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Team Abu Dhabi heads to crucial UIM XCAT World Championship showdown in Dubai

Chris Davies on 28th November 2017

Team Abu Dhabi’s Rashed Al-Tayer and Majed Al-Mansoori head into the final weekend of the 2017 UIM XCAT World Championship.

They know that outright victories or podium finishes are required if they are to stand a realistic chance of claiming the title in the two races that make up the Dubai Grand Prix, taking place on a spectacular new race course to the west of Palm Jumeirah, on Friday and Saturday.

The pair running Team Abu Dhabi 5 out of the Abu Dhabi International Marine Sports Club (ADIMSC) hold third position in the series after three Chinese Grand Prix in Zhengzhou, Weihai and Xiamen. They arrive in the UAE trailing the Blue Roo’s Brett Luhrmann and Pål Virik-Nilsen by 32 points and the local Victory Team’s Salem Al-Adidi and Eisa Al-Ali by 21 points.

Mathematically, it is still easily possible for the Emirati duo to claim the title, but the series-leading Team Australia pairing hit impressive form at the five Chinese races (race six was cancelled) progressed and will head out on to the tricky course by Palm Jumeirah knowing that podium finishes alone may be sufficient for the Australian-Norwegian duo to clinch the title.

A penalty lap imposed at race five in Xiamen was costly for Al-Adidi and Al-Ali and they, like Team Abu Dhabi and Al Wasl’s Arif Saif Al-Zafeen and Nadir Bin Hendi, will be hoping to finish the two races on Friday and Saturday afternoon on a winning note.

Six boats still have a chance to win the title with 35 points on offer to the winner of each race, 30 for second, 26 for third, 22 for fourth, etc.

The resurgent XCAT series threw up some thrilling action in three manic weekends in China in October and the likes of Caccia Engineering’s Alfredo Amato and Daniele Martignoni and Swecat Racing’s Mikael Bengtsson and Erik Stark were always in the thick of the action.

Eleven boats took part in the first three race meetings and the likes of Lady Spain, 222-Offshore, the Fujairah Team, the Russian New Star outfit and Kuwait’s Raheeb are sure to be pushing hard off the coast of Dubai at the season’s finale.

Team Abu Dhabi’s Al-Tayer said:

We are fully aware of the situation and know what we have to do to give us the best chance of winning the championship.
This is a new race course in a spectacular setting but the field is strong and we can expect some very close and exciting racing.

Organised by the Dubai International Marine Club (DIMC), in association with the Dubai Sports Council and the UAE Marine Sports Federation, the Dubai Grand Prix timetable begins with the possibility of non-timed free practice tomorrow afternoon (Wednesday) before registration and technical scrutineering take centre stage on Thursday morning (November 30).

Ninety minutes of official timed practice starts at 14.00hrs, while the paddock will be situated on one of the outer fronds of the iconic Palm Jumeirah.

Pole Position qualifying fires into life from 09.00hrs on Friday morning and precedes the first of the weekend’s two Grand Prix, starting at 14.30hrs. Further official practice will be permitted on Saturday morning from 10.30hrs and the final race of the season gets the green light at 14.30hrs.

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