Thursday, Jan 23, 2014
Dubai: The Fazza duo of world champions Nader Bin Hindi and Arif Al Zafein plan to stick to the basics as they prepare for the opening round of the 2014 UIM Skydive Dubai XCAT World Series this weekend.
Returning to the Dubai International Marine Club (DIMC) where they wrapped up the 2013 title at the end of last year, the Fazza team have their sights set on a repeat performance in this year’s series opener.
However, they know it won’t be an easy task. “All the boats are very competitive now, so to stay ahead we should stick to our basics and produce consistent performances,” Bin Hindi said.
The pressure will be on Bin Hindi and Al Zafein as they race against teammates Jay Price and Sultan Al Daheri in Skydive Dubai and Victory Team’s Salem Al Adidi and Talib Al Sayed. Also on the radar will be the Mouawad combination of Gary Ballough and Omar Danial — last year’s runners-up — and the likes of Tomaso Polli and Matteo Nicolini in their boat Six.
“The pressure will always be there,” Al Zafein said. “We know that other teams will do their best to beat us and we will do our best to defend our title. When it comes to handling the pressure, we always try to be calm and focused and handle all situations. It’s always better to think positive and stay cool.”
Racing in the 2014 UIM Skydive Dubai XCAT World Series got underway at Mina Seyahi on Thursday with the first official practice.
The race for EMAAR pole position will be held at 9.45am on Friday, while the head-to-head Dubai Duty Free Speed Cat Run will be contested at 3pm.
The main race, the Dubai Grand Prix, will take place at 3.30pm on Saturday.
Entry is free and there will be plenty of activities on offer for the whole family. For more information log on to www.xcatracing.com
By Alaric Gomes Senior Reporter
Gulf News 2014. All rights reserved.
