Victory 1 ready to reclaim title

Dubai: Caution coupled with aggression will be the strategy for championship leaders Victory 1 as they head for the Dubai Duty Free Grand Prix - the penultimate round on the 2008 Class One World Powerboat Championship at the Mina Seyahi this weekend.

"Things have really worked well for us this season and we are in a comfortable position to defend our world title," Gian Franco Venturelli, general manager of Victory Team, told Gulf News.

"The boys have done well to work as a unit and the results are there to see," added the Italian.

At the end of six rounds, the Victory 1 pair of Mohammad Al Merri and Nader Bin Hendi leads the world championships with 105 points. They are followed by teammates Abdullah Al Muhairbi and Jean Marc Sanchez in Victory 7 with 90 points.

But on their tail is the Qatari duo of Qatar 95 and Qatar 96 with 72 and 71 points respectively.

"The focus this week will be to bring in the boats safely. We have tremendous respect for our competitors, especially the Qatar Team, as they are very strong," Venturelli said

"But all our boys are motivated and they know they need to finish our work right here in Dubai."

Buoyant mood

The Victory 1 pair was also in a buoyant mood. "We are here to finish among the top three," said Victory 1 throttleman Bin Hendi.

"Tomorrow is just another day and we will chart our strategy as per the conditions," said driver Al Merri.

Despite rough sea conditions, the 10 participating boats went out for a practice session yesterday with Qatar 95's Abdullah Al Sulaiti and Matteo Nicolini doing well to notch the best practice time.

"We are only hoping for a good run in the next two races. We still have a mathematical chance for the title, so our focus very much is to go out there and achieve a good result," Al Sulaiti said.

The two Qatar boats never really got things going in their favour from the start of the season. Although Shaikh Hassan Jaber Al Thani and Steve Curtis registered a couple of second places (in Qatar and Russia), their hard work was undermined with some disheartening results in Montenegro, Romania and in Egypt during the last round.

Al Sulaiti managed to hang in there with Nicolini in Qatar 95, with two successive podiums in Montenegro and Russia followed by a second place at the Romanian Grand Prix.

"We are all working as a unit, but bad luck seems to have been with us all through. We are here to support each other and the team has worked hard so that we can be where we are. We will wait and see," Al Sulaiti said.

The 10 boats will take off at the Mina Seyahi waters for the Pole Position run for the Dubai Duty Free Grand Prix at 2.30pm today. Attendance is free.

The Dubai Duty Free Grand Prix is part of the Sea Dubai Watersports Festival being held under the patronage of Shaikh Majid Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Culture and Arts Authority.

Today's schedule

(10-11.30 am) official practice; (2.30 pm) Edox Pole Position run followed by Pole Position prize ceremony.

Overall standings for the 2008 UIM/WPPA Class One World Powerboat Championship after six rounds: 1. Victory 1 (105 pts); 2. Victory 7 (90); 3. Qatar 95 (72); 4. Qatar 96 (71); 5. Jotun (64); 6. Foresti & Suardi (50); 7. Spirit of Spain (19); 8. Negotiator (16); 9. SevenEleven (14); 10. Qatar 9 (4).

Pole Position standings for the 2008 UIM/WPPA Class One World Powerboat Championship: 1. Victory 1 (90 pts); 2. Qatar 96 (79); 3. Jotun (63); 4. Qatar 95 (44); 5. Victory 7 (36); 6. Foresti & Suardi (20); 7. SevenEleven (17); 8. Negotiator (12); 9. Qatar 9 (5); 9. Spirit of Spain (5); 9. White 4 (5); 10. Roscioli Hotels (2).