Abu Dhabi: The Abu Dhabi International Marine Sports Club (ADIMSC) is preparing to host this weekend’s Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the final round of the 2014 UIM Class One World Powerboat Championship. The two races will take place on Thursday (December 4) and Friday (December 5).

The event is being held under the patronage of Dr Shaikh Sultan Bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, Adviser to the UAE President and Chairman of the ADIMSC, and marks the sixth year that the ADIMSC has hosted a Class One Grand Prix since joining the UIM calendar in 2009. John Tomlinson and Gary Ballough will represent the host venue at the helm of Team Abu Dhabi’s American-built MTi race boat.

The 2014 three-round, six-race series has already visited the Spanish island of Ibiza and Terracina in Italy in the autumn and the Dubai-based Victory 3 crew of Arif Saif Al Zafeen and Nadir Bin Hendi currently top the overall points’ standings with 69, followed in second position by the Relekta-Zabo Isiklar crew of Christian Zaborowski and Ugur Isik on 55.

New Star-Poliform holds third spot on 41 and Luca Fendi Racing’s 10 boat is fourth, a further point behind.

All four boats still have a chance to claim the world title in Abu Dhabi, where Team Abu Dhabi’s revised crew of Tomlinson (winner in Abu Dhabi in 2010) and Ballough will be hoping to claim the maximum 40 points that are at stake to the winners of the two races.

Victory 3 have amassed 40 points in the battle for the 2014 UIM Class One Pole Position World Championship, and hold a five-point advantage over Luca Fendi Racing’s LFF10. New Star-Poliform lie third on 21 points. The final round of the Pole Position series takes place on Thursday.

The race is of particular importance to Team Abu Dhabi, as the championship reaches a conclusion at the team’s home venue. Salem Al Rumaithi, assistant general manager at the ADIMSC, insists that the club is relishing the prospect of hosting the three days of racing on the new course around Lulu Island. The course has been revised this year to cater for the addition of the V1 boats to the racing schedule and to provide more space for safe racing.

Al Rumaithi explained the importance of the event to Abu Dhabi thus: “Supporting tourism is one of the goals of the club and hosting races of this stature helps to increase the awareness of the emirate on a global scale. This is an exciting racing discipline in marine sporting terms and we expect the crowd to be entertained by a thrilling spectacle on the Corniche — Breakwater.”

“Hosting this event over the years has given us a lot of experience to ensure we maintain our high standards,” added Al Rumaithi. “I am delighted that Team Abu Dhabi has a competitive boat for our local fans to support. It will be the first time that this boat has raced in home waters.

“Team Abu Dhabi finished second and third in the two races last season in Abu Dhabi and was on the podium. We look forward to a repeat performance this year.”

Racing kicks off with official practice on Wednesday afternoon and culminates with the second of two offshore races on Friday afternoon.

Six boats will take part in the two Class One races on Thursday and Friday and they will be accompanied by up to eight boats taking part in the competitive V1 category on an exciting new racecourse running around Lulu island.

The first of the two Grand Prix races starts on Thursday at 3.30pm, although teams will take part in the important Pole Position qualifying session from 10.30am. A second pole position session is scheduled for 11am on Friday morning and race two at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix will take centre stage from 3.30pm.

Live action will be featured on the Abu Dhabi Sports channel and there will be an on-site studio and interviews with special guests during the pre-race build-up.

Winners of an air tickets raffle offered by the team’s official carrier Etihad Airways and other prizes will be revealed after the final podium celebrations for the races.