Sharjah Team Take Pole for XCAT Dubai Race 1

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 2:27.893 across their qualifying laps, but Sharjah Team’s early pace of 2:27.264 proved sufficient for pole position despite their session ending after seven laps.

Pole Position 1 Results

Championship Implications

Victory Team secured second for Race 1, positioning themselves perfectly to protect their 22-point championship advantage. Salem Al Adidi and Eisa Al Ali require only third-place finishes in both races to guarantee the world title.

Team GB qualified fifth, placing Scott Williams and Martin Campbell in the midfield for a race where they must win to keep their championship hopes alive. The defending champions trail by 22 points with 70 points available across the weekend.

HPI Fujairah Racing Team’s Rosario and Joseph Schiano di Cola posted the session’s fastest lap time but qualified third after Sharjah Team’s early pace secured pole position despite their truncated session.

Technical Problems

Faz Marine qualified fourth despite a temperature sensor malfunction that disrupted their ECU during the session. Arif Al Zaffain and Francis Notschaele posted a time of 2:28.457.

Energima Racing did not start qualifying after encountering power steering issues. Erik Sundblad Johansen and Marit Strømøy’s team are working to resolve the problem ahead of this afternoon’s race.

Mate USA, Giampaolo Montavoci and Alberto Huober are hoping to be ready for the race.

Victory Team 33 Absent

Victory Team 33 did not compete in qualifying and will not participate in the Dubai Grand Prix. The team have prioritised their preparations for boat #7 and the F1H2O Grand Prix of Sharjah next weekend, where Shaun Torrente leads the championship by 14 points.

Pole Position Championship

The pole position championship remains separate from the overall XCAT World Championship, with teams accumulating points across qualifying sessions throughout the season.

Sharjah Team lead the pole position championship by eight points over Victory Team heading into Saturday’s Pole Position 2 qualifying session. The season-long battle for qualifying supremacy runs alongside the main championship fight.

Race 1 This Afternoon

Race 1 starts at 15:00 Gulf Standard Time at Sunset Beach. Victory Team can extend their championship advantage with a strong finish from the front row, whilst Team GB must fight through from fifth position to keep their title hopes alive.

The race awards 35 points for victory, 30 for second, 26 for third, 22 for fourth and 18 for fifth. Race 2 concludes the championship on Sunday afternoon at 14:30 GST.

John Moore

John Moore’s 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 2025, he established Powerboat News, returning to independent journalism with a focus on neutral and comprehensive coverage of the sport.