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Team Abu Dhabi eye World Class 1 title

Abu Dhabi - Team Abu Dhabi have the opportunity to produce a perfect finish to the season on home waters.

The 2015 UIM Class 1 World Powerboat Championship reaches its climax at Abu Dhabi International Marine Sports Club (ADIMSC) this weekend, with hopes running high for a historic home triumph in the UAE capital.
Taking place under the patronage of Dr. Shaikh Sultan bin Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Advisor to the UAE President and Chairman of ADIMSC, the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix promises a big package of spectacular race action and other spectator attractions at the host club.
Team Abu Dhabi have the opportunity to produce a perfect finish to the season on home waters, as their first world title will be secured if John Tomlinson and Gary Ballough in the No.6 boat win the penultimate race of the season on Thursday.
With Tomlinson and Ballough holding a 16-point cushion, team-mates Majid Al Mansoori and Rashid Al Tayer in the No.5 boat will be looking to secure runners up position outright in the championship.
They are currently tied in second place with the T-Bone Station Italian crew of Luca Formilli Fendi and Giovanni Carpitella, with Dubai's Victory Team partnership of Arif Al Zaffain and Nadir bin Hendi, the defending world champions, just two points further adrift. The experienced combination of Darren Nicholson and Matteo Nicolini will provide support in a second Victory boat.
With the final race of the 2015 Class 1 campaign following on Friday, the two Team Abu Dhabi crews know any mistakes could still produce a late change in fortunes, and they are determined to make it a 1-2 championship finish to the season.
The Class 1 contest sees six boats roaring to life at the weekend, with the V1 championship also reaching its conclusion as four monohull boats from Belgium, England, Malta, and Italy simultaneously tackle an exciting course off Lulu Island, which has been designed to bring spectators closer to the action.
Relishing the prospect of a first Class 1 world crown for Team Abu Dhabi since they entered the series in 2010, Salem Al Rumaithi, Assistant Director General of ADIMSC, said: "We have a superb opportunity this weekend, and we hope this will be a historic moment for the team, and for Abu Dhabi.
"One of our priorities is to ensure that Abu Dhabi delivers a great spectator experience, so we have designed the course to run around Lulu Island and pass close to the Corniche in order to give people the best possible view of the races on both days.
"We are delighted, as a club, to be hosting the climax of the Class 1 World Championship for the seventh time, and to be playing our part in showcasing Abu Dhabi as a world-class venue for water sport.
"This is a series we have supported since 2009 and we are happy to be once again staging an event which increases Abu Dhabi's exposure in the sporting arena and promotes the emirate as a unique tourist destination."
Spectators drawn to ADIMSC will be able to watch the high-powered World Championship racing from a specially erected grandstand, and have the chance to win a range of attractive raffle prizes.