YAMARAN-Ìnev team have done a victory in 4-th (2000
ñm3) class and in absolute classification of U.I.M. World Championship
– 24-hours race “White Night Endurance”. Same time it shows absolute
record of distance, passed for 24 hours of the race, and speed
record of the trace.
In the year 2003, Union International Motonautique
(U.I.M.) granted to Endurance race "24 hours of SAINT PETERSBURG"
status of the World Championship. New high status of the race and
new hard requirements of U.I.M concerning preparation of the technical
equipment and pilots, makes preparation to the competition much
more expensive and complicated. With this new “rules of the game”
one’s expectation to get the prize place without serious embedding,
have left in past forever...
To the World Championship our team has accumulate
a good experience of victories. In our "assets" there
were a first place in the class PR-1500 of the Open Championship
of Russia (2001 year), second place in the class PR-2000 and first
place in the class PR-700 on Open Championship of Russia (2002 year),
and also a number of command victories in not so prestigious competitions.
All these victories were reached on YAMARAN serial boats powered
with the serial YAMAHA motors. On the World Championship we have
decide not to change our principles and prepare to racing basically
serial boats and serial motors in "junior" class 1 (700
ñm3) and "senior" class 4 (2000 ñm3).
For the 1st class (700 ñm3) we choose outboard
motors YAMAHA 40VETOS, with displacement 698 ñm3. These motors belong
to one family with the engine 50HEDOS, on which last year one of
our team wins Open Championship of Russia in this class. Choice
of the motor in this class was to a considerable extent compelled
- 50HEDOS and 50HETOS in 2003 year have left YAMAHA’s model line-up.
40VETOS, unlike 50HEDOS are equipped with power trim, that gives
certain advantage in speed on open parts of the distance. At the
same time, passport power of this engine is lower, that could not
tell on the average velocity and dynamics of boats.
For the class 1 we choose serial boats YAMARAN
B430R “Burevestnik” and YAMARAN B500R “Sapsan”, produced by "Mnev
and Co".
For the class 4 (2000 ñm3) we choose engines YAMAHA
Z200PETOL. These motors are from V-max series, having displacement
2596 ñ.c. The motors are equipped with High Pressure Direct Injection
(HPDI), that allows them to fit in the 2000 cc class, with 30% handicap
for "ecologically clean" motors.
Let’s note again, that our team never was a supporter
of this handicap, in reality allowing two-stroke injector engines
by the power up to 200 h.p. to participate in one class with the
serial carburator motors by the power 115-140 h.p. However, lowered
by that major competitors in our class will be injector 200-h.p.
outboard motors Mercury Optimax and racing motors Mercury XR-2,
power also under 200 h.p., at last we have come to a conclusion
to prepare the 200-h.p. Z200PETOL HPDI engines for the race.
Choice of boats for the class 4 was not simple
- in Russia nobody is producing serial RIB boats, designed for motion
at the speed of over 100 kilometers per hour. After studying several
options we decided to use a boat "YAMARAN B640R" manufactured
by the enterprise "Course", and absolutely new boat “Akula”
("Shark") constructed by S. Fedorko.
Four boats takes 16 pilots, same number of technicians
and “gasoline crew”, plus a group of support… The whole is more
then 50 people. It’s not a “small” group at all….
The pilots of boat “Akula” (¹5) in the class 4
are professionals. Valerii Starokozjev, Alexei Sinitsyn, Vadim Ushakov,
and Sergei Fedorko - famous names in water motor sport.
The team of boat YAMARAN B640R (the traditional
#7) - "advanced users". Champions of Russia 2001 year
Andrei Gerashenko, Dmitri Sandler ("Petroset-Bolshoi")
and Konstantin Dmitriev ("Aquatrade"). Igor Boldin - a
big enthusiast of varied extreme amusements.
Teams of boats in the class 1 - an alliance of
the youth and experience. Repeated Champion of Russia Alexander
Smyrnov ("Petroset-Bolshoi"), trainer Jurii Smyrnov, German
Belousov, Eugeni Savchenco, Alexei Kostromin, Alexei Piatygin, Sergei
Condratiev and Anatoly Bykov - all the members of "YAMARAN"
Sport Club.
