Sunday, November 26: World Championship leader Jessica Chavanne and Morgan Poret earned Moto 2 victories in the Ski Ladies GP1 and Ski Division GP1 categories at the Grand Prix of Lake Toba-Indonesia in Balige on Sunday morning.

Victories for the two French racers means that the title races in both classes are wide open heading into the afternoon’s Moto 3 showdown.

Chavanne will take a five-point lead over Jasmiin Ypraus into the Ski Ladies GP1 finale, while third place for Oliver Koch Hansen in the Ski Division GP1 Moto means the Dane will go head-to-head with Mikael Poret to decide the Ski Division GP1 title. The duo are separated by just three points, with Morgan Poret and  Axel Courtois still in with a mathematical chance of lifting the world crown.

Chavanne wins Moto 2 and increases her World Championship lead

Jessica Chavanne came into Moto 2 with a two-point cushion over Moto 1 winner Jasmiin Ypraus in the Ski Ladies GP1 World Championship’s standings. With third-placed Swede Emma-Nellie Ortendahl 24 points adrift in her new boat, it looked as though the title battle would be decided between the French girl and her Estonian rival.

Ypraus made a good start on the 35-buoy track of just over three kilometres in length, but the inside split route enabled Chavanne to snatch the early advantage in the 15-minute Moto. Sweden’s Sofie Borgström, Norwegian student Benedicte Drange and Virginie Morales completed the top five through lap one.

Aviation engineer Chavanne increased her lead to 3.08 seconds through lap two, although Ypraus kept a lid on the French girl’s progress and reduced the gap to 2.535 seconds by lap four. Drange managed to pass Borgström to snatch third. But there was no stopping Chavanne in the closing minutes and she increased her World Championship lead to five points by passing the chequered flag on the nine-lap race 1.762 seconds ahead of Ypraus.

Chavanne said: “It was a really good Moto, a great fight with Yasmiin. It was really tight but it was good because the two splits meant we could make a battle. It was so interesting. I hope to be the first in Moto 3. I will give the best…”

Drange, Borgström and Morales were third, fourth and fifth. Ortendahl, Janina Johansson, Naomi Benini and Joana Graca completed the list of nine finishers after Lisa Caussin Battaglia failed to start.

Morgan Poret wins his second Ski Division GP1 Moto

Frenchman Mickael Poret lined up at the start of the second Ski Division GP1 Moto with a five-point advantage over Dane Oliver Koch Hansen. Poret’s younger brother Morgan and Axel Courtois still held outside chances of snatching the world title over the remaining two Motos, but that would depend on the leading duo slipping up on the Lake Toba course.

With the town of Balige located around 1,000 metres above sea level, the increased altitude had sapped some power from the aquabike engines. That failed to stop Moto 1 winner Morgan Poret from stealing a march on Alec Enderli, multiple World Champion Kevin Reiterer and Mickael Poret through the opening lap of the 17-minute race (plus an additional lap). Koch Hansen and Courtois were running down in fifth and sixth positions, as all 14 of the registered racers began the Moto.

The top six held station through lap two but Enderli was penalised with a stop and go penalty for a start infringement. That would have lifted Reiterer and Mickael Poret into second and third had the Swiss rider not decided to stay out on the course and risk a harsher one lap penalty after the race. Regardless, Reiterer passed Enderli on lap four and closed to within 2.126 seconds of Morgan Poret on his Kommander race boat and began to apply serious pressure on the Frenchman on the next lap.

Heading into the remaining four minutes, Poret’s advantage over Reiterer was just over one second with Enderli, Mickel Poret, Koch Hansen and Courtois running in the top six, although Enderli still had the penalty hovering over him.

Leader Poret was running with a loose bond rail but he managed to stave off Reiterer’s pressure and claim a second Moto win of the weekend by 1.573 seconds. Reiterer came home in second and Koch Hansen finished the Moto strongly to pass Mickael Poret and claim third place even before Enderli’s penalty was applied after the race, dropping the Swiss to 13th and lifting Mickael Poret into fourth.

Morgan Poret said: “It was very crazy. When I saw Kevin (Reiterer), I just concentrate on my track and the turn. Thanks to my mechanic and Sébastien, my assistant, I am very happy.”

The morning’s racing action was completed by additional free practice sessions for the Runabout GP1 and Freestyle entrants.

The third and final Motos for the Ski Ladies GP1 and Ski Division GP1 racers begins at 14.00hrs (local time) this afternoon and are followed by Moto 2 for the Runabout GP1 and Freestyle competitors from 15.20hrs.