Sunday, November 17: Moto 2 wins went to Estonian Jasmiin Ypraus and Austrian Kevin Reiterer in the Ski Ladies GP1 and Ski Division GP1 categories at the Grand Prix of Lake Toba, Indonesia on Sunday morning.
The results mean that Ypraus takes a lead of 12 points over defending World Champion Jessica Chavanne into the afternoon’s final Ski Ladies GP1 Moto of the UIM-ABP Aquabike World Championship. Reiterer closed the gap on Belgian Quinten Bossche to 17 points heading into the final Ski Division GP1 Moto.
Ypraus said: “Usually, the second Moto is my weakest point but I am so glad I proved to myself and got the motivation and put it together. I started from position three, overtook and won the Moto. I am happy and it’s very exciting for the final Moto!”
Ski Division 1 Moto 2 winner Reiterer said: “It was so nerve-wracking out there. You can’t afford to make any mistakes and I did two and the heart rate was coming up. It’s all down to the last Moto.”
Bossche added: “We are still working on the boat. Something is up. We cannot seem to find it. It is what it is, no excuses. I got third at the start and I pushed hard to pass Morgan (Poret). I was very close a couple of times and the last time I got him. By then, the first guy was gone. I’m still ahead in the championship. The boat was running perfect this season but it’s difficult when you are losing time.”
Ypraus snatches vital Ski Ladies GP1 Moto 2 win
Jessica Chavanne had held off Jasmiin Ypraus to win the opening Moto on Saturday afternoon and that win enabled the French defending World Champion to close to within nine points of the Estonian in the title race with Estelle Poret sitting on the sidelines with an achilles injury. Benedicte Drange started Moto 2 tied with the absent Poret in third place in the championship standings.
That win gave Chavanne pole for Moto 2 from Ypraus and both racers made strong starts to the second 15-minute Moto. Chavanne took the hole shot and stayed ahead of Drange and Ypraus to lead by 5.121 seconds into lap two. Naomi Benini and Monaco-based Lisa Caussin Battaglia struggled off the start with Battaglia failing to complete a circuit.
Ypraus passed Drange to snatch second on lap three and the Estonian snatched the lead a lap later when Chavanne had to take a penalty buoy. Ypraus held on to take the crucial Moto win from her pursuing French rival by 6.412 seconds and extended her cushion in the World Championship to 12 points heading into the afternoon’s finale.
Drange came home in third place ahead of the Swedish trio of Emma-Nellie Ortendahl, Sofie Borgström and Janina Johansson, Portugal’s Joana Graca and French girl Virginie Morlaes. Benini rounded off the finishers in ninth.
Runner-up Chavanne said: “I think I didn’t miss the buoy but I wasn’t sure so I preferred to take it. Benedicte (Drange) said to me that I passed on the right side but, in the moment, I preferred to take the black buoy. It’s a game. I hope I can go a bit faster and win Moto 3.”
Ski Division GP1 for Reiterer
Morgan Poret’s impressive win in Ski Division GP1’s opening Moto lifted the Frenchman into contention to challenge Kevin Reiterer for second place in the World Championship behind leader Quinten Bossche unless, of course, the flying Belgian failed to finish one of the remaining two Motos.
Bossche had erred on the side of caution in Moto 1 and seen his series lead over Reiterer trimmed to 20 points with 50 still at stake on Sunday. Morgan Poret started from pole on the pontoon for the 17-minute Moto but Reiterer took the inside line and snatched the hole shot to lead with Bossche in third and the French quartet of Jérémy Poret, Valentin Dardillat, Alex Courtois and Alex Barret filling fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh.
Reiterer increased his lead to 6.682 seconds through lap two, as Toshi Ohara moved in front of Barret to take seventh and Tanawin Molee took a tumble and retired. The leading seven held station into lap six but Barret ceded eighth place to Mickael Poret as Belgian rider Anthony Beernaut also fell and continued.
Reiterer held on to confirm a crucial 11.670-second win but Bossche overtook Morgan Poret to finish second and that enabled the Belgian to finish the Moto with a lead of 17 points in the World Championship.
Morgan Poret had made a mistake and that error also cost him third place to his brother Jérémy and he slipped 14 points behind Reiterer as a result in the battle for second in the standings. Fifth-placed Dardillat, Courtois, Ohara, Mickael Poret, Oliver Koch Hansen and Alec Enderli rounded off the top 10.
Additional practice for Runabout GP1 and Freestyle entrants rounded off the first of three sessions of on-water action on Sunday.