E1 Team Monaco claimed its first podium finish by coming 2nd at the E1 Luanda GP after an eventful weekend in Angola. In only their fifth championship event, Yacht Club de Monaco member Maxime Nocher and Oban Duncan had to contend with a damaged RaceBird that required emergency repairs before they could rejoin the race. This 2nd place finish means the Monaco team moves three notches up in the overall rankings from 9th to 6th place.
Fourth in qualifiers on Saturday, E1 Team Monaco entered the final stages with a good chance of competing at the top. But right from the start of the first race for their group, poor visibility forced Maxime Nocher to alter his course and contact with another RaceBird damaged the left foil.
The technical team had to work fast, as the next race was in an hour, but they manged to complete the repair in thirty minutes.
Briton Oban Duncan then took the helm, finishing 2nd in the third Group A race to put the team back in contention. Maxime Nocher took over for the first final qualifier and after a start that left him outside the top three, fought his way up to 3rd place to qualify for the last race.
The gaps narrowed again in the final race. Oban Duncan finished 2nd just one second shy of victory while also clocking the fastest lap with a time of 1:12.218, a performance that earned her ‘Pilot of the Day’.
“We are very happy for all those who had confidence in us. It took us a few races to get used to the boat and the team, and now here we are on the podium. We are absolutely delighted to have reached this point, and look forward to racing in Miami!” This first podium for E1 Team Monaco follows a strong performance on Monaco waters in July.
Having launched its campaign this season in the UIM E1 Championship, the team still has a lot to learn about the unique RaceBird. These 7.5 metre electric monohulls, equipped with carbon-fibre foils, can reach speeds up to 50 knots.
In Monaco in July, Maxime Nocher and Oban Duncan had already demonstrated their potential by clocking the fastest time in qualifiers. A course error then relegated them to the Place Race, before they finally finished in 7th place.
Two months later, this first podium finish sets the seal on progress since the start of the season. After finishing 9th in Jeddah, 6th on Lake Como, 5th in Dubrovnik and 7th in Monaco, the team racked up another 30 points in Luanda and are now lying 6th in the Championship.
The season is not over yet. The focus now shifts to Miami where the final two rounds of the championship will be held on 13 and 14 November. After that first podium, E1 Team Monaco will be heading into the year’s final event on a different level of RaceBird experience, and five events under their belts.
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