While waiting for the last race of the Fujairah GP, yesterday, December 3rd, the XCAT boats got in the water to compete for the Fujairah Trophy SpeedCAT Run. Celebrating its return after 3 years, the "Speed Cat Run” is a match generating a separated ranking classification. The Speed Cat Run is an elimination race on a linear 800 meters long course, where in each heat only two boats race each other. Success is determined by reaction time to the “GO”, acceleration and top speed.
Then, in the water in front of the "Timing area", the XCAT teams challenged each other with their engine power, and the winners of each heat moved on to the next round until the final couple battled for the Trophy win.
The starting grid, randomly decided by a draw, was:
- Six (boat n.6) vs New Star (boat n.9)
- Team GB (boat n.8 vs 222 Offshore (boat n.10)
- Abu Dhabi 4 (boat n.4) vs Victory team (boat n.7)
- Abu Dhabi 5 (boat n.5) vs Foresti e Suardi (boat n.16)
- Dubai police (boat n.3) vs Kuwait (boat n.17)
- HPI Racing Team (boat n.96) vs Pasta Amato (boat n.22).
The winners of the first heat were: Six (boat.6), 222 Offshore(boat n.10), Abu-Dhabi 4 (boat n.4), Abu-Dhabi 5 (boat n.5), Dubai Police (boat n.3) and Pasta Amato (boat n.22). For the second round, due to the odd number of competitors, the Victory Team with boat n.7 got a repechage and they were invited to challenge boat n.22. The winners of the second heat resulted being: boat n.6, boat n.5, boat n.3 and boat n.7. In the final rounds, Abu-Dhabi 5 (boat n.5) and Dubai Police (boat n.3) raced for the Trophy, while Victory Team (boat n.7) and Six (boat n.6) challenged for the second position.
Ultimately, the final heat saw Dubai Police celebrating their success by clinching the Fujairah Trophy Speed CAT Run with boat number 3, while the second position went to Abu Dhabi Team with boat n.5 and the third step of the podium was occupied by the Victory Team with boat n.7.
In conclusion, the Fujairah Trophy Speed CAT Run has shown to be an exciting competition and a valuable opportunity for the drivers to battle within a different format, in order to recharge their energy and to get ready for tomorrow’s race valid for the 2021 XCAT World Championship.
Text & Photo Credits: UIM XCAT World Championship