The most difficult was preparing the boats of class
4. For a week of serious work, with considerable help of Mr. Tsunamoto
of Yamaha Motor Japan, we managed to obtain a stable run of boat
YAMARAN B640R on speed up to 110 kilometres per hour.
Boat “Akula” was ready to put on water just in
2 days before the race. In the test drives is reveal fault of fuel
system of the boat, on repairing of which we spent all remaining
time, so we can’t prepare this boat as well as we wish.
Technical control of the boats at Friday morning
beyond the race lasted several hours. The whole night before the
race was spent on eliminating problems fixed by the control, so
at Saturday - a day of beginning of the race - a crew of mechanical
engineers looked "powerfully tire, but not beaten". Recurrent
technical commission was held at Saturday morning, and, finally,
permission for the boats participation was received.
In the class 4 eleven (11) boats declared.
Two racing motors Mercury XR-2 – were declared
by “Mercury NIITM - Service Boat" (Russia) and "Autonautique"
(Belgium).
Three 200-horsepower injector motors Mercury Optimax
– teams "Latvia" (Latvia), "Akvashelf" (Latvia),
"Veda" (Russia-Austria).
…There is to many of them!…
Two “ours” 200–horsepower motors YAMAHA Z200PETOL
.
Three engines YAMAHA 130-140 h.p.
One – Mercury 125 – of «Costroma» team (Russia).
In the class 1 – 11 demands too.
Two “ours” engines YAMAHA 40VETOS
Two more motors YAMAHA of 50 h.p., and one of them
is 4-stroked.
Two motors were Tohatsu M50.
Two motors - Honda 50B.
Three others were four-stroke Suzuki 50, Mariner
F40, and one Selva 50 –S - 700.
Start of the race was mildly delayed. Around 4-30
p.m. boats leave from quays and lined up on the start area. Start….
From beneath of Cronwerksky Bridge after the first circle is wrest
leader - our “Akula” ¹5, trace for him - "YAMARAN B640R"
¹7. Start is ours. Remaining task is “just a peace of cake” – to
keep leadership in 23 hours 58 minutes and 20 seconds of the race.
Since the first hours of the race hard and uncompromising
struggle begins in all classes. Fresh pilots “burn at full trottle”,
as if not twenty with spare hours of racing remains, but just 20-30
minutes. From this time it is an impression, that route of this
year is harder, and struggle is more hard, even the price of the
victory - a rank of Champion of the World.
Immediately collisions and re-gates of boats begun.
Amongst the first un-lucky ones - a DSK team from Samara (¹61).
Their boat with the motor YAMAHA 85AETL, emerge in the class 3,
is was overkieled already in the test run. Boat in the upright position
was towed to the repair pontone, crane gets it from water… Team
merges water from engine and boat, free cylinders from water and
goes back in racing … Bravo, YAMAHA.
Sometimes hard sporty struggle grows in the contact
struggle without rules. Particularly "are distinguish"
team ¹10 ("Mercury NII TM Service Boat", Mercury XR2)
and ¹1 ("Autonautique", Mercury XR2). Through several
hours after the start ¹10-team has in it’s “asset” above ten penalty
circles. Our ¹7 team gets 3 penalty circles too - but not for the
roughness but just "For nothing". A pilot, directing the
boat to gasoline pontone, did not get a prearranged signal from
the gasoline crew, and directed the boat to the additional circle.
Main judge decided this manoeuvre dangerous, in spite of there was
not no one boat close to us.
In the beginning of the race "relapse"
failure of fuel system of our boat ¹5 appears. Boat was raised and
the crew proceeds with the searching for the failure. Here to time
a boat ¹5 already reached a record of velocity of the trace - a
fantastic figure of 120 kilometres per hour! To look forward, will
say that team of ¹5 boat could not repair the failure - a boat was
several times raised, repaired and newly put in the race, however
finally the boat defect was not avoid. But on speed and impression
of it’s motion ¹5 was the best in the race.
After four hours the ¹1 boat descended ("Autonautique",
Mercury XR2), winner of the last year Open Championship of Russia.
This boat – made by "Service Boat" company - gives a rift
in front part and slicing on the whole length. Belgian all team
left for sleep in the hotel - for them this race has ended.
Technical problems also begun with ¹10 boat soon
(NII TM Service Boat, Mercury XR2). This boat several times was
raised on the coast, repaired and put back on water, but final reparation
was found impossible. At last they managed to finish, but with backlog
from the leader nearly on 200 circles – this is more than 500 kilometers
- here is it, price of reliability in our sport.
Through six hours descends our boat YAMARAN ¹41
(in the team of this boat - a winner of the last year Championship
of Russia Alexander Smyrnov). Reason of the descend - a rift on
the body from the collision with some floating subject. Offensively,
this boat had quite good chances for the victory in the class 4.
Our second "tot" ¹42 goes while third, difference with
the second revenge in the class - just a couple of circles.
To night main struggle in the class 1 is between
YAMARAN B640R ¹7 and boat ¹4 "Latvia" team. Their boat
Viking R6 with the engine Mercury 200 OptiMax shows sufficiently
quick and stabile move - is seems that on adjusting this boat they
worked a lot. Our boat does not have such stability, but in speed
of move we are better - our YAMAHA Z200 Vmax faster, especially
on upper rpm. To this time we already “became friends” with our
boat, so feel ourselves comfortable and continue to run circles,
even so big part of racing else ahead of. Techniques works as a
watch – not even a minute lost.
By 7 a.m. ¹4 leaves the race. Reason is a gear
breakdown of engine Mercury 200 OptiMax. But ¹10 (NII TM - Service
Boat, Mercury XR2) – is back in the race, and ¹6 (Aquashelf, Mercury
200XS OptiMax) goes while enough quickly – so we cant relax a while.
And our boat is new-comer in long race, and nobody can issue a warranty
till end of the race….
In the morning our "tot" ¹42 "loses
a pilot" before Ioannovsky bridge. He tried to reach a maximum
velocity by putting trim over. Here are you unpleasant aspect of
use trim in racing. The pilot is brought back into the boat and
continues the racing, but precious minutes are lost, and chances
on the second place in the class 1 melt on eyes.
To the Saturday midday we have a take-off from
the second place in the class 4 near 60 circles, go calm and not
hurrying. With the time a confidence in the successful finish of
the race comes. General situation in the race also became much more
calm – at least a half of boats already stopped, and the remaining
ones still wants to finish the race in a “moving mode”.
About two p.m. ¹6 (Aquashelf, Mercury 200XS OptiMax)
loses a speed. Reason is not known, but looks like the fault of
motor suspension. Remaining time of the race this boat will run
at the speed of 50-60 kilometers per hour.
For the couple of hours before the end of the race
¹10 (NII TM - Service Boat, Mercury XR2) is back in the race again.
Lagging behind the leader nearly on 200 circles and stain on the
last place in the class, ¹10 boat driven by Andrey Bernitsyn goes
as it is fighting for the prize place. For the last hours of the
race it does several outstrips in “safety corridors”, provokes a
scramble and series of collisions in the safety corridor before
Cronversky Bridge.
But times run, racing ends, we cool up off and
forget about this situation – difficult to imagine what can be more
serious punishment for the professional, than backlog on 500 kilometers…
"YAMARAN-MNEV" team (¹7), equipped with
serial boat YAMARAN B640R, with serial (not racing) motor YAMAHA
Z200PETOL HPDI, wins a first place in "senior" and the
most prestigious class 4 (2000 ñm3), and in total competition of
the U.I.M. World Championship in water sport - unique 24-hours race
"White Night Endurance".
Same time "YAMARAN-ÌNÅV" ¹7 reached absolute
record on distance, passed during 24 hours of this race - 675 circles
(1856 kilometers).
