CYRILLE LEMOINE RETAINS HIS WORLD CHAMPION TITLE
Aix-en-Provence, France, June 13, 2006 – At the helm of a Sea-Doo® RXT™ watercraft, French pilot Cyrille Lemoine took the first place in the Runabout F1 Pro category for the second year in a row at the 15th edition of the World Offshore Jet Championships in Oléron, France this past weekend. Sea-Doo also claimed the second podium position with French pilot Francky Zapata, on a Sea-Doo RXT watercraft.
Cyrille Lemoine carefully managed his lead throughout the race. "This is my second victory at Oléron and once again my Sea-Doo RXT watercraft delivered with its race-bred handling and incredible acceleration. It provided the perfect balance of power and performance, '' said Lemoine. ''I knew the circuit and was careful not to make any navigational slips which helped me control the race from beginning to end, '' Lemoine added.
Over 300 riders from more than 20 nations came together in pursuit of this coveted title. They endured three long and challenging laps, totaling 450 kilometers around this small island off the west coast of France.
Sea-Doo's watercraft truly dominated this year's event in all categories grabbing the top spots in both the expert and amateur categories. In the expert category, Laurent Aiello, a famous European car racer who won the 24 heures de Mans in 1998 came in first, on a Sea-Doo RXT watercraft followed by Sebastien Touyeras in second and Christophe Baldassari in third. In fact, Sea-Doo claimed eight of the top ten positions in this category.
Sea-Doo's watercraft also dominated in the amateur category with Cyril Barcelo taking the top spot, followed by Christophe Gachet in second and Julien Baldassari in third. The first 20 spots in the amateur category were won by Sea-Doo pilots.
Both Cyrille Lemoine and Francky Zapata have enjoyed a very successful race season in the European UIM championships and EJSBA races. Cyrille Lemoine recently took first place at the French Endurance Championships in Valras and came in second at the World Speed Championships in Portugal. Francky Zapata is leading in the EJSBA European Championships.
"I would like to congratulate all of the Sea-Doo pilots who competed in this weekend's race. The Oléron circuit is a challenging one and this is Sea-Doo's most impressive performance at this race by far, '' said Michel Hade, vice-president and general manager, BRP International Sales and Marketing. ''This victory demonstrates the talent and endurance of our pilots who trained hard throughout the year and we are very proud of their accomplishment," Hade concluded.
Race Highlights – Runabout F1 Pro category
Friday, June 9 – 1st lap – Francky Zapata makes it from beginning to end but due to a navigation error, misses a buoy and gets a 400 point penalty. Cyrille Lemoine is seconds behind him and Russel Marmon is forced to abandon the first lap due to a slight technical problem.
Saturday, June 10 – 2nd lap – Francky Zapata leads in this lap, followed by Russel Marmon adn Cyrille Lemoine. The three Sea-Doo pilots finish several minutes ahead of the Kawasaki pilots.
Sunday, June 11 – 3rd lap – Francky Zapata and Cyrille Lemoine are heel to heel from start to finish, until Russel Marmon in ambush, takes second place in the last turn.
Runabout F1 (Pro): 26 riders (12 on Sea-Doo watercraft)
Runabout Expert F1 and F2:
F1: 20 riders (12 on Sea-Doo watercraft); F2: 19 riders (5 on Sea-Doo watercraft)
Runabout Amateur F2 and Standard: F2: 103 riders (58 on Sea-Doo watercraft); Standard: 30 riders (3 on Sea-Doo watercraft)
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For information:
Europe
Antoine Valla
Senior Advisor, Communications & Events
BRP European Distribution S.A.
+41-218-318-7883
antoine.valla@brp.com
International
Ada Nazzari
Senior Advisor, International Marketing & Communications
BRP
+ 514-732-7024
ada.nazzari@brp.com
North America
Tim McKercher
Sea-Doo Media Relations and Competition Management
BRP
321-409-0519
tim.mckercher@brp.com