Class 1 - Dubai U.A.E. Preview

Victory Team will be looking to cap a brilliant season by adding the Middle East and Edox Pole Position Championships to the World crown they lifted last week, after finishing first and second in the Mina Seyahi Grand Prix.

Victory 1 heads the Edox Pole Position and Middle East Championships, and will line up for the Emirates and Dubai Duty Free Grand Prix as favourites to complete an impressive treble.

The only threat to their possible treble comes from Qatar 96 crew desperate to salvage something from a disappointing season by completing a hat-trick of wins in qualifying to secure a first Pole Position title for Sheikh Hassan and a remarkable straight eighth title for Curtis. But failure to win in qualifying and in the Emirates and Dubai Duty Free Grand Prix would see the eight times World Champion without a race-win or a title for the first time in 12 years.

With the title and the runners-up slot in the World Championship already secured by Victory 1, Victory 7 battle for third place is a three-way fight between both Qatar outfits and Jotun, with Abdullah Al-Sulaiti and Matteo Nicolini in Qatar 95 holding the upper hand.

Victory also dominates the Middle East standings, leaving another three-way fight for third place, with Foresti & Suardi fighting with the Qatar boats as they bid to finish as the highest-placed European crew.

After taking its first Class 1 podium last week, finishing third Giorgioffshore has confirmed that he will run with the team’s test driver, Riccardo Calugi. Tom Barry-Cotter and Pal Virik Nilsen have used the break between races to test and make modifications to the new Maritimo raceboat, with the Australian-Norwegian pairing looking for a second top six finish in Saturday’s final race of the season.

Roscioli Hotels Roma and Spirit of Spain will hope that engine changes to both boats will resolve the issues that curtailed their last race early in proceedings, whilst Foresti & Suardi has repaired the damage they sustained and Negotiator and Jotun have resolved the problems that prevented both from starting last time out. Eleven boats will line up for the 21-lap, 97.21Nm Emirates and Dubai Duty Free Grand Prix; first official practice takes place on Thursday, 11 December (12.00-13.00) followed by a second session on Friday morning (10.00-11.30) and the Edox Pole Position at 14.30. Final practice is on Saturday morning (09.30 -10.30) followed by the Emirates and Dubai Duty Free Grand Prix starting at 14.30.

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP - after round 7 of 8

1. Victory 1 – 125pts

2. Victory 7 – 105pts

3. Qatar 95 – 81pts

4. Qatar 96 – 71pts

5. Jotun 90 – 64pts

6. Foresti & Suardi 8 – 57pts

7. SeveneleveN 18 – 26pts

8. Spirit of Spain 88 – 19pts

9. Negotiator 50 – 16pts

10. Qatar 9 – 4pts

Roscioli Hotels Roma 60 – 0pts

MIDDLE EAST CHAMPIONSHIP - after round 3 of 4

1. Victory 1 – 60pts

2. Victory 7 – 42pts

3= Qatar 95 – 23pts

3= Foresti & Suardi 8 – 23pts

5. Qatar 96 – 22pts

6. SeveneleveN 18 – 17pts

6. Negotiator 50 – 16pts

Roscioli Hotels Roma 60 – 0 pts

Jotun 90 – 0 pts

Spirit of Spain 88 – 0 pts

EDOX POLE POSITION CHAMPIONSHIP – after round 7 of 8

1. Victory 1 – 102pts

2. Qatar 96 – 99pts

3. Jotun 90 – 70pts

4. Qatar 95 – 59pts

5. Victory 7 – 45pts

6. Foresti & Suardi 8 – 24pts

7. SeveneleveN 18 – 20pts

8. Negotiator 50 – 17pts

9 Spirit of Spain 88 – 7pts

10= Qatar 9 – 5pts

10= White 4 – 5pts

12. Roscioli Hotels Roma 60 – 3pts

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