There’ll be all to play for when XCAT (extreme catamaran) powerboating action arrives in Australia’s Gold Coast later this month.
Having led the UIM XCAT World Series for much of the season, Team Abu Dhabi slipped to second spot at the last race in Cascais, Portugal.
Now, just one point separates them from the top placed XDubai team going into the Australian showdown.
The team of Rashed Al Tayer (35) and Faleh Al Mansoori (33) will be looking for maximum points when they take to the water at Doug Jennings Park from August 21-23.
“Yes, there is pressure. We feel pressure because we were leading the Series going into the last race and we’ve lost it now so we are working hard to recover again and go back to the top,” said Abu Dhabi-based Al Tayer.
“We’re sure the pressure isn’t only on us though – it’s on them as well.”
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Team Abu Dhabi will line up with 13 other international teams for the fourth round of the XCAT World Series which is visiting Australia for the first time in its history.
Dubbed the greatest motorsport Series on water, the XCAT World Series truly is a spectacle of speed, with teams of two taking each other on in two-engined carbon-fibre boats that tear around the course at speeds close to 200km per hour.
Asked about competing on the beautiful Gold Coast, Al Mansoori admitted: “This is our first time racing in Australia – we’ve never raced here before so we are very excited about it.
“We have heard many great things about Australia and can’t wait to get there. I’m sure the crowds there will really enjoy the fantastic show that we put on for them,” he added.
“For sure it will be a tough race and we are hoping the conditions will suit us well. There is no specific strategy and we’re not only looking to beat XDubai – we’re focused on ourselves and beating all the teams.
Our strategy is to collect points and we’re concentrating on that.”
The Gold Coast GP will take place at Doug Jennings Park, The Spit at Main Beach, and entry is free of charge to the general public. After the fourth round in Australia, the XCAT World Series heads to Nice, France in October before ending the year with races in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, UAE.
