Sheikh Hassan bin Jabor Al Thani (left) and throttleman Steve Curtis of Spirit of Qatar 96, receive their trophies after winning the Emirates Dubai Duty Free Grand Prix of race one at the UIM Class 1 World Powerboat Championship, yesterday.
DUBAI (UAE): Sheikh Hassan bin Jabor Al Thani and throttleman Steve Curtis delivered a stunning victory in the Emirates Dubai Duty Free Grand Prix of race one at the penultimate round of the UIM Class 1 World Powerboat Championship, in Dubai yesterday.
They mastered the rough conditions to perfection Spirit of Qatar 96 qualified in second position behind Victory 3 for the first of the weekend’s two races.
The race win – a first for the pair together in the UAE – came with a winning margin of 14.72 seconds and gave them a five-point lead in the 2012 UIM Class 1 Middle East Powerboat Championship with three races remaining.
Ali Al Neama and Matteo Nicolini were classified in fourth in the Edox Pole Position yesterday morning, but they failed to start the race after some damage to the boat’s hull was found before the start. Pole position for the Victory 3 crew of Arif Saif Al Zafeen and Mohammed Al Marri meant that they claimed the 2012 UIM Class 1 Pole Position World Championship title with one race remaining and they remain favourites to clinch the outright world title.
Fendi Racing’s Luca Formilli-Fendi and Giovanni Carpitella finished third and Team Abu Dhabi’s Rashed Al Tayer and Majed Al Mansoori were fourth.
“It’s a great win for us and it keeps us on track for the Middle East Championship,” said a delighted Sheikh Hassan, president of the Qatar Marine Sports Federation (QMSF) and driver of Spirit of Qatar 96.
“Fendi made a good start with the acceleration and we decided to sit back for a bit and see what developed. We got a good feeling and managed to get passed Fendi and then stay behind Victory 3 for several laps waiting for the right moment to pounce, a bit like hunting down a duck,” added Sheikh Hassan.
“It was a big rough and bumpy, just as we wanted it, and we made our move and managed to pass and held on to win,” he pointed out.
“After the pole position we noticed that there was a crack at the back of Ali’s and Matteo’s boat so they decided not to risk damaging or losing the boat, but should be okay for Saturday (today),” he said. THE PENINSULA
