Qatar Team top the Speed Cat podium « UIM XCAT World Series Powerboat Racing

The Qatar Team held their nerve to once again emerge as the speed kings of the UIM Skydive Dubai World Series on Lake Maggiore today.

Taking on the rest of the field in the thrilling, head-to-head Dubai Duty Free Speed Cat Run which is contested on a straight 1km course, the team of Mohammed Al Nasr and Abdulrahman Al Nasr staved off some tough opposition, defeating Fazza in the penultimate round before getting the better of Team Westerlund in the final.

This was the Qatar Team’s second successive Speed Cat victory, having topped the podium in the last round of the Series in Dubai in March. Speaking after the final, Al Nasr said: “I am very happy to come first again and especially here in Italy because this is the first time we are racing here in Europe.

“We had a very good start and pushed more and that got us first place,” he added, also giving credit to his new co-pilot Al Nasser.

As for the task that lies ahead – the main race of the Italian Grand Prix, Al Nasr said: “We start tomorrow in position number four so we have a chance to reach the first buoy in the lead which is good.

“All the XCAT boats are now strong so it won’t be easy but we hope to finish in the top three. I think the conditions will be good tomorrow but for me it’s better if there is no wind. I prefer the flat water.”

Earlier in the day, there was disappointment for current Series leaders Fazza (Arif Al Zaffain and Mohammed Al Marri), who claimed the fastest time in the Emaar Pole Position race, but were later disqualified after failing to pass post-race scrutineering and will now have to start bottom of the pile.

As a result, Skydive Dubai (Rashid Al Tayer and Jay Price) will start in pole position tomorrow, with Six (Matteo Nicolini and Tomaso Polli) in second spot and Mouawad (Omar Daniel and Gary Ballough) in third.

“It’s quite a fun course,” said Price. “There are a lot of turns and you really have to set the boat deep and accelerate out of it, but with my new driver we’ve got a good handle on the boat and we’re looking good.”

As for where Skydive Dubai’s main competition is likely to come from, Price reckoned: “I hope I don’t look out for anybody. I hope they’re all looking out for us.”