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Keen contest on cards for jet-ski season finale today

The tussle for top positions in most of the classes will be the highlight during the sixth and final heat of the 2011-2012 UAE Jet-Ski Championships to be held at the Umm Suqueim Beach, Dubai, on Saturday.

There is very little to separate from Mansoor Rashid Al Qubaisi and Lahij Khalid Saif Al Ma’saam in the Ski Junior class as they remain within reach of the overall honours with 257 points and 250 points respectively. But breathing down the necks is French national Burger Ryan in third place with 237 points.

The Novice Runabout class promises to be a battle between four jet-ski riders from Qatar with Abdullah Ghulam Ali leading the pack with 200 points, followed by Rashid Al Manai’e (166 points), Abdul Aziz Al Manae’i (157 points) and Mohammed Abdullah Al Haidous (149 points).

In the Expert Ski Limited class, the UAE’s Al Mur Mohammed Bin Huraiz is safely at the top with 257 points, but breathing down his neck is countryman Omar Abdullah Rashid (239 points) and Japan’s Toshi Ohara with 236 points.

Omani rider Khamis Subait Al Hosni is already assured of the top position in the Expert Runabout Stock class as he is comfortably at the top with 271 points leaving Amir Abdul Aziz Al Manaei and Abdullah Ghulam Ali to battle for second place with 142 and 139 points respectively.

In the PRO Ski GP class, a couple of Frenchmen and an Englishman will be contesting for honours with Steven Duliach and Caumont Ludovic within grasp of each other with 274 points and 259 points respectively, while Chris Wilkinson is in third with 240 points.

And in the PRO Runabout GP class, James Bouchel with 265 points will have to target a podium finish or thereabouts to assure himself of the overall crown ahead of Japan’s Toshi Ohara (215 points) and defending champion Nader Bin Hendi (169 points). “Most of the classes are yet to be decided and the sixth and final heat will be crucial for most of the riders who are targeting a top finish,” stated race official Sid Bensalah. “It will be a good day of action out on the water,” he added.

Saturday’s action will commence with the official practice at 8.45am and actual racing will be held in two separate sessions starting at 9.45am and 2pm.