Jonas Andersson extended his remarkable unbeaten sprint race record to 11 consecutive victories with a commanding performance in the opening sprint race, the Swede dominating from pole position to win by nearly 13 seconds.
The championship leader produced a storming getaway to establish control, opening up an eight-second advantage with 11 laps remaining as he posted the fastest lap of the race at 46.162 seconds. Since sprint races were introduced last season, Andersson has won every sprint race he has contested.
Despite the dominant victory, Andersson admitted the boat remained challenging: “The boat is still not perfect and is tricky to drive so my team must work on that for the race tomorrow.”
Shaun Torrente claimed second for Victory Team ahead of Grant Trask, who secured his second podium finish of the weekend despite battling illness throughout the event.
Torrente reflected on his start: “My only chance of winning was at the start and I was in with a shout. It was beautiful conditions to drive on and I’m looking forward to tomorrow.”
Jelf’s Misfortune Hands Trask Podium
The Australian had come under intense pressure from Ben Jelf, who was running strongly in fourth and threatening to claim his second consecutive podium finish. With five laps remaining, Jelf suffered an engine failure and retired from the race, handing Trask third place.
Trask’s podium came as welcome relief for the Team Sweden driver, who has been unwell all week and was still suffering during the race. The result marked his second podium in consecutive events after finishing third in last weekend’s Shanghai Grand Prix.
Sami Seliö brought his Red Devil-SMC F1 entry home in fourth ahead of Marit Strømøy, who claimed fifth for Strømøy Racing after finishing the 18-lap race just under 44 seconds behind the winner.
Six Drivers Finish Lap Down
Alberto Comparato completed 17 laps to finish sixth, one lap behind the leaders, ahead of Mansoor Al Mansoori and Kyle Maskall. Cédric Deguisne rounded out the finishers in ninth.
The second sprint race begins shortly, with Alec Weckström starting from pole position.
Sprint Race 1 Results
| POS | # | DRIVER | TEAM | LAPS | BEST LAP | TIME/GAP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | Jonas Andersson | Team Sweden | 18 | 46.162 | Race Time |
| 2 | 4 | Shaun Torrente | Victory Team | 18 | 46.791 | +12.974s |
| 3 | 2 | Grant Trask | Team Sweden | 18 | 46.552 | +27.862s |
| 4 | 11 | Sami Seliö | Red Devil-SMC F1 | 18 | 47.880 | +40.815s |
| 5 | 50 | Marit Strømøy | Strømøy Racing | 18 | 47.526 | +43.844s |
| 6 | 97 | Alberto Comparato | Comparato F1 | 17 | 48.570 | +1 Lap |
| 7 | 5 | Mansoor Al Mansoori | Team Abu Dhabi | 17 | 49.529 | +1 Lap |
| 8 | 22 | Kyle Maskall | China CTIC Team | 17 | 49.253 | +1 Lap |
| 9 | 73 | Cédric Deguisne | Maverick Racing | 17 | 51.075 | +1 Lap |
| 10 | 9 | Ben Jelf | F1 Atlantic Team | 12 | 46.699 | DNF |
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.
