9th April 2010, Dubai. Dubai Wooden Powerboat Championships. New powerboat safety rules went in to practice again today during the first heat of the Dubai Wooden Powerboat Championship held at Dubai International Marine Club. The red stop flag was raised when the crew of Mubarak Marine was thrown from their boat as they rounded a mark. The pair were but picked up quickly by rescue teams and returned to shore unhurt and the race was restarted.
However, the delay meant a quick turn around for the top three teams Delma Marine driven by Ahmed Ali Al Hamli and Ahmed Ateeq Al Qumzi, Extreme Marine with Salim Fadhel Al Hamli and Ahmed Mohd. Hassan Al Suwaidi and Al Fajar Marine raced by Khalifa Humaid Bin Thaiban and Ahmed Humaid Bin Thaiban who all needed to ready themselves for the Xcat Middle East Powerboat Championships practice session. Salim Fadhel Al Hamli is throttle man with driver Rashid Al Marri in Extreme Marine, who won heat 1 of the Xcat Middle East Powerboat Championship
The top three boats lead the fleet from the from the start of the race, which was reduced to six laps from the scheduled eight making the well spread out fleet race 27 nautical miles. Further down the field there was a close tussle all the way round between Abu Dhabi Racing Teams Faisal Ahmed Al Shamsi and Rashid Awadh Al Hamli and Al Maleks Ali Ahmed Al Sabouri and Abdullah Ahmed Al Sabouri. The two boats were fighting for position constantly behind the fourth and fifth placed Al Noubi Racing and the Kuwaiti team Raheeb. They finally took the sixth and seventh spots respectively with an exciting finish across the line.
‘I’ve gained so much experience driving the wooden powerboat that it’s helped me with driving the Xcat,’ said Ahmed Ali Al Hamli, who drives Abu Dhabi Racing Teams Xcat. ‘I enjoy both the Xcat and the wooden powerboat and I’m really pleased with our win today and hope I can improve on my placing tomorrow in the Xcat heat 2.’
The UIM Xcat Middle East Powerboat Championship will take place at DIMC tomorrow at 12:30 with Extreme Marine in pole position followed by Lux Media Offshore and Abu Dhabi Racing Team.
Provisional Results:
1st. Delma Marine, Ahmed Ali Al Hamli and Ahmed Ateeq Al Qumzi,
2nd. Extreme Marine, Salim Fadhel Al Hamli and Ahmed Mohd. Hassan Al Suwaidi
3rd. Al Fajar Marine, Khalifa Humaid Bin Thaiban and Ahmed Humaid Bin Thaiban