Fendi Racing set for return at Fujairah Grand Prix

Free admission for general public in second stop of series

Fujairah is set to host the second round of the 2014 UIM Skydive Dubai XCAT World Series this week. Raffaello Bastiani / WPPA / XCAT

FUJAIRAH // This week’s second round of the UIM Skydive Dubai XCAT World Series will mark the return of the Fendi Racing team.

Luca Fendi and throttleman Giovanni Carpitella will join forces in a bid to challenge the likes of Series leaders Fazza, after purchasing a Victory Team-built boat.

“We decided to buy a boat from Victory to have more races and more fun during the year and also, of course, to try and win the Series,” said Carpitella, who also races with Fendi in Class 1.

“We have one race less [after missing out on Round 1 in Dubai last month] but the target is to stay on the podium for all the races and then also better-prepare ourselves for Class 1 as well.”

The new boat remains a bit of a question mark, Carpitella said.

“I have never tried it, but I have driven a lot of Victory boats,” he said. “I think this is a boat for flat water and flat conditions.

“I took some measurements and I think it’s a boat for turning fast and acceleration. I don’t think it would be very good in rough water, but if you look at the calendar, most of the races are on flat water, so I think we have bought a good toy.”

Carpitella is no stranger to XCAT racing, having claimed three victories in the early days of the series – in 2001, 2006 and 2009 – and he paired up with Alfredo Amato in the Videx team for the opening round of this season in Dubai last month to get a taste of the competition.

“I stopped for a few years, but now I’m back and hope to continue for the rest of this series and the next one,” he said.

As for what he’s expecting at the Fujairah International Marine Club this week, the Italian said: “I have raced here in Fujairah in XCAT before and I know it’s normally flat water, although I’ve raced here twice in Class 1 and it was very rough. But I see the weather forecast is more or less OK. So we will try to reach the podium because Luca is a good driver and I also have experience in XCAT.”