UAE’s Victory Team aims to recapture former glory in powerboating world

Dubai: Al Ghaