Dubai Sports Channel, affiliated with Dubai Media Incorporated, announced that it will follow the Dubai Grand Prix for XCAT Powerboats, the fifth and final round of the 2024 World Championship, which represents the conclusion of the 2024 global racing season, which Dubai will host from December 13 to 15, with the participation of 10 international boats competing for the titles of the first and second main races, in addition to the speed race title.
This coverage comes within the framework of Dubai Media Incorporated’s keenness to enhance Dubai’s position on the world map as an international centre for marine sports.
The Dubai International Marine Sports Club is organising the major event, which will be held on the beaches of Jumeirah, which hosted the world race in the 2019 and 2021 seasons. Jumeirah beachgoers will once again enjoy the championship’s competitions and follow the events closely.
Abdulrahman Amin, Director of Sports Channels, said : “ The Dubai Grand Prix XCAT is a global sporting event that embodies the spirit of challenge and creativity that characterizes Dubai, and confirms its position as a leading destination for hosting the most prominent sporting events on the international scene. The event is an innovative platform that celebrates the spirit of teamwork, with the participation of different teams from all over the world, who will work together to provide exceptional sporting experiences that combine competition and great performance.” He pointed out at the same time that “Dubai Sports Channels” has prepared an integrated agenda that aims to convey the pulse of the championship and enable marine sports enthusiasts to follow the details of the competitions, which contributes to opening new horizons for marine sports, as this coverage reflects the technical capabilities, logistical capabilities and national competencies that “Dubai Media” possesses, capable of enriching the local media scene.
For his part, Mohammed Abdullah Hareb Al Falahi, Board Member and Executive Director of the Dubai International Marine Club , said : “Organizing this major event highlights the importance and leadership of Dubai, which has become a global hub for hosting major sporting events and championships in all activities and events. Organizing the event is also a continuation of the historical global presence of the Dubai International Marine Club, which became the first Arab and Asian club to gain membership in the International Marine Racing Federation, at the beginning of the nineties, and was also the first to host the largest global championship at the time through the final round of the 1992 World Championship for Powerboats – Class 1.”
Al Falahi thanked the partners of success from government departments and national institutions that always contribute to the success of the events and championships organized by the club, most notably the Dubai Media Incorporated, the General Command of Dubai Police, Dubai Municipality, the Roads and Transport Authority in Dubai, the National Guard (Fourth Squadron), and the General Directorate of Civil Defense in Dubai.
Al Falahi also extended an “open” invitation to the public to follow the championship and enjoy the accompanying events, and to support the teams led by 4 Emirati teams, namely Fujairah 96, Victory 7, Sharjah 9, and Faz Marine 3, in addition to the rest of the competitors, namely: Q8 Oil 17 (Kuwait), Suwaikat 2 (Sweden), Consul Brokers 22 (Italy), Trouble Two 10 (Australia and Italy), and Tselmari 88 (Belgium), in addition to the British boat, the title holder.
The XCAT powerboat races return to the Dubai International Marine Club’s calendar of events this season 2024-2025, after the club’s absence from organizing them in 2022 and 2023, so that Dubai’s beaches can recall their beautiful memories with the World Powerboat Championships, which have established their position as the first destination in the region and the Middle East to host such events since 1992, when the International Marine Racing Federation (UIM) chose Dubai to host the closing ceremony of the Class 1 World Championship, after which it became a permanent and continuous global destination for such events.
This week, all eyes will be on Dubai’s beaches to follow the excitement and rivalry, especially since the world championship title is still up for grabs among the teams competing for the top spot in the overall standings. The Dubai 2024 Grand Prix will reveal the season’s champion, crowning him in the twelfth edition since the championship’s launch in its global form from Dubai’s beaches in 2010.
The event schedule will start on Thursday after the arrival of the participating delegations, where the official registration procedures for the teams and competitors will be completed, then the official meeting of the championship will be held, in which the instructions will be explained, the race route will be clarified, and all inquiries regarding participation will be answered.
The event will see the participation of 10 boats with 20 competitors from different continents of the world, representing the elite in the sport of powerboats, led by four Emirati teams: Victory 7, led by Salem Al-Adidi and Issa Al Ali, which is in third place with 166 points; Fujairah 96, which is leading the overall standings with 215 points, led by the brothers Rosario and Giuseppe De Cola; Sharjah 9, led by Mikhail Kitashev and Dmitry Vandyshev, which is in eighth place with 62 points; and Faz Marine 3, led by Aref Al-Zafin and Konstantin Ustinov, which has 15 points and is in tenth place.
The UAE teams will compete against the rest of the participating boats, including the second-placed Swedish team, Suwaikat 2, which has 214 points, the Italian team, Consul Brokers 22, which comes in fourth in the overall standings with 163 points, and last season’s title holder, Team Britain 8, which comes in fifth place with 111 points, in addition to the Kuwaiti boat, Q-Oil 8, led by Abdul Latif Al-Omani and Khaled Ali, which comes in sixth place with 112 points, the Belgian boat, Tselmare 88, which comes in seventh place with 111 points, and the Australian-Italian boat, Trouble Two 10, which has no points.
The organizing committee of the event invited the public and fans of marine sports and speedboat races to follow the big event at the championship site located behind Sunset Shopping Center in Jumeirah 3, where the race village was established in front of the beachfront near Jumeirah beachgoers, while the track was placed near the beach to increase the enthusiasm of the followers who can watch the event and interact with its moments over the course of three days.
Program:
Friday, December 13, 2024:
Best Time Qualifying 1 (11.00-12.15)
First race (15.00)
Saturday, December 14, 2024:
Best Time 2 Qualifiers (12.00-13.15)
Speed Race (15.30)
Sunday, December 15, 2024:
Second race (14.30)