Team Sea Sakthi finishes 11th in Energy Class Endurance Race at Monaco Energy Boat Challenge

Racing under bow number 16, Sea Sakthi completed 50 laps in the endurance event, which began at 10:12 am and saw the Indian team cross the finish line at 13:11:14. The result places India ahead of French teams Hydrogadz, Polyboat, Hydro Vinci, Electra Tide and Nereides UTT, but behind Cambridge University's Riviera Racing team, which finished 10th with 53 laps.

The endurance race, one of the marquee events of the Energy Class at this year's Challenge, was topped by Italy's Elettra Unige Team, which completed 79 laps to finish first with a time of 13:08:46. Physis - Polimi Energy Boat, also from Italy, matched the 79-lap tally to take second place, finishing just under three minutes behind at 13:11:49. Third place went to the University of Bologna Argonauts Team, who recorded 79 laps but were handed a one-lap race penalty, dropping their corrected total to 78.

Italian crews swept four of the top five positions, with Polito H2FLY Team finishing fourth on 75 laps, while Croatia's Adria Racing Team rounded out the top five with 75 corrected laps after a one-lap technical penalty.

For Team Sea Sakthi, the 50-lap finish comes after the crew described this year's race as their first completed endurance run in five years of competing at the Challenge. Pilot Sharan Balasubramaniam had earlier said the team battled scorching conditions over the multi-hour race to bring the boat home in "better control and better speed," while Lead Mechanical and Structures Engineer Harith noted the team's lap count had risen significantly compared to their previous outing, reflecting steady gains in the boat's performance and reliability.

The team's participation has also been marked by recognition beyond the race track this year, with Sea Sakthi shortlisted for the Prince Albert II Award for a battery thermal management system developed to improve onboard safety, a first qualification for the team in that category.

With the Energy Class Endurance Race now concluded, the final Challenge standings, including combined results across all disciplines, are expected to be announced by race organisers in the days following the event. (ANI)