After a third place finish in race three at last month’s Shanghai Grand Prix, Team Abu Dhabi’s Shaun Torrente and Faleh Al Mansoori thought they would arrive at this weekend’s final round of the championship in Duhai holding a five-point lead over the Dubai Police crew of Arif Al Zaffain and Nadir Bin Hendi.

However, XCAT Racing later reversed their decision to penalise Al Zaffain and Bin Hendi for hitting a boy, removing a 30-seconds time penalty.

They also imposed two 30-seconds time penalties on Torrente and Al Mansoori in Abu Dhabi 4 for buoy infringements at the start.

Team Abu Dhabi appealed against the penalties, with Al Zaffain and Bin Hendi leading the championship by six points from Australians Tom Barry-Cotter and Ross Willaton in Maritimo, with Torrente and Al Mansoori another point behind in third.

Following a decision this afternoon in Dubai, the XCAT organisers decided not to uphold Abu Dhabi’s appeal, which leaves the team in third place in the world championship.

A philosophical Shaun Torrente said after hearing the news:

No problem, tomorrow is a new day.
Our goal is still the same, to win the race.

That’s what we knew we needed to do.

For us the plan is still the same.

Obviously we have more points to make up now than we thought, but that’s okay.

XCAT World Championship positions

1. Dubai Police 143

2. Maritimo 137

3. Abu Dhabi 4 136

4. Abu Dhabi 5 113

5. 222 Offshore 71

6. HPI Racing Team 60

7. The Blue Roo 48

8. New Star Racing 47

9. Swecat Racing 44

7. Kuwait 42