MEDIA INFORMATION
2015 UIM XCAT WORLD SERIES
Cascais Grand Prix, round 3 – June 14-16
TEAM ABU DHABI’S AL-TAYER AND AL-MANSOORI
HEAD TO PORTUGAL AS XCAT WORLD SERIES LEADERS
X-Dubai and Dubai crews aim to challenge Team Abu Dhabi
Cascais race to see Jay Price team up with fellow American Shaun Torrente
CASCAIS (PORTUGAL): Monday, June 8th: Team Abu Dhabi’s Rashid Al-Tayer and Faleh Al-Mansoori will be aiming to defend their commanding lead in the 2015 UIM XCAT World Series, when they tackle the Cascais Grand Prix in Portugal this weekend.
The duo achieved outright victory at the opening race in Fujairah in February and consolidated that championship lead with an impressive run to second place behind X-Dubai’s Arif Saif Al-Zafeen and Nadir bin Hendi at round two in Dubai in March.
Those two results mean that the Team Abu Dhabi duo arrive at Marina de Cascais off Portugal’s Atlantic coast with a 21-point lead in the championship over a tying X-Dubai and Salem Al-Adidi and Eisa Al-Ali at the helm of Dubai. Italy’s Matteo Nicolini and Tomaso Polli are a further three points behind in Hoorsenbuhs.
“We have made a great start to the season, but that is just the start and we realise that there is a long way to go if we are to achieve the goal of winning the title,” said Al-Tayer, who has been able to carry out some testing in recent weeks to stay fresh for the Cascais race. “Faleh and I know that the competition is getting stronger and achieving a second win will not be easy.”
Team Abu Dhabi is based at the Abu Dhabi International Marine Sports Club (ADIMSC) and is supported by Etihad Airways as official carrier and sponsor. The team runs under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan Bin Khalifa Al-Nahyan, advisor to the Head of State and chairman of the board of directors of the ADIMSC.
The event will also mark the debut of the potent American pairing of former Qatar F1 H20 team drivers Jay Price and Shaun Torrente as part of the Altman Marine team aboard Lady Spain. Price was the 2008 UIM F1 H20 World Champion, while Torrente is one of the fastest drivers on the current tunnel boat scene and won the Qatar Grand Prix in March.
Other boats likely to challenge include Giovanni Carpitella and Ahmed Al-Hameli in T-Bone Station and the Swecat Racing and Marine Investimenti Sud entries.
The Cascais Grand Prix is being organised by the ATC (Associação de Turismo de Cascais) in cooperation with the WPPA and with the full support of the FPM and the UIM. Administration and technical scrutineering will take place on Friday morning (June 12) and crews will be permitted to venture on to the water for a first practice session from 3pm (6pm UAE time). There will be a parade, a pre-race press conference and a pilots’ briefing later that afternoon.
Saturday’s action (June 13) gets underway with pole position from 10.30hrs and this precedes a photo call and a Skydive Dubai flyboard exhibition at 14.30hrs. The Dubai Duty Free Speed Cat Run then takes centre stage from 15.00hrs and is followed by the podium and prize giving.
After a stint practising the start procedure from 10.00hrs on Sunday morning (June 14), crews will be permitted one hour of official practice from 11.30hrs, before the Cascais Grand Prix gets underway at 15.00hrs.
2015 UIM XCAT WORLD SERIES – positions after round 2:
1. Team Abu Dhabi 70 pts
2. Dubai 49 pts
2. Dubai 49 pts
4. Hoorsenbuhs 46 pts
5. Swecat Racing 35 pts
6. Marine Investimenti Sud 29 pts
7. Team Saracen Australia 27 pts
8. T-Bone Station 26 pts
9. Mouawad 50 24 pts
10. Lady Spain 20 pts
11. Videx 14 pts
12. Air Team 12 pts
13. Yacht 7 pts
13. Raheeb 7 pts
– Ends –
For further media information and information about Team Abu Dhabi:
Please contact: Khalid Al Saadi, Media Incharge, Abu Dhabi International Marine Sports Club, P.O. Box 45656, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Mobile Telephone: + 971 50 768 6761, E-mail: alsaadi@adimsc.ae.
www.xcatracing.com
www.adimsc.ae