Powerboats fans are spoilt for choice this weekend with two big competitions taking place in the UAE.
In Dubai, 13 boats have arrived from China and final preparations are underway for the seventh and final round of the UIM Skydive Dubai XCAT World Series at Dubai International Marine Club (DIMC) this weekend.
Several boats are still in with a shot of taking the series in Dubai.
Last year’s series winners, Fazza (Mohammed Al Marri and Arif Al Zaffain) are currently at the top of the overall standings with 1,501 points. But the Mouawad combination of Omar Danial and Gary Ballough are close behind on 1,290 points, with Chinese Grand Prix winners Skydive Dubai (Sultan Al Dhaheri and Jay Price) not far behind on 1,206.
With 400 points awarded for a win, 300 for second and 225 for third, everything hangs on this event.
“To win you have to finish,” Danial said. “To finish first, you obviously have to get your equipment in good order. You have to make sure it’s fresh and obviously make some modifications. You learn through each race, but I think our focus now is to make sure all our equipment is ready to go all out for the last race.”
Meanwhile, in Sharjah, Ahmed Al Hameli and Thani Al Qamzi are hoping end a disappointing UIM F1 H2O World Championship on a high with victory in Friday’s 15th Grand Prix of Sharjah.
But the Team Abu Dhabi duo are sure to play second fiddle to a four-way battle for the world title between Finland’s Sami Selio, the Qatar Team duo of Shaun Torrente and Alex Carella, and Frenchman Phillipe Chiappe.
Selio, Torrente and Carella find themselves in a winner-take-all situation heading to Sharjah’s Khalid Lagoon, with the first driver to reach the chequered flag assured of the world title regardless of the finishing position of his rivals. The trio are separated by four points in the championship and the 20 available for a win would be sufficient for Selio to claim a third title, Carella to clinch a third successive world title or Torrente to claim a first belt.
Chiappe lies 10 points behind Selio and, even though he has appealed his disqualification from November’s Grand Prix of Qatar, the Frenchman is relying on a win and results to go his way if he is to win the world championship for the first time.
Al Qamzi and Al Hameli were among the pre-season favourites to challenge for the title at the six races in Brazil, Ukraine, China, Qatar, Abu Dhabi and Sharjah, but the freak accident that sidelined both drivers in Abu Dhabi two weeks ago summed up a poor run of results. The pair arrive in Sharjah lying seventh and 12th in the standings, although Al Qamzi could climb as high as fifth.
