Team Abu Dhabi took a big step towards their first world powerboat racing title of the season on Saturday by dominating the opening leg of the Necko Endurance race in Augustow.

The combination of Shaun Torrente, Emiratis Rashed Al Qemzi and Rashed Al Tayer and Italian Tullio Abbate in Abu Dhabi 35 strengthened their grip on the World Endurance Championships with victory in the first of the weekend’s two back-to-back races.

The result puts them in a commanding position to secure the world endurance crown if they can avoid any mechanical failures or major mistakes in the second six-hour race getting under way at 11am local time on Sunday.

Meanwhile, a fourth place finish on the Necko Lake on Saturday means the all-Emirati crew of Majed Al Mansoori, Mohamed Al Mehairbi, Rashed Al Remeithi and Faleh Al Mansoori in Abu Dhabi 36 can take third overall in the championship with a similar performance tomorrow.

With reigning F1H2O world champion Torrente first in action, Abu Dhabi 35 took an immediate lead when the first race got under way as they looked to build on their impressive victory in the 24 Hours of Rouen in France two months ago.

Only briefly did they lose the advantage towards the half way point, firstly to the Navikart Soliodaires French crew of Sebastien Lemoine, Olivier Betin and Stephane Lemoine and then to Russians Konstantin Ustinov and Dimitry Vandyshev and Lithuania’s Edgaras Riabko in Nollet 2.

At this point there was often as little as two seconds separating the leaders, but over the last two hours Abu Dhabi 35 gradually eased away to complete 294 laps by the finish, three more than Nollet 2 in second place and third-placed Navikart Soliodaires. Abu Dhabi 36 finished 276 laps in fourth position.

If Torrente, Al Qemzi Al Tayer and Abbate avoid problems on Sunday they will deliver the first of four world powerboat racing titles being targeted this season by Abu Dhabi International Marine Sports Club.

Torrente, who leads this season’s UIM F1H2O World Championship, heads straight from Poland to Stresa, Italy to begin his defence of the UIM XCAT World Championship with Faleh Al Mansoori. Meanwhile Rashed Al Qemzi tops the current F2 standings.

Caption: Team Abu Dhabi 35 powering their way to victory in Poland to strengthen their grip on the World Endurance Championships.

Meanwhile, six-time UIM Class 3C World Champion, Marcus Johnsson, had to be content with a silver medal in Tvedestrand on Saturday, after 2018 UIM Class 3C European Champions Erik Sundblad Johansen and Robert Aunvik did enough to win the title.

Norway’s Sundblad Johansen and Aunvik placed second today and added to their wins in the first 2 heats, while their fierce rivals all week, Marcus Johnsson and Jussi Myllymaki from Finland took the win with an average speed of 75.08 knots.

The bronze medal was taken by the Swedish pairing of Johannes Lundqvist and Mattias Lind, all of the top 3 teams were racing Mercury powered Twister catamarans.

Powerboat P1 has announced that the P1 AquaX Bahamas World Championship will take place from Nov.8-10, 2019 in Nassau Paradise Island, Bahamas.

Atlantis, Paradise Island will serve as the host hotel for the three-day event, marking the climax of the fourteen-event international P1 AquaX season, which consists of established jet ski race series in the United States, mainland Europe and the United Kingdom.

The new event is a collaborative partnership between the Nassau Paradise Island Promotion Board, Bahamas Ministry of Tourism and Aviation and Atlantis, Paradise Island, one of the most renowned resort destinations in the world; featuring five towers, a 141-acre waterscape (Aquaventure), the largest open-air marine habitat in the world, over 40 premier dining options, a world-class casino and a multitude of amenities and interactive experiences suitable for every type of traveler.