Rashed Al Qamzi Archives ⋆ Powerboat Racing World

Team Abu Dhabi primed for double Challange

Frode Sundsdal — Thu, 07 Dec 2023 14:26:22 +0000

As F1H2O season reaches climax in Sharjah, new Class 3 series gets under way in Khor Fakkan

Abu Dhabi, UAE, 28^th November, 2023: Team Abu Dhabi are primed for a big challenge on two powerboat racing stages as one season begins and another reaches its conclusion in the UAE next week.

The experienced pairings of Faleh Al Mansoori with Shaun Torrente and Rashed Al Tayer alongside Majed Al Mansoori are lined up for the opening round of the new UAE Class-3 Offshore Powerboat Championship getting under way in Khor Fakkan on 7^th December.

Three days later, triple world champion Torrente will join forces with Thani Al Qemzi and Rashed Al Qemzi as Team Abu Dhabi look for a winning climax to the 2023 UIM F1H2O World Championship at the season’s final round in Sharjah.

While Sweden’s Jonas Andersson has already secured this year’s F1H2O drivers’ crown, Torrente in particular is highly motivated as he returns to action in the series, which saw him clinch the title on Sharjah’s Khalid Lagoon last year, as well as in 2018 and 2019.

Although Andersson and team-team mate Kalle Viippo hold an 11-point lead in the team championship, fourth-placed Team Abu Dhabi have not given up hope of adding to the six titles they have amassed in the last seven seasons.

For that to happen, they will need to dominate the Grand Prix of Sharjah podium, and rely on misfortunes for the Swedes, and second-placed Team Sharjah combination of Sami Seliö and Ferdinand Zandbergen.

Sharjah has produced many dramatic finishes to the F1H2O World Championship, none more so than 12 months ago when Torrente thought his title ambitions had been destroyed when a crash put him out of the race after just eight laps.

Leading after a flying start, Andersson looked set to retain his world title before technical problems on the 28^th lap forced his retirement, giving the championship to Torrente, so the Swede will be taking nothing for granted this time.

Torrente said: “I love the event they put on in Sharjah. I love the ambience, and racing in the city on Khalid Lagoon. Unfortunately, this year I won’t be getting another world title, but we’ll still be trying for the win.”

Team Abu Dhabi’s veteran Emirati driver Thani Al Qemzi, who finished third in the championship last season for the sixth time in his distinguished career, would like nothing better than a first victory in Sharjah to lift him from his current fifth place in the standings.

Meanwhile, for his cousin, Rashed Al Qemzi, the Grand Prix of Sharjah offers another chance to shine at the top level after he secured his fourth UIM F2 World Championship title this season with one round to spare.

The post Team Abu Dhabi primed for double Challange appeared first on Powerboat Racing World.

Rashed´s 4th UIM F2 World title

Tony Blom-Pettersen — Mon, 18 Sep 2023 05:44:16 +0000

Team Abu Dhabi’s Rashed Al Qemzi clinched his fourth UIM F2 World Championship title in an exhilarating race at the Grand Prix of Portugal. With a perfect strategic approach and a second-place finish in the penultimate round of the championship, Al Qemzi solidified his position as one of the top powerboat racers in the world.

Lithuania’s Edgaras Riabko emerged victorious at the event, but it was Al Qemzi who stole the spotlight with his consistent performance throughout the season. Winning previous F2 titles in 2017, 2019, and 2021, Al Qemzi has now firmly etched his name in the history books as one of the most successful powerboat racers of all time.

Celebrations were in full swing for Team Abu Dhabi as Al Qemzi’s teammate, Mansoor Al Mansoori, also secured a place on the podium with a remarkable third-place finish. Starting from fifth place, Al Mansoori showcased his exceptional driving skills, adding to the team’s success and camaraderie.

In a thrilling battle for the lead, Al Qemzi was narrowly edged out by Riabko at the start of the race. However, instead of pushing too hard to regain the lead, Al Qemzi adopted a calculated approach, settling into second place and focusing on maintaining his position. With his closest rivals, Giacomo Sacchi and Stefan Arand, struggling to catch up, Al Qemzi played the long game, preserving his chances for the final round of the championship.

