2010 Oryx Cup World Championship, Qatar
Doha Bay, Qatar – November 18th-20th, 2010
For immediate release
Tuesday, November 16th, 2010
QATAR PREPARES TO HOST THIS
WEEKEND’S ORYX CUP IN DOHA BAY
- Oryx Cup to be streamed live on internet in high definition
- QMSF set to host showdown for H1 World Championship
- Boat show, marine shops, children’s area and pit zone visits planned
DOHA (Qatar): Officials, drivers and equipment have arrived in Qatar in advance of this weekend’s Oryx Cup, the final round of the prestigious H1 Unlimited Championship, the world’s most exciting power boating discipline.
The 2010 Oryx Cup World Championship is being staged for the second successive season on the two-mile course in Doha Bay and will decide the outcome of the thrilling high-speed boating series.
Under the presidency of His Excellency Sheikh Hassan bin Jabor Al-Thani, the Qatar Marine Sports Federation (QMSF) has worked tirelessly with Sam Cole’s team at the H1 Unlimited Championship to ensure that Qatar again hosts the only round of the series ever to be held outside the Americas.
Thanks to invaluable primary sponsorship from global shipping company Peters & May and the QMSF, the weekend’s action will be streamed live in high definition on the H1Unlimited.com website. Tampa Digital Studios will produce the footage, with additional support from 5 Axis Industries, Formula Boats, Clifty Engineering, Boneyard Grill in Madison, Schumacher Racing and Go Fast Turn Left Racing.
Last year, more than 30,000 race fans from 32 countries tuned in to watch J. Michael Kelly edge through to win the Oryx Cup for the first time and witness Steve David confirming the National High Points title.
The State of Qatar has its own boat in the Oryx Cup this season and local fans will be urging Dave Villwock to success in U-96 Spirit of Qatar. Villwock suffered a dramatic engine flameout in the final of last year’s Oryx Cup and arrives in Doha preparing to go head-to-head with Steve David for the 2010 National High Points’ titles.
David, Villwock and J. Michael Kelly currently occupy the top three places in the points’ standings and David is vying to win his third successive championship title. Ten boats have arrived in Qatar to take part in the weekend’s action.
Villwock last won the championship in 2007 and will also be hoping to create his own little bit of racing history in Qatar. Victory at the recent race meeting in San Diego meant that the U-96 Spirit of Qatar driver equalled Chip Hanauer’s 61 career race wins. Victory in Saturday’s Oryx Cup in Doha Bay would give Villwock his 62nd race win and push him alongside the legendary Bill Muncey, the most successful race winner in Unlimited Hydroplane history.
Staff at the QMSF have been working around the clock to ready the pit area and course for the weekend’s action. “We have made a lot of changes to the area since the race in 2009,” said QMSF spokesperson and event organiser Mona Nasser. “We have moved the technical area to the place where we used to site the VIP stands and podium. We have erected a children’s village – which is free to access – and we will have a food court with five different restaurants.
“We also have marine shops participating in the weekend. Performance Marine, Speed Marine, Al-Langawi and Al-Thaeen will all have shops at the venue and we will also have a boat show running in conjunction with the Oryx Cup. Eighty-five children from the Dreamh Children’s charity will visit the pit area on Friday and special needs patients will also have full access to the pit area.
Drivers and boats will attend technical scrutineering and administration checks adjacent to the Doha Bay course on Thursday, November 18th, before testing and the first of the qualifying heats are staged on Friday, November 19th. The remaining heats and the all-or-nothing Oryx Cup World Championship shoot-out take place on Saturday, November 20th.
Oryx Cup, H1 Unlimited World Championship, final round – timetable of events
November 18 Technical scrutineering and administration, Doha Bay
November 19 Testing and qualifying heats, Doha Bay
November 20 Qualifying heats and Oryx Cup, Doha Bay
Ends
For further information:
Neil Perkins, NDP Publicity Services, Mobile: + 44 7831 123153, E-mail: ndppublicity@googlemail.com and www.ndp-publicity.com (press releases).
Or
Steve Montgomery, H1 Unlimited Media Officer, Tel: + 1 206 618 8382, E-mail: Steve@H1Unlimited.com