"YAMARAN-MNEV" team ¹5, equipped with
the new serial boat "Akula" with serial (not racing) motor
YAMAHA Z200PETOL HPDI, has made an absolute record of speed of the
trace. The maximum velocity fixed in the course of the race has
form 120 kilometers per hour.
This fantastic success of our team was reached
in hard and uncompromising struggle - we practically destroyed 5
(five) teams, using specially prepared racing boats, racing engies
Mercury XR-2 and 200-horsepower injector motors Mercury OptiMax.
Our take-off from the team which occupied second place in the class
has form 77 circles - more than 200 (two hundred) kilometres !!
"Sportclub YAMARAN" team (¹42), equipped
with the serial boat YAMARAN B430R "Burevestnik" with
serial not racing motor YAMAHA 40VETOS reached third place in the
class 1, in the competition with motors of greater passport power,
having proved advantages of reliability of outboard motors of YAMAHA
and YAMARAN boats.
Multiple and systematic victories of YAMARAN teams,
equipped with same-named boats with YAMAHA outboard motors on all
significant competitions during three last years, persuasively prove,
unexcelled reliability and giving technical perfection of technology
(technicians), produced under YAMAHA trade mark and YAMARAN trade
mark.
Dmitri
Sandler:
It looks like that all possible and impossible
troubles has happend with us in the last year race (2002), and so
on the share of race of this year no trouble remains. We did not
face any serious problem in the 2003 race. Generally, the whole
preparation, which lasted nearly half of the year, and racing -
simply big and hard job, which was needed to be done with the needed
quality and responsiblity.
The base of our success was a right choice of boat
and engie for racing. Our trust in serial models was justified completely.
Body of boat ¹7 - production of company "Course" was rendered
quite reliable, but on reliability of our YAMAHA outboard motors
now they will tell legends - during 24 hours of the race we even
did not open the engine cover.
Great role has played by technicians, having prepared
boat that well, so during the competitions no problem was faced
with technicks. All 24 hours team of technicians, gasoline fillers,
and "group of support", consisting mostly of employees
of our company, worked hard and well organised. Our victory is their
victory too. Also many thanks to Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd., for its
support of our participation in the race.
It's a pity for the boat YAMARAN-Mnev ¹5 - if not
problems with the fuel, it could be our "golden double"
on the World Championship..
Igor
Boldin:
This racing around "Petropavlovka" is
not first and became a good tradition. In jubilee for Petersburg
a year else and has gain a status of Champioship of the World. This
race is not only a competition of boat's teams and crews. This is
a competition of technology too. YAMAHA engines have shown all their
own best once more. Single technical stop, just for a minute, caused
by a litterring a coolling system was quickly eliminated.
Those did a mistake that has done a shutter not
on serial engies, as our command, but on racing ones. Giving advantage
in the short rides, they are not able to work numerous hours in
limiting modes. And we can say the same about boats too. Greatly
relieve a design, forgot on toughness. Result - a heavy Nevsky wave
one for other removed participants from distances.
Already in burn-in rides become clear, that YAMARAN-Mnev
(¹5) is running quicker then we can. Skill of pilots, original design
of boat and motor YAMAHA Z200PETOL gave it maximum chances for the
victory. However, boat deflated before the most competitions, to
enourmous regret, was not sufficiently test and exasperating small
technical mistakes at the fabrication have reduce these chances
to the zero. It's a pity.
Meantime, struggle already in the first hours of
racing was serious. Racers felt not only greater physical, as well
as psychological pressure. Desire to win in first World Championship
has done a struggle particularly edge. Trying at any cost outstrip
an adversary, many of pilots drives risky. Often these ended a turnover,
damaging the balloons. However, in the competition else on stage
of organizations was greater attention for safety.
Nothing bad has happened. Victory of our command
is convincing. Improved record of the race - 675 circles! We, pilots,
enjoyed sport struggle, and merry life on the island Zayatchii.
We split our joy of victory, with mechanical engineers and technicians
who prepared the boat, designers of the boat, representatives of
Yamaha Motor Co., friends from other teams, group of support and
with their own native, certainly and close. Good luck all and new
victories!
|