Supporting his teammate’s ambitions, Al Mansoori strategically climbed two places in the early stages of the race to secure third place. This served as a crucial buffer, guarding Al Qemzi’s position from potential threats from behind. However, fortune favored the Team Abu Dhabi duo as Sacchi experienced mechanical problems and Arand settled for fifth place, giving Al Qemzi and Al Mansoori a clear path to the podium.

Al Qemzi will now set his sights on another victory in the season’s final Grand Prix on the Tagus river in Vila Velha de Ródão next Sunday. It was in this very race two years ago that Al Qemzi secured his third F2 world title with a phenomenal performance. With momentum on his side, Al Qemzi will undoubtedly be a force to be reckoned with as he aims for a third win this season.

This victory not only cements Al Qemzi’s place as a dominant force in powerboat racing but also highlights the incredible success of Team Abu Dhabi under the leadership of manager Guido Capsellini. Since taking charge eight years ago, Capsellini has delivered a staggering 17 world championship titles to the UAE capital. The team’s dedication, expertise, and unwavering support for their drivers have undoubtedly propelled them to the top of the sport.

Al Qemzi’s journey to this championship title was not without its challenges. In a free practice session leading up to the race, he encountered a moment of uncertainty when his boat flipped and sustained damage. However, thanks to the quick work of the Team Abu Dhabi technicians, the boat was repaired in record time, ensuring Al Qemzi’s participation in the race.

With his fourth F2 world championship title now secured, Al Qemzi is poised to continue his dominance in the world of powerboat racing. His skill, determination, and strategic brilliance make him a formidable competitor, and all eyes will be on him as he looks to add to his impressive collection of titles in the years to come.

The post Rashed´s 4th UIM F2 World title appeared first on Powerboat Racing World.

Torrente wants super show in Indonesia after winds blow out grand prix qualifying

Frode Sundsdal — Sat, 25 Feb 2023 11:02:32 +0000

Team Abu Dhabi’s defending world champion aims to serve up a thriller for huge crowds.

Abu Dhabi, UAE, 25^th February, 2023: Defending champion Shaun Torrente wants the UIM F1H2O World Championship to turn on a super show tomorrow after today’s qualifying for the Grand Prix of Indonesia was postponed because of strong winds

The Team Abu Dhabi driver is determined to serve up the best action and excitement for the huge crowds gathered around volcanic Lake Toba for the opening round of the championship in North Sumatra.

“It was really tough out there, and it wasn’t really possible to race safely,” said the three-time F1H2O champion.

“There were large rollers which were really close together, so it made it impossible to run the boats. It’s unfortunate, because the venue is incredible.

“The amount of support is amazing. For free practice this morning, there was easily 50-60,000 people on the bank. And just now, when I was coming in, there was well over 100,000.

“There were people completely around the race course. I really hope we can put on a great show for them tomorrow.”

Torrente had clocked the second fastest time in the morning practice period behind Sweden’s Jonas Andersson, the 2021 world champion, with Team Abu Dhabi’s Thani Al Qemzi recording the fifth best time.

With Al Qemzi having topped the lap timings in the opening practice session 24 hours earlier, Team Abu Dhabi are in prime condition to pursue a sixth successive F1H2O team crown.

And their plans to make a flying start to the season, as they did last year when Torrente won the first two rounds, will not be disrupted by today’s postponement, which switched qualifying to tomorrow morning, just hours before the inaugural Grand Prix of Indonesia.

“As for everything being in one day, we’ve done this before,” said Torrente. “We’ll just adjust a little bit. I was super happy with the boat this morning.

“I made my time in very difficult conditions, and Jonas just beat me. Nobody else could beat me in clean water, so I’m really happy. The team has done a great job to prepare, as usual, so onwards and upwards.”

Torrente and veteran team-mate Al Qemzi have gained extra motivation from the return to the championship of Dubai’s Victory Team, with Erik Stark and Emirati Ahmed Al-Fahim added to Sharjah Team’s Sami Selio and Ferdinand Zandbergen making a three-sided UAE rivalry

Super Sunday in Indonesia

Qualifying is..

