The 11th Waterfestival at Viverone Lake delivered a thrilling GT30 qualifying session, with Italy’s rookie driver Mattia Andreani storming to pole position for the UIM European Championship 2025.
Andreani set the pace with a blistering 1’17.03 (70.10 km/h), edging out Estonia’s A. Virunman by just 0.57 seconds. Fellow Estonian K. Soodla secured third, making it two Estonians in the top three.
🔝 Top 5 Qualifying Results:
- Andreani M. (ITA) – 1’17.03
- Virunman A. (EST) – +0.57
- Soodla K. (EST) – +1.04
- Penfold A. (GBR) – +1.19
- Kukcinovicius M. (LTU) – +1.68
📊 Key Talking Points:
- The top three were separated by just over a second, setting up a fierce battle for the opening laps.
- Britain’s A. Penfold showed strong pace to grab 4th.
- Lithuania’s M. Kukcinovicius completes the top five.
- 🇮🇹 Baggioli L. could only manage 11th after struggling with setup.
- 🇭🇺 Sandor P. had a tough session, finishing last, almost 10 seconds off the pole time.
According to UIM rule 204.02.1, boats #7, #11, and #29 were classified with their second-best lap.
With such a tight field at the front and several big names out of position, tomorrow’s race promises fireworks on Viverone Lake.
🏆 Full Qualifying Classification – GT30 Viverone Lake 2025
| Pos | No | Driver | Nat | Time | Gap | Speed (km/h) | Best Lap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 42 | Andreani M. | ITA | 1’17.03 | — | 70.10 | 8 |
| 2 | 2 | Virunman A. | EST | 1’17.60 | +0.57 | 69.57 | 16 |
| 3 | 7 | Soodla K. | EST | 1’18.07 | +1.04 | 69.07 | 18 |
| 4 | 10 | Penfold A. | GBR | 1’18.22 | +1.19 | 68.94 | 9 |
| 5 | 47 | Kukcinovicius M. | LTU | 1’18.71 | +1.68 | 68.49 | 20 |
| 6 | 11 | Ravasio J. | ITA | 1’18.88 | +1.85 | 68.36 | 20 |
| 7 | 39 | Costori A. | ITA | 1’19.23 | +2.20 | 68.06 | 20 |
| 8 | 50 | Kociucki M. | POL | 1’19.29 | +2.26 | 68.01 | 20 |
| 9 | 52 | Sucke E. | EST | 1’19.73 | +2.70 | 67.62 | 20 |
| 10 | 18 | Atlee J. | GBR | 1’20.44 | +3.41 | 67.00 | 19 |
| 11 | 8 | Baggioli L. | ITA | 1’20.71 | +3.68 | 66.79 | 17 |
| 12 | 14 | Genova S. | ITA | 1’21.42 | +4.39 | 66.20 | 19 |
| 13 | 48 | Chiesa E. | ITA | 1’21.77 | +4.74 | 65.93 | 19 |
| 14 | 32 | Cavalloni A. | ITA | 1’25.21 | +8.18 | 63.27 | 14 |
| 15 | 99 | Sandor P. | HUN | 1’26.86 | +9.83 | 62.16 | 22 |
| 16 | 61 | De Biasi L. | ITA | 1’26.86 | +9.83 | 62.16 | 22 |
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.
