Arif Al Zafeen and Mohammed Al Marri produced a command performance to win race 1 of the Skydive Dubai and Dubai Duty Free Grand Prix and clinch the UIM Class 1 Middle East Championship.
The Victory 3 crew were simply in a class of their own and led the 12 lap, 56.20Nm race from start-to-finish to win by over a minute and put themselves right back into contention in the fight for the World title having wrapped up the Middle East title.
Ali Al Neama and Matteo Nicolini, who earlier in the day lifted the Edox Pole Position Championship, simply had no answer to the pace and performance of Victory 3 and could only watch as they disappeared into the distance, but today’s second place their fifth podium of the year has moved them into the lead in the overall standings.
Giorgio Manuzzi and Pal Virik Nilsen produced one of the best outings of the afternoon to finish on the podium in Victory 7, a boat they are competing in for the first time, and after qualifying in fifth place.
Giorgio Manuzzi and Pal Virik Nilsen produced one of the best outings of the afternoon to finish on the podium in Victory 7, a boat they are competing in for the first time, and after qualifying in fifth place.
There was bitter disappointment and frustration for Sheikh Hassan and Steve Curtis who started the penultimate race of the year leading the World Championship by 12 points from their teammates, but an electrical problem on lap 7 ended their hopes of a podium finish, dropping them from third place with the Spirit of Qatar 96 pairing eventually limping across the finish line in tenth place to pick up a solitary point.
Team Abu Dhabi’s Rashed Al Tayer and Majed Al Mansoori marked their return to racing together with a solid fourth place to finish ahead of Guido Cappellini and Giampaolo Montavoci in Poliform, who were unable to match their impressive fourth place in qualifying due to an electrical problem that temporarily shut down one engine.
An electrical problem also blighted Relekta’s race dropping Ugur Isik and Christian Zaborowski from fifth place to finish in eighth behind Welmax and Fendi Racing, with FA.RO ACCIAI finishing ninth.
Today’s result sets up a tantalising final race of the season for the coveted World title with just seven points separating the top three.
SKYDIVE DUBAI and DUBAI DUTY FREE GRAND PRIX, RACE 1 - results
1. 3 Victory - A Al Zafeen (UAE) / M Al Marri (UAE) 00.35.06,43
2. 95 Spirit of Qatar - A Al Neama (QAT) / M Nicolini (ITA) + 01.27,78
3. 7 Victory - G Manuzzi (SMR) / P V Nilsen (NOR) + 01.56,77
4. 5 Team Abu Dhabi - R Al Tayer (UAE) / M Al Mansoori (UAE) + 02.00,97
5. 74 Poliform - G Cappellini (MON) / G Montavoci (ITA) + 02.37,78
6. 90 Welmax (B) - B Jacobsen (NOR) / K Olsen (NOR) + 1 LAP
7. 10 Fendi Racing - L Formilli Fendi (ITA) / G Carpitella (ITA) + 1 LAP
8. 91 Relekta - U Isik (TUR) / C Zaborowski (NOR) + 3 LAPS
9. 23 FA.RO. ACCIAI - T Polli (ITA) / L Nicolini (ITA) + 3 LAPS
10. 96 Spirit of Qatar - H Al Thani (QAT) / S Curtis (ENG) + 3 LAPS
RACE 2
Arif Al Zafeen and Mohammed Al Marri produced another faultless display to win race 2 of the Skydive Dubai and Dubai Duty Free Grand Prix and clinch the 2011 UIM Class 1 World Powerboat Championship.
In what has been a difficult week for the Dubai team the scratch pairing of Al Zafeen and Al Marri, racing together for the first time, responded in the best way possible to complete a hat-trick of wins in their home Grand Prix, their double race win clinching an eleventh World title for Victory Team.
Today’s result also gave Al Zafeen the clean sweep in the Middle East Championship taking maximum points, winning twice in Abu Dhabi with the now suspended Nadir Bin Hendi, and twice with Al Marri.
The turn of events of the last two days had thrown up an unexpected winner-takes-all title showdown between Victory and the twin attack of Spirit of Qatar, but the hoped for fight on the water for the title never happened.
An engine problem for Spirit of Qatar 95 as they left the wet pits before the race, ended Ali Al Neama and Matteo Nicolini’s title hopes, joining the race three laps down and coming home in eighth place. A recurrence of yesterday’s steering problem hampered Spirit of Qatar 96’s drive up from tenth to third, eventually finishing in fourth, to cap a disappointing and frustrating day for the Qatar Team.
In what was almost a repeat of yesterday’s extraordinary drive, the Victory 3 duo again made their intentions clear at the start and led from the flag, extending their lead lap-by-lap and going on to complete the 16-lap, 75.40Nm in 45m 31.71s and win by over 55 seconds.
