Team Abu Dhabi hope to rekindle UIM XCAT title challenge

Abu Dhabi: Lake Lugano in Switzerland will play host to the third round of the UIM XCAT World Series on Saturday and Sunday, where Team Abu Dhabi will bid to rekindle their title challenge in the world powerboating series.

Team Abu Dhabi 5’s crew of Faleh Al Mansouri and Rashid Al Tayer endured mixed fortunes at the opening two races in Fujairah and Dubai and currently hold seventh position in the championship standings, three points behind sixth-place T-Bone Station. The crew qualified on pole at race one, before retiring from the race with engine issues, and then climbed from fifth to finish second in the second race.

Victory Team’s Arif Saif Al Zafein and Nadir Bin Hendi won the opening two rounds and have surged into an early season 31-point lead over Swecat Racing, with Dubai a further four points behind.

It has been a disappointing start to the year for Team Abu Dhabi 4’s Rashid Al Qamzi and Majid Al Mansouri and they will not make the trip to Lugano.

Both Al Mansouri and Al Tayer and other XCAT team members from the Abu Dhabi International Marine Sports Club (ADIMSC) have now arrived in Switzerland and are confident that Team Abu Dhabi 5 can challenge for podium honours on what promises to be a challenging course on the picturesque Swiss lake, nestled between the mountains of the Lugano Prealps.

Team Abu Dhabi, like many of the other 11 entrants at the Swiss race, have already made the successful transition to the new four-stroke Mercury XCAT ROS 400 engines that were introduced by race officials at the start of the season.

“We had some challenging water conditions at the opening two rounds in the UAE and were obviously disappointed with our one result after setting a competitive pace at both races,” said Al Tayer. “Lugano is an inland lake course, surrounded by mountains, and we can hopefully expect some calm water conditions and little wind. We know that we have to push and try and get pole position and press for the win. The boats will have a different set-up and the strategy may be different but the goal is still the same.”

Several members of Team Abu Dhabi have extensive experience of racing at similar venues in Italy, such as Lake Como and Lake Maggiore, and their advice may well be invaluable to the crew of Team Abu Dhabi 5 this weekend.

“The whole team is looking forward to racing at this exciting new location in the heart of Switzerland,” enthused Salem Al Romeithi, assistant general manager of the ADIMSC. “It’s been several weeks since we were in offshore action, although everyone was buoyed by the superb class win achieved by other members of Team Abu Dhabi in the demanding 24 Hours of Rouen in France at the start of this month.

Team Abu Dhabi is sponsored by Etihad Airways and runs under the patronage of Dr Shaikh Sultan Bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, adviser to the Head of State and chairman of the board of directors of the Abu Dhabi International Marine Sports Club (ADIMSC).

Free practice, pole position qualifying and the Dubai Duty Free Speed Cat Runs will take place on Saturday and further practice and the inaugural Lugano Grand Prix take centre stage on Sunday.

2016 UIM XCAT World Series – positions after round 2

1. Victory Team 86 pts

2. Swecat Racing 55 pts

3. Dubai 51 pts

4. Gold Coast Australia 41 pts

5. Carpisa Yamamay 39 pts

6. T-Bone Station 35 pts

7. Team Abu Dhabi 5 32 pts

8. Six 24 pts

9. Fujairah Team 17 pts

10. Lady Spain 15 pts

11. Spirit of France 12 pts