Hailing from what was once a former fishing village, Dubai-born powerboat champions Nader Bin Hendi and Arif al Zafeen likely feel perfectly at ease in the Scandinavian marine port resort of Uddevalla. Known locally as the 'Heart of the Swedish West Coast', the city this afternoon plays host to the country's Class 1 grand prix and the Emirati duo are hoping to win locals' hearts by maintaining their 100 per cent record of successes on the sea so far this season.
The Fazza 3 crew are chasing a hat-trick of triumphs following victories in Brazil and Norway, but Bin Hendi knows his team must ignore their beautiful surroundings if they are to rewrite the racing record books. With first practice taking place today before the first of two races tomorrow, Bin Hendi says he and teammate Al Zafeen remain totally focused. "Of course things have gone very well for us so far this season, but race wins are not achieved without total effort and commitment - both in and out of the boat," said the 40-year-old. "If we let up in our preparations for even one day, we know there are teams out there who will be more than happy to take advantage."
Ironically, the UAE pair's closest challengers in the chase for the UIM Class 1 Championship is Fazza 1, their stablemates who recently rebranded the Victory Team-built boat Skydive Dubai 1. Abdullah al Mehairbi will be joined by Talib El Sayed for the action in Sweden. @Email:gmeenaghan@thenational.ae