The post Torrente wants super show in Indonesia after winds blow out grand prix qualifying appeared first on Powerboat Racing World.

F2 Qualify video and report..

Frode Sundsdal — Sun, 11 Sep 2022 06:59:59 +0000

The UIM F2 Worldchampionship has once again the pleasure of youtube reports by Christian Langer. Enjoy

Photo : @Powerboatpix

Sacchi Sets Pole.

Whilst his good friend Charles Leclerc was celebrating his seventeenth pole position at the Autodromo Nazionale di Monza, Giacomo Sacchi was laying claim to his very first one at a round of the UIM F2 World Championship.

The Monegasques, who only last week became the new Italian F2 National Champion was quick to pay tribute to his team who used that momentum to help secure pole position for the Grand Prix of Baião.

“It’s an amazing feeling” he said after he climbed out of his 2022 spec DAC hull. “I think there is more to come, just because I hit pole today does not mean the work stops as now, we must work even harder. Another thing I am sure of is that this will make Mumma really happy.”

Rashed Al Qemzi, the reigning UIM F2 World Champion will line up alongside Sacchi on the grid tomorrow afternoon in yet another 2022 spec DAC hull. The Team Abu Dhabi driver had battled hard with Sacchi through the Q3 session but when his fuel load was close to empty it started to affect the balance of his hull.

“I was running with less and less fuel and my boat needed more weight in those tricky conditions. I love this place as this is where I was crowned world champion on two occasions, now it’s time to refocus on the race.”

Just edged out by Al Qemzi was the local hero Duarte Benavente, who has been struggling all weekend with a foot injury he picked up in testing prior to arriving at the circuit in Ribadouro. He had been quickest in Q1 and was looking to continue that trend into Q2 until the UIM Race Officials decided that the strength of the breeze that is such a regular feature of this Douro River course had become too strong.

“I’m so frustrated that they halted the qualifying session. I know this venue so well, like many other of the teams who have raced here in the past, yes it gets windy but you should always race to the conditions and if you know in advance what those conditions are you set your boat up for them.”

During the latter stages of Q2 Sami Seliö from the Sharjah Team began to realise that the acceleration problem that had plagued his race in Lithuania had returned. Fortunately, he had set a time which would see him through into Q3 but he knew that any chance of a pole position for this weekend’s Grand Prix would be small.

“I’m happy with fourth place for tomorrow’s race but my mind know is occupied with how to fix the issue with this engine. This race is long and overtaking is hard as everyone is so evenly matched, you are almost waiting on the person in front of you to make a mistake to gain a place. This type of course is one where you need maximum speed, so naturally you would pick a long prop but then you compromise your start, although saying that the start for me has always been my biggest challenge.”

Fifth place went to the rejuvenated Brent Dillard, who thankfully is now back to full fitness following a cracked rib that side-lined him at the previous round.

“It felt good to battle in Q3” he said, “It was a great out there and I even had fun with my new radio-man Jay Price. He pushed me when I needed it and he even gave me weather updates as I was going along.”

Rounding out the top six was Bimba Sjöholm who thanks to her loyal sponsors has been able to get her Mölgaard hull repaired prior to making the trip to Portugal.

“It’s no fluke as last year I was in Q3 at both races in Portugal. This boat I know has real potential and I believe I’m roughly where I should be and just happy to get back there.”

Dropping out after Q2 was the current championship leader Mansoor Al Mansoori. A compressor belt failure saw the demise of the Team Abu Dhabi driver and he will start in fourteenth place on the grid. To add to the championship drama, Stefan Hagin, who was comfortably in second place just three points behind Al Mansoori also struggled through qualifying and will line up alongside the Emirati in fifteenth place.

The UIM F2 Grand Prix of Baião gets under way with a forty-five-minute warm up session at 12:15 followed by the parade lap at 16:45 then the Grand Prix at 17:00 local Portuguese time.

Text, video and photo credit to : F2TA – Chris Davies & Christian Langer

The post F2 Qualify video and report.. appeared first on Powerboat Racing World.