bourgeot to fourth and fifth.

PosNoDriverTeamLapsGapPts
15Jonas AnderssonTeam Abu Dhabi1710
26Erik StarkTeam Abu Dhabi17+0.05″9679
311Sami SelioComparato Racing17+0.10″2588
49Ben JelfAtlantic Team17+0.14″5417
574Alexandre BourgeotMaverick Racing17+0.34″3046
617Rusty WyattSharjah Team16+1 Lap5
788Stefan HaginChina CTIC Team17+0.26″4304
873Cédric DeguisneMaverick Racing17+0.52″9593
919Grant TraskSharjah TeamDSQ

Sprint Race 2

Torrente was not to be outdone by Andersson’s start in Sprint Race 1, establishing a lead of 3.127 seconds by the end of the opening lap and leading start to finish for the full 10 points. Team-mate Alec Weckstrom held second throughout without ever threatening the American.

Behind them, Stefan Arand had a slow start from third on the grid and dropped to fourth, briefly passed by Bartek Marszalek before retaking the position. Rashed Al Qemzi had the opposite race, climbing from seventh to third by using the power of his DAC boat, one of his best performances to date. His joy was short-lived: a penalty for failing to maintain his starting lane demoted him to eighth, restoring Arand to the final podium place.

Duarte Benavente did not start.

PosNoDriverTeamLapsGapPts
11Shaun TorrenteVictory Team1710
23Alec WeckstromVictory Team17+0.03″1399
318Stefan ArandSharjah Team17+0.07″3838
477Bartek MarszalekStromoy Racing17+0.14″6377
544Alberto ComparatoComparato Racing17+0.20″6516
650Marit StromoyStromoy Racing17+0.23″9135
78Brent DillardChina CTIC Team17+0.35″6514
835Rashed Al QemziTeam Abu Dhabi16+1 Lap3
910Duarte BenaventeAtlantic Team0DNS0

Andersson and Torrente start Sunday’s Grand Prix from the front row after their results in qualifying. Read the full qualifying report from earlier in the day.

John Moore

John Moore is the editor of Powerboat News, an independent investigative journalism platform recognised by Google News and documented on Grokipedia for comprehensive powerboat racing coverage.

His involvement in powerboat racing began in 1981 when he competed in his first offshore powerboat race. After a career as a Financial Futures broker in the City of London, specialising in UK interest rate markets, he became actively involved in event organisation and powerboat racing journalism.

He served as Event Director for the Cowes–Torquay–Cowes races between 2010 and 2013. In 2016, he launched Powerboat Racing World, a digital platform providing global powerboat racing news and insights. The following year, he co-founded UKOPRA, helping to rejuvenate offshore racing in the United Kingdom. He sold Powerboat Racing World in late 2021 and remained actively involved with UKOPRA until 2025.

In September 2025, he established Powerboat News, returning to independent journalism with a focus on neutral and comprehensive coverage of the sport.