Location: Abu Dhani Corniche

Date: 20 November, 2009

Some freebie VIP tickets for the Abu Dhabi Class 1 Powerboat Grand Prix gave me something to do after the delights of the Dubai AIr Show. THe event itself was quite low-key and on a much smaller scale than I'd expected with just 8 boats participating. Pre-race we decided to have a look around the pits (which we achieved for about half an hour before being 'asked' to leave). The boats themselves are 40 feet long with two 900hp V12 engines capable of up to 160mph in open water, but the course in Abu Dhabi was too tight for such speeds. The day had one qualifying session in the morning before the 70-mile race itself later in the afternoon. As a footnote, the Victory 1 boat crashed with the loss of both crew at the Dubai race three weeks later.


  • Victory Team #7 return to the pits after a test run

  • Running repairs on the Duemme Broker #10 CAM boat

  • #11 Maritime Offshore Racing has more serious problems

  • #10 back in the water

  • Engine repairs for Ugland Offshore Racing #90 Wellmax

  • Victory #7 drifts back to the pits

  • Pit crew bringing the boat in

  • The crew of Victory Team #1 - driver Mohammad al Mehairi (right) and throttleman Jean-Marc Sanchez on the left behind)

  • Arif Saif Al Zafeen, pilot of the Victory Team #3 Fazza boat which eventually won the race

  • Throttleman on #3 Fazza, Nadir Bin Hendi, is interviewed by the tv crew

  • Giorgioffshore #18 on its way to qualifying in third place is tracked by the tv helicopter

  • #18 at speed

  • Huge roosters from the Veneta Marina-SCAM #8 as they accelarate hard

  • Victory 1 chases Giorgioffshore #18 at the start of the race

  • Veneta Marina SCAM #8 approaching the turn with the Cultural Center on the background

  • #90 Wellmax

  • #3 Fazza still at speed on the manadatory long lap

  • Duemme Broker #10

  • Victory #7 slams on the anchors

  • Veneta Marina SCAM #8 skims along the surface

  • Victory #1

  • Duemme Broker #10

  • Veneta Marina SCAM #8

  • Victory #7 accellerating to the open end of the course as #18 heads for the breakwater turn

  • Eventual race winner #3 Fazza

  • Victory Team #1 and #7

  • Ugland Offshore #90 chasing Duemme Broker #10

  • Victory #1 on their long lap

  • Fazza #3 turning inside Veneta Marina SCAM #8

  • Giorgioffshore #18 racing at speed

  • The race was watched by a, er, capacity crowd...