Dubai to host three rounds of XCAT series

Dubai: Dubai will host three of the eight rounds of the 2013 UIM XCAT World Series, according to the new season calendar announced by the Dubai International Marine Club (DIMC).

“The XCAT racing goes international this season and as usual we are here to support anything that will portray Dubai to the world,” Ali Bin Ghulaitha, Acting CEO, DIMC told Gulf News.

The new calendar for the 2013-14 season will commence with a round of the UAE Wooden Powerboat Championship on September 27-28 followed by the opening round of the Dubai Traditional Rowing Race the following weekend. The season will conclude with the Sir Bu Na’air race that has been tentatively scheduled for May 16-17.

“The three rounds of the new UIM XCAT World Series will definitely be the highlight on our calendar. The World Professional Powerboat Association (WPPA) is based in Dubai with the aim of taking powerboat racing to the next level and we are only too keen to assist them in this endeavour,” Bin Ghulaitha said.

“The XCATs have done well in creating a buzz among the local watersport community. This class of racing has got new sponsors and contracts with venues and it will be interesting to see how this class of racing grows,” he added.

The first of the three rounds on the 2013 UIM XCAT World Series scheduled to be held at the DIMC is on December 12-14, possibly coinciding with the final round of the UIM Class One Offshore World Championships. The second round at the DIMC will be held on January 24-25 and the third one on March 21-22.

“It is always our objective to introduce something new on the calendar each year. This year spectators will have the opportunity of witnessing a new type of powerboat racing in the XCATs. There is an exciting element to XCAT powerboats and I am sure this will be a popular brand among spectators and sponsors alike,” Bin Ghulaitha noted.

In addition, the DIMC will be lending assistance to the Fujairah International Marine Club (FIMC) in organising a round of the UIM XCAT World Series in Fujairah that will also be the inaugural edition of the XCAT World Cup on December 1-2.