Team Abu Dhabi’s Rashed Al Tayer and Majed Al Mansoori produced their best performance since teaming-up in Norway in July, and celebrated the return to racing of Al Tayer, after breaking his ankle in a Jet Ski competition, with an untroubled second place to give them the runners-up slot in the Middle East Championship and complete a very good day for the United Arab Emirates.
There were also celebrations in the Norwegian-Turkish camp with Ugur Isik and Christian Zaborowski producing an outstanding drive to take their first podium together.
Starting from the outside of the start line down in eighth place the Relketa crew adopted a smart long lap strategy and by lap seven were up to fifth place. They passed the ailing Spirit of Qatar 96 and yesterday’s podium finishers, Giorgio Manuzzi and Pal Virik Nilsen, in Victory 7 on lap 13 and held on to take a well-deserved third place, Zabo Racing’s first podium appearance since Abu Dhabi 2010.
Bjorge Jackobsen and Kurt Olsen gave another steady performance in Welmax, moving up from tenth place at the end of lap one to take their second top six finish of the weekend and finish ahead of Fendi Racing, in what has been a rather disappointing weekend for Italians Luca Fendi and Giovanni Carpitella.
A dramatic moment for Guido Cappellini and Giampaolo Montavoci, spinning out and all but turning over Poliform inside Palm Island, ended their race on lap three. FA.RO ACCIAI going out three laps later with technical problems.
SKYDIVE DUBAI and DUBAI DUTY FREE GRAND PRIX, RACE 2 - results
1. 3 Victory - A Al Zafeen (UAE) / M Al Marri (UAE) 00.45.31,71
2. 5 Team Abu Dhabi - R Al Tayer (UAE) / M Al Mansoori (UAE) + 00.56,47
3. 91 Relekta - U Isik (TUR) / C Zaborowski (NOR) + 02.29,21
4. 96 Spirit of Qatar - H Al Thani (QAT) / S Curtis (ENG) + 02.35,69
5. 7 Victory - G Manuzzi (SMR) / P V Nilsen (NOR) + 1 LAP
6. 90 Welmax (B) - B Jacobsen (NOR) / K Olsen (NOR) + 1 LAP
7. 10 Fendi Racing - L Formilli Fendi (ITA) / G Carpitella (ITA) + 1 LAP
8. 95 Spirit of Qatar - A Al Neama (QAT) / M Nicolini (ITA) + 3 LAPS
9. 23 FA.RO. ACCIAI - T Polli (ITA) / L Nicolini (ITA) DNF
10. 74 Poliform - G Cappellini (MON) / G Montavoci (ITA) DNF
UIM CLASS 1 WORLD POWERBOAT CHAMPIONSHIP - after race 7
1. 3 Victory - 103pts
2. 96 Spirit of Qatar - 93pts
3. 95 Spirit of Qatar - 89pts
4. 5 Team Abu Dhabi - 67pts
5. 74 Poliform - 56pts
6. 91 Relekta - 41pts
7. 10 Fendi Racing - 27pts
8. 23 FA.RO. ACCIAI - 24pts
9. 7 Victory - 19 pts
10. Welmax (B) - 17pts
11. 90 Welmax (A) - 14pts
12. 50 Parsonage Racing - 8pts
13. 69 ferskfisken.no - 5 pts
14. 18 MITI Tech Power - 4pts
MIDDLE EAST CHAMPIONSHIP - after race 4
1. 3 Victory - 80pts
2. 5 Team Abu Dhabi - 42pts
3. 96 Spirit of Qatar - 40pts
4. 95 Spirit of Qatar - 37pts
5.10 Fendi Racing - 27pts
6. 7 Victory - 19pts
7= 74 Poliform - 17pts
7= 91 Relekta - 17pts
9. 90 Welmax (B) - 10pts
10. 50 Parsonage Racing - 8pts
11. 18 GiorgiOffshore - 4pts
12. 90 Welmax (A) - 3pts
13. 23 FA.RO. ACCIAI - 2pts
www.class-1.com
Arif Al Zafeen and Mohammed Al Marri produced another faultless display to win race 2 of the Skydive Dubai and Dubai Duty Free Grand Prix and clinch the 2011 UIM Class 1 World Powerboat Championship.
In what has been a difficult week for the Dubai team the scratch pairing of Al Zafeen and Al Marri, racing together for the first time, responded in the best way possible to complete a hat-trick of wins in their home Grand Prix, their double race win clinching an eleventh World title for Victory Team.
Today’s result also gave Al Zafeen the clean sweep in the Middle East Championship taking maximum points, winning twice in Abu Dhabi with the now suspended Nadir Bin Hendi, and twice with Al Marri.
The turn of events of the last two days had thrown up an unexpected winner-takes-all title showdown between Victory and the twin attack of Spirit of Qatar, but the hoped for fight on the water for the title never happened.
An engine problem for Spirit of Qatar 95 as they left the wet pits before the race, ended Ali Al Neama and Matteo Nicolini’s title hopes, joining the race three laps down and coming home in eighth place. A recurrence of yesterday’s steering problem hampered Spirit of Qatar 96’s drive up from tenth to third, eventually finishing in fourth, to cap a disappointing and frustrating day for the Qatar Team.
In what was almost a repeat of yesterday’s extraordinary drive, the Victory 3 duo again made their intentions clear at the start and led from the flag, extending their lead lap-by-lap and going on to complete the 16-lap, 75.40Nm in 45m 31.71s and win by over 55 seconds.
Team Abu Dhabi’s Rashed Al Tayer and Majed Al Mansoori produced their best performance since teaming-up in Norway in July, and celebrated the return to racing of Al Tayer, after breaking his ankle in a Jet Ski competition, with an untroubled second place to give them the runners-up slot in the Middle East Championship and complete a very good day for the United Arab Emirates.
There were also celebrations in the Norwegian-Turkish camp with Ugur Isik and Christian Zaborowski producing an outstanding drive to take their first podium together.
Starting from the outside of the start line down in eighth place the Relketa crew adopted a smart long lap strategy and by lap seven were up to fifth place. They passed the ailing Spirit of Qatar 96 and yesterday’s podium finishers, Giorgio Manuzzi and Pal Virik Nilsen, in Victory 7 on lap 13 and held on to take a well-deserved third place, Zabo Racing’s first podium appearance since Abu Dhabi 2010.
Bjorge Jackobsen and Kurt Olsen gave another steady performance in Welmax, moving up from tenth place at the end of lap one to take their second top six finish of the weekend and finish ahead of Fendi Racing, in what has been a rather disappointing weekend for Italians Luca Fendi and Giovanni Carpitella.
A dramatic moment for Guido Cappellini and Giampaolo Montavoci, spinning out and all but turning over Poliform inside Palm Island, ended their race on lap three. FA.RO ACCIAI going out three laps later with technical problems.
SKYDIVE DUBAI and DUBAI DUTY FREE GRAND PRIX, RACE 2 - results
1. 3 Victory - A Al Zafeen (UAE) / M Al Marri (UAE) 00.45.31,71
2. 5 Team Abu Dhabi - R Al Tayer (UAE) / M Al Mansoori (UAE) + 00.56,47
3. 91 Relekta - U Isik (TUR) / C Zaborowski (NOR) + 02.29,21
4. 96 Spirit of Qatar - H Al Thani (QAT) / S Curtis (ENG) + 02.35,69
5. 7 Victory - G Manuzzi (SMR) / P V Nilsen (NOR) + 1 LAP
6. 90 Welmax (B) - B Jacobsen (NOR) / K Olsen (NOR) + 1 LAP
7. 10 Fendi Racing - L Formilli Fendi (ITA) / G Carpitella (ITA) + 1 LAP
8. 95 Spirit of Qatar - A Al Neama (QAT) / M Nicolini (ITA) + 3 LAPS
9. 23 FA.RO. ACCIAI - T Polli (ITA) / L Nicolini (ITA) DNF
10. 74 Poliform - G Cappellini (MON) / G Montavoci (ITA) DNF
UIM CLASS 1 WORLD POWERBOAT CHAMPIONSHIP - after race 7
1. 3 Victory - 103pts
2. 96 Spirit of Qatar - 93pts
3. 95 Spirit of Qatar - 89pts
4. 5 Team Abu Dhabi - 67pts
5. 74 Poliform - 56pts
6. 91 Relekta - 41pts
7. 10 Fendi Racing - 27pts
8. 23 FA.RO. ACCIAI - 24pts
9. 7 Victory - 19 pts
10. Welmax (B) - 17pts
11. 90 Welmax (A) - 14pts
12. 50 Parsonage Racing - 8pts
13. 69 ferskfisken.no - 5 pts
14. 18 MITI Tech Power - 4pts
MIDDLE EAST CHAMPIONSHIP - after race 4
1. 3 Victory - 80pts
2. 5 Team Abu Dhabi - 42pts
3. 96 Spirit of Qatar - 40pts
4. 95 Spirit of Qatar - 37pts
5.10 Fendi Racing - 27pts
6. 7 Victory - 19pts
7= 74 Poliform - 17pts
7= 91 Relekta - 17pts
9. 90 Welmax (B) - 10pts
10. 50 Parsonage Racing - 8pts
11. 18 GiorgiOffshore - 4pts
12. 90 Welmax (A) - 3pts
13. 23 FA.RO. ACCIAI - 2pts
www.class-1.com
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