Victory Team clinched the 2025 XCAT World Championship with a commanding victory in Race 1 at the Dubai Grand Prix, securing the title with one race remaining after Team GB finished fifth at Sunset Beach on Friday afternoon.
Salem Al Adidi and Eisa Al Ali won the 16-lap race by 6.38 seconds over HPI Fujairah Racing Team to extend their championship advantage to 39 points. Scott Williams and Martin Campbell crossed the line fifth, ending their championship challenge with only 35 points available in Sunday’s Race 2.
Race 1 Results
| Pos | Team | Driver 1 | Driver 2 | Laps | Time/Gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Victory Team 7 | Salem Al Adidi | Eisa Al Ali | 16 | 00.42.24.46 |
| 2 | HPI Fujairah Racing Team 96 | Rosario Schiano di Cola | Joseph Schiano di Cola | 16 | +00.06.38 |
| 3 | Sharjah Team 9 | Konstantin Ustinov | Shaun Torrente | 16 | +00.47.78 |
| 4 | Faz Marine 3 | Arif Al Zaffain | Francis Notschaele | 16 | +00.23.17 |
| 5 | Team GB 8 | Scott Williams | Martin Campbell | 16 | +1.17.1 |
| 6 | Energima 55 | Erik Sundblad Johansen | Marit Strømøy | 16 | +1.24.71 |
| 7 | Swecat 2 | Sebastian Groth | Mikael Bengtsson | 15 | +1 Lap |
| 8 | Kuwait 17 | Abdullatif Al Omani | Khalid Ali | 15 | +1 Lap |
| 9 | Mate USA 16 | Giampaolo Montavoci | Alberto Huober | 10 | +6 Laps |
Championship Clinched
Victory Team now hold 165 points against Team GB’s 126 points heading into Sunday’s finale. The 39-point advantage renders the final race mathematically irrelevant for the championship, with only 35 points available for victory.
Salem Al Adidi and Eisa Al Ali told Powerboat News before the weekend they hoped to end the championship on Friday. Their controlled performance delivered exactly that result.
The Race
Victory Team controlled the race from the front row, leading all 16 laps at an average speed of 147.26 km/h. Salem Al Adidi and Eisa Al Ali managed their advantage throughout, never allowing HPI Fujairah Racing Team’s challenge to threaten their position.
Rosario and Joseph Schiano di Cola finished second, 6.38 seconds behind the winners. The Italian brothers maintained pressure throughout but could not find a way past the championship leaders.
Sharjah Team starting from pole position finished third. Konstantin Ustinov and Shaun Torrente crossed the line 47.78 seconds behind Victory Team.
Arif Al Zaffain and Francis Notschaele finished fourth for Faz Marine, 23.17 seconds behind the winners despite their qualifying sensor problems.
Energima Racing Finish Sixth
Erik Sundblad Johansen and Marit Strømøy completed all 16 laps to finish sixth after missing Pole Position 1 with power steering issues. Energima Racing crossed the line 1:24.71 behind the winners.
Swecat finished seventh, one lap down, whilst Kuwait 17 took eighth position, also a lap behind. Mate USA completed 10 laps to finish ninth.
Victory Team’s Season
The Dubai-based crew won the championship through consistency across the three-round season. Their performances at Fujairah, Kuwait and Dubai delivered the points required to secure the world title.
Victory Team’s triumph continues the Emirates’ domination of offshore powerboat racing. The team won eight Class 1 world championships with Arif Al Zaffain between 2007 and 2016, alongside five XCAT world titles with the Emirati driver.
Dubai’s Double Championship Chase
Victory Team’s XCAT world title represents the first half of a potential double championship weekend for the Emirates. Shaun Torrente leads the F1H2O World Championship by 14 points heading into next weekend’s Sharjah Grand Prix, racing for Victory Team in circuit racing whilst competing for Sharjah Team in XCAT.
Race 2 Sunday
The season concludes with Race 2 at 14:30 Gulf Standard Time on Sunday December 14. Victory Team race for victory with the championship already secured, whilst the battle for second place in the standings continues between Team GB and HPI Fujairah Racing Team.
Pole Position 2 qualifying takes place on Saturday morning at 11:00 GST.
John Moore is the editor of Powerboat News, an independent investigative journalism platform recognised by Google News and documented on Grokipedia for comprehensive powerboat racing coverage.
His involvement in powerboat racing began in 1981 when he competed in his first offshore powerboat race. After a career as a Financial Futures broker in the City of London, specialising in UK interest rate markets, he became actively involved in event organisation and powerboat racing journalism.
He served as Event Director for the Cowes–Torquay–Cowes races between 2010 and 2013. In 2016, he launched Powerboat Racing World, a digital platform providing global powerboat racing news and insights. The following year, he co-founded UKOPRA, helping to rejuvenate offshore racing in the United Kingdom. He sold Powerboat Racing World in late 2021 and remained actively involved with UKOPRA until 2025.
In September 2025, he established Powerboat News, returning to independent journalism with a focus on neutral and comprehensive coverage of the sport.
