Team Abu Dhabi Crew will fight to finish in Dubai Grand Prix to keep XCAT title hopes alive

Al-Tayer, Al-Mansoori won’t give up battle to deliver second world crown to Abu Dhabi International Marine Sports Club 

Dubai UAE, November 21, 2015:  Team Abu Dhabi’s Rashid Al-Tayer and Faleh Al-Mansoori are ready to battle the odds stacked against them in the Dubai Grand Prix tomorrow (Saturday) to keep alive their title hopes in the UIM XCAT World Series.

After a day of spectacular action dominated by XDubai’s Arif Saif Al-Zafeen and Nadir bin Hendi, the championship leaders had extended their advantage over Al-Tayer and Al-Mansoori to 26 pts.

Al-Zafeen and bin Hendi will start the Saturday afternoon penultimate round of the 2015 XCAT World Series in pole position after recording a quickest lap of 2min 33.93sec in an exciting qualifying session. 

They then boosted their overall championship lead winning the Dubai Duty Free Speed Cat Run which took the form of a thrilling head-to-head drag race knockout contest over a one-kilometre course. 

But a defiant Al Mansoori still has hopes that he and Al-Mansoori in Team Abu Dhabi 5 can deliver a second world powerboat title inside a month to Abu Dhabi International Marine Sports Club (ADIMSC), which stages the final championship round next weekend.

“We came here knowing that XDubai would be tough to beat on their home waters, especially in calm conditions like we had today,” he said. “But the forecast for tomorrow is for rougher water and we think we can take advantage of that.

“The odds are against us now but we will give it everything we’ve got and anything can happen in racing. The championship is still there to be won, and we still hope to have a chance of doing that in Abu Dhabi next week. 

“Whatever happens, the world champions will be carrying the UAE flag, and we can all look forward to that.”

Dubai’s Salem Al-Adidi and Eisa Al-Ali finished second in the pole position race with a best lap of 2min 36.34sec, while Al-Tayer and Al-Mansoori will start the Dubai Grand prix in third spot after recording a time of 2min 36.51sec.

Majed Al-Mansoori and Rashed Al-Qemzi in Team Abu Dhabi 4, teaming up for their XCAT Series debut, will line up in a creditable seventh place.

In the quarter finals of the Speed Cat Run they lost out to team-mates Al-Tayer and Al-Mansoori who finished third in the series, with XDubai’s Al-Zafeen and Nadir bin Hendi going on to overpower the T-Bone Station pairing of Giovanni Cappittela and Luca Fendi in the final.

Al-Tayer and Al-Mansoori are trying to match the performance of Team Abu Dhabi’s John Tomlinson and Gary Ballough who captured the UIM Class 1 world title earlier this month.

Team Abu Dhabi is supported by Etihad Airways as official carrier and sponsor. The team runs under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan Bin Khalifa Al-Nahyan, advisor to the Head of State and chairman of the board of directors of the ADIMSC. 
The Dubai Grand Prix fires into life at 2pm on Saturday.

2015 Dubai Grand Prix – Pole Position result:
1. XDubai                      2min 33.93sec
2. Dubai                        2min 36.34sec
3. Abu Dhabi Team 5     2min 36.51sec
4. T-Bone Station          2min 36.70sec
5. Yachts                      2min 37.28sec
6. Videx                        2min 38.07sec
7. Abu Dhabi Team 4     2min 38.84sec
8. Lady Spain                2min 39.15sec

2015 UIM XCAT WORLD SERIES – CURRENT STANDINGS

1. XDubai                            138 pts    
2. Team Abu Dhabi 5           112 pts  
3. Six/Hoorsenbuhs             105 pts   
4. Swecat Racing                  70 pts  
5. Dubai                                66 pts    
6. Yachts                              61 pts  
7. T-Bone Station                   54 pts  
8. Marine Investimenti Sud     53 pts  
9. Lady Spain                        53 pts 
10. Team Saracen Australia    45 pts