XCAT Racing Archives ⋆ Powerboat Racing World

Team Abu Dhabi face familiar rivals as new series launches in Khor Fakkan

Frode Sundsdal — Sun, 03 Dec 2023 15:56:52 +0000

Pressrelese from Team Abu Dhabi :

Team Abu Dhabi face familiar rivals as new series launches in Khor Fakkan

Al Zaffain, Bin Hendi aim for another Class 3 victory in Fazza

Abu Dhabi, UAE, 3^rd December, 2023: Team Abu Dhabi will be up against familiar rivals when they look to start the new UAE Class-3 Offshore Powerboat Championship with a victory in Khor Fakkan on Thursday.

The experienced pairings of Faleh Al Mansoori with Shaun Torrente in Abu Dhabi 4 and Rashed Al Tayer alongside Majed Al Mansoori in Abu Dhabi 5 expect a highly competitive opening round, which is part of the Khor Fakkan Marine Festival.

The revival of Class 3 racing in the UAE began earlier this year, with Arif Al Zaffain and Nadir Bin Hendi taking Fazza to victory in Abu Dhabi.

They will be among the leading contenders in the new championship getting under way in Khor Fakkan, with further rounds to follow in Abu Dhabi and Sharjah.

Team Abu Dhabi can also expect a serious challenge from Sharjah Team’s Konstantin Ustinov and Dmitry Vandyshev, as well as the Team GB duo of Scott Williams and Martin Campbell, while Kuwait’s Bader al Dousari and Abdullatif Al Omani go for a win in Raheeb17.

Torrente, the three-time F1H2O world champion, is happy to be returning to Class 3 action alongside Faleh Al Mansoori for Thursday’s opening race.

“I’m looking forward to racing in Khor Fakkan,” said Torrente. “It’s a new venue for me. I’ve never raced there before. It will be a nice course, with about three quarters of it protected, and the rest not protected, making it a nice mix.

“Faleh and I have raced so much together, and he knows what I want, and I know what he wants. He’s really done a good job over the years, growing into his role as a driver, and being confident, and comfortable, in the boat.

“His confidence is high now, and he knows that if we do our job well, it will be difficult for anyone to beat us. I love having him in the boat with me.”

On this occasion, Torrente and Mansoori will miss the second Class 3 race on Friday to allow the triple world champion to take part in official practice on Khalid Lagoon for Sunday’s Grand Prix of Sharjah, final round of this year’s F1H2O world championship.

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Xcat update – Tragedy in Naples

Frode Sundsdal — Tue, 27 Dec 2022 21:55:35 +0000

Pasquale Corsaro was killed in a high speed accident this morning off the port of Baia. His throttleman, Roberto Lo Piano who after first aid was transferred to the emergency room of the Santa Maria delle Grazie hospital in Pozzuoli was only slightly injured.

PRW expressed our condolences to Lo Piano tonight, and he responded back to us. We are therefore pleased to report that he is released from Hospital.

When PRW asked Roberto about his health he replayed :

Some bruising in the legs, shoulders and back. And I hit my head so a head injury is there… but all in all I’m fine.. morally not. I am so sorry for my friend and his family…

The mayor of Bacoli, Josi Gerardo Della Ragione, expressed his condolences on Facebook for the death of the 35-year-old.

” I learn with deep pain of the tragedy that took place this morning off the port of Baia – he wrote – the city of Bacoli, and in particular the entire nautical sector, mourns the disappearance of Pasquale. A young worker who lost his life at sea. to the mourning of the family. It is a very sad day. Tonight, as a sign of condolences, the Christmas Tree at the port of Baia will remain unlit “.

The catamaran on which the relevant investigations will be carried out has been recovered and seized. The investigations are conducted by the Port Authority of Pozzuoli.

Jean Marie Van Lancker, the UIM President for Offshore was not aware of the accident when PRW contacted him this afternoon. He was shocked.

First of all, my thoughts goes to Pasquale´s family and team. When an accident like this happens it hurts all the members of the powerboat family.

Xcat pilot died

Xcat action..

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Xcat pilot died

Frode Sundsdal — Tue, 27 Dec 2022 17:21:11 +0000

Tragedy this morning off the port of Baia where an offshore catamaran capsized: Pasquale Corsaro, 35, a mechanic originally from Pozzuoli, lost his life in the accident and another person was injured.

The two were engaged on behalf of a shipyard and were testing the vessel which, according to Arsak still in the investigation phase, capsized at high speed. The scene was witnessed by numerous people who were in the small port of Baia in the morning, while at sea a private boat provided first aid and launched the SOS to the Coast Guard.

The news was first reported in :

https://www.ilmattino.it/napoli/area_metropolitana/incidente_catamarano_offshore_bacoli_morto_pasquale_corsaro_35enne-7135692.html?fbclid=IwAR0qs19nhxXdLHNhYpUGH7LMv1KGd8IPinTYYDIW_IixXvhTIZX3XYq5L1E

The post Xcat pilot died appeared first on Powerboat Racing World.

XCAT Update

Frode Sundsdal — Tue, 08 Nov 2022 17:49:49 +0000

If you were wondering what has happened to the 2022 UIM XCAT World Championship since the boats last raced in Fujairah back in March – We might have the answer.

After the first two rounds in the UAE, the boats were subsequently shipped to Europe with the prospect of racing at an event to be held in Italy in the summer.

That race never took place and since then the XCAT containers have been sitting in an Italian port accumulating storage charges.

PRW asked UIM Secretary General Thomas Kurth to understand where things go from here:

The 2022 calendar of the UIM XCAT World Championship was going to consist of four Rounds, the first one in Fujairah in March 2022, two Rounds in Italy in autumn 2022 (Sardinia and Sicily) and the final Round in Dubai in December 2022.

In order to have the XCAT boats and all Racing equipment in time in Europe for the two Rounds in Sardinia and Sicily, the containers with the boats and race material were shipped from the Emirates, where they were stored after the first Round, to Genova (Italy) By the time the containers arrived in Genova, the confirmation of one of the first of the two Italian Rounds in Sardinia was delayed by the regional government against all logic and the second round in Sicily was postponed to 2023, contrary to the formal commitment given earlier before. As a result of these developments, the funding of these two events was withheld until further notice, including the part that had to cover the shipping costs of the containers and racing equipment to Italy.

We still await an imminent decision from the administration of the Government of the Sardinia Region to release said funds and to set a new date for the Race in what remains of 2022 or early 2023, but have found a solution to transfer the containers with the XCAT Boats and Racing equipment to a temporary storage facility in Italy in the meantime. There is no risk whatsoever for the boats and material of the Teams, and we have agreed with them to join forces in putting together an appealing racing calendar for the 2023 season.

Xcat action needed

Xcat drama..

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