Dubai (UAE): After seven rounds of breathtaking competition, the Dubai Victory Team’s Nader Ben Hendi and Mohammed Al Marri yesterday (Friday) won the EDOX Pole Position World Championship – the pre-race speed trials for the Class 1 World Championship - by just five hundredths of second.
The Victory 1 crew set themselves up for first place on the grid for today’s (Saturday) Emirates and Dubai Duty Free Grand Prix with an average speed of 191.16kmh for a best lap time of 2m:37.29s compared to the 2m:37.34s of arch rivals Sheikh Hassan bin Jabor Al Thani and Steve Curtis in Qatar 96.
“We couldn’t have scripted it better,” smiled Ben Hendi, after adding the Pole Position crown to the World and Middle East Championships clinched by the Victory 1 crew at last week’s Mina Seyahi Grand Prix. “We were lagging well behind early on but once again we’ve turned it around and produced the best time of the day. Thanks to our crew, we feel we can win every time.”
Ben Hendi and Al Marri went into the final round with a slim three-point lead over rivals Sheikh Hassan and Curtis knowing a win by the Qatar/UK crew would steal the title right at the death.
With Qatar 96 setting an early lap time over three seconds quicker than the Victory pilots, the title looked destined for Doha. But with 17 minutes of the session remaining, Victory 1 returned to the water to blast their rivals away with a time that ultimately guaranteed them their fourth Pole from seven starts despite a last-gasp effort by Qatar 96.
In the dying minutes of the session, spectators witnessed the remarkable sight of the two championship challengers racing just yards apart as the fight for Pole Position bragging rights went down to the last possible second – a fact not lost on Sheikh Hassan.
“I think it was dirty tactics on their part – they took away our chance of competing in clean water,” he said with a wry smile as Qatar’s last remaining title chance slipped into the night at Mina Seyahi.
Curtis – winner of the Pole Position world crown for the past seven seasons – was more philosophical. “Sure, Victory 1 came on to the course just as we were completing our final turn and you can’t help but change your racing line when that happens but these things are part of racing. Do I condemn it? Not at all.”
On hand to present the trophy to the winners was HH Sheikh Mayed bin Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum, patron of the Sea Dubai watersports festival which draws to a close with the Emirates & Dubai Duty Free Grand Prix today (Saturday), eighth and final round of the Class 1 World Championship.
“It was a great honour to have HH Sheikh Mayed here to support us,” said Al Marri, who has completed a surprise racing comeback by winning two world titles some seven years after last lifting the Class 1 crown. “It’s been an unbelievable season for us and we’ll be aiming to end it in style tomorrow with another win, although we know it’s going to be very tough.”
Third on the grid for today’s race is Jotun 90, crewed by Jorn Tanberg and Inge Brigt Aarbakke of Norway, who also clinched third overall in the EDOX Pole Position World Championship. The scarlet boat is the only boat other than Victory 1 to win a race this season and Tanberg admitted he was excited by the prospect of putting on a show for the thousands expected to fill the grandstands at the Dubai International Marine Club.
“I think you can safely say we’re back in business,” smiled Tanberg, a winner in both Norway and Romania this year. “After we won the European Championship, we struggled for two races but now I think we are as good as we were when we won in the summer. Hopefully, we can carry that form into the final race of the year.”
The Emirates & Dubai Duty Free Grand Prix will get underway at Mina Seyahi at 2.30pm today (Saturday) with entrance free of charge.
-Ends-
Results – EDOX Pole Position Round Seven (Emirates/DDF GP)
1. Victory 1 – Ben Hendi/Al Marri (UAE) 2m:37.29s (191.16kmh)
2. Qatar 96 – Al Thani/Curtis (Q/UK) 2m:37.34s (191.10kmh)
3. Jotun 90 – Aarbakke/Tandberg (Nor) 2m:38.92s (189.20kmh)
4. Qatar 95 – Al Sulaiti/Nicolini (Q/I) 2m:38.98s (189.13kmh)
5. Roscioli Hotels Roma – Carrasco/Carpitella (I)2m:41.50s (186.18kmh)
Final EDOX Pole Position World Championship
1. Victory 1 – Ben Hendi/Al Marri (UAE) 122pts
2. Qatar 96 – Al Thani/Curtis (Q/UK) 114pts
3. Jotun 90 – Aarbakke/Tandberg (Nor) 82pts
4. Qatar 95 – Al Sulaiti/Nicolini (Q/I) 68pts
5. Victory 7 – Al Mehairbi/Sanchez (UAE) 50pts
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