Bigger (x)Cats for Larger, Faster Waves
Faster Along the Waves
After its debut at the Dubai Grand Prix, round five of the 2015 XCat World Series, XCat partnered with Mercury Racing in the development of the engine that replaced almost all the Mercury Racing 2-stroke 2.5L EFI race outboards with more potent 4-stroke Mercury Racing ROS (Race Offshore) powerboat engines.
In relation to the engine upgrade, Ronan Morgan, of the World Professional Powerboating Association (WPPA) said: “All those involved in the XCat World Series are looking forward to the introduction of the new Mercury four stroke engines; not only are these environmentally friendly, they are reliable and provide a huge increase to the horsepower and torque which are essential for an action-packed weekend of racing.
Fujairah GP
After the upgrade, the series commenced with the first race of the 2016 UIM XCAT World Powerboating Series being taken by the Victory Team with a win at the Fujairah GP last April 8th. It was not a race without drama, however, as Team Australia (Brett Luhrmann and Paul Virik Nilsen) and Abu Dhabi Team 5 (Rashed Al Tayer and Faleh Al Mansoori) collided at the first turn, just after the start, and the Australians flipped their boat.
After a rescue by the Bergamo Scuba Angels team and both drivers safely back on land, the race was restarted with Team Australia effectively out of the race as the Victory Team stormed to the front on the first lap. The chasing Abu Dhabi Team 5 eventually retired after few a laps due to mechanical issues leaving the top spot open for the Victory Team.
Victory Team’s XDubai-sponsored boat (Arif al Zaffain and Nadir bin Hendi) took the lead after the throughout the race and secured the Fujairah GP win earning 35 points in the process. This early lead thus put them in a good position for another title win.
Also on the podium was the Gold Coast team in second place. This was despite starting in eighth position as Tom Barry-Cotter and Ross Willaton quickly worked their way to overtake Swedish team Swecat Racing as they were taking their long lap at the end. Their second place finish marked a superb chance to shine this season in their bid to achieve important championship points. Nevertheless, Swecat Racing piloted by young drivers Mikael Bengtsson and Erik Stark back in its second season also proved itself an excellent competitor for the championship.
Dubai GP
The Fujairah GP was exciting, but so was the race hosted in Dubai on the 15th of April that once again consisted of 14 XCAT teams that ensured plenty of excitement. Team Australia worked round-the-clock to repair the boat after a bad start of the season in order to be present for this leg of the race. Tensions brewed as every team each had their own agendas for the race day in Dubai – either to secure a comfortable spot in the rankings or in the case of the Victory Team, create a stronger lead against the other teams.
As the signal was called, the Abu Dhabi 5 team sprinted to a sensational start but Victory soon passed them in Lap 9 thanks to their well-thought out strategy during the long stretch of the race. Victory was followed closely by Gold Coast and Swecat which resulted in a tense showdown between the three teams for the lead.
In the end, Team Victory secured the race winning over Abu Dhabi Team 5 and Swecat Racing thus sealing a solid lead for the series. With five more races in the XCat calendar, Victory currently sits at a comfortable lead as the series makes its way to Lugano, Switzerland for the third race of the series. Regarding the back-to-back wins in the UAE, Victory Team manager Ragesh Elayadeth said: “…everything worked well and we knew we could overtake them somewhere in the middle of the race. Arif and Nadir are the masters. There’s no other word to describe them. They know what to do. There were no nerves at all. They keep calm, they know when to go for the long laps and when to put pressure on.”
After a tour of three races in Switzerland, South Korea and an unconfirmed country in Asia, the XCat series will return to the UAE with the Abu Dhabi GP semi-final taking place on the 17th-18 November and the grand finale happening in Dubai on the 2nd-3rd December.
Read OutdoorUAE for more updates on the Xcat series!
Words by: Nico de Corato
Photos by: Getty Images
