The UIM XCAT World Championship is sanctioned by the Union Internationale Motonautique, The series balances extreme performance with practical logistics through a “containerisation” system that allows entire team setups to fit into standard shipping containers.
The 2025 season concluded in December with the Victory Team securing the world title during the Grand Finale in Dubai. For 2026, the championship will expand to a six-round season running from April through December, typically visiting venues in the Middle East and Europe. Races are held close to shore to maximise spectator engagement, featuring a multi-day format of practice, qualifying, and two main races.
Stuart Porro runs three marketing businesses, commentates on XCAT racing across four continents, and works with Gibraltar Rugby.
The Gibraltar-based broadcaster heading into his sixth XCAT season explains how the seemingly impossible schedule actually works.
Victory Team claimed their third consecutive victory at the Dubai Grand Prix finale on Sunday, but a first-turn collision reshaped the championship standings as HPI Fujairah Racing Team secured second place overall after Team GB retired from the incident.
Salem Al Adidi and Eisa Al Ali won the 15-lap race under cloudy skies at Sunset Beach, completing a perfect weekend for the world champions.
Victory Team won the XCAT Pole Position Championship by a single point over Sharjah Team in a dramatic final qualifying session at the Dubai Grand Prix on Saturday morning.
Salem Al Adidi and Eisa Al Ali posted a time of 2:27.
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.
Sharjah Team claimed pole position for Race 1 at the XCAT Dubai Grand Prix despite completing only seven laps in qualifying, whilst championship leaders Victory Team secured second position and Team GB qualified fifth at Sunset Beach on Friday morning.
HPI Fujairah Racing Team posted the fastest time of 2:27.
The XCAT World Championship concludes at Sunset Beach this weekend with all sessions broadcast live on YouTube as Victory Team’s 22-point advantage faces its final test against Team GB.
Salem Al Adidi and Eisa Al Ali hold 130 points heading into the Dubai finale, whilst Scott Williams and Martin Campbell trail on 108 points with 70 points available across two races.
Salem Al Adidi and Eisa Al Ali arrive at Sunset Beach carrying a 22-point championship advantage, but Team GB remain within striking distance heading into the XCAT World Championship finale on December 12-14.
The Victory Team crew spoke to Powerboat News two days before Race 1 about their confidence, the team’s storied history, and the prospect of delivering Dubai a double world championship alongside Shaun Torrente’s F1H2O title charge.
Marit Strømøy arrives in the UAE for the most demanding fortnight of her 2025 season.
The Norwegian faces back-to-back championship finales across two series, competing in the XCAT finale in Dubai from 12-14 December before heading to Sharjah for the F1H2O season closer on 19-21 December.
Scott Williams leans back and delivers his Dubai mindset in a single phrase: Enjoy the weekend.
The 49-year-old Wirral racer trails Victory Team by 22 points heading into the UIM XCAT World Championship finale.
After two seasons learning XCAT racing, Francis Notschaele has partnered with one of offshore racing’s most decorated champions.
The approach came over breakfast in Saudi Arabia.
Victory Team hold a 22-point championship lead heading into the Dubai Grand Prix finale, where two races will determine the 2025 UIM XCAT World Championship.
Salem Al Adidi and Eisa Al Ali require just a pair of third-place finishes to claim the title, while Team GB must win both races and hope for Victory Team to falter.
Rosario and Joseph Schiano Di Cola proved they are the real thing again in Race 2 of the Kuwait Grand Prix XCAT, the defending world champions capitalised on a first lap accident and the Sharjah Team’s second consecutive retirement to claim their first victory of the season.
Victory Team’s Salem Al Adidi and Eisa Al Ali came home 8.
Victory Team extended their world championship lead with a commanding victory in Race 1 of the Kuwait Grand Prix XCAT, Salem Al Adidi and Eisa Al Ali completing 13 laps in 33:13.
65 to finish more than a minute ahead of the home team.
Ten teams will contest the penultimate round of the 2025 UIM XCAT World Championship when Kuwait hosts Round 2 from 20-22 November, with the Victory Team fielding two boats.
Entry List Features Home Nation Kuwait Kuwait’s home entry features Abdullatif Al Omani and Khalid Ali, with Bader Al Dousari named as their reserve driver.
Kuwait will host the penultimate round of the 2025 UIM XCAT World Championship following confirmation from the UIM during its General Assembly in China.
The Kuwait Sea Sports Club will organise the event from 20-22 November in cooperation with the Public Authority for Sport, setting the stage for a title showdown before the season finale in Dubai on 12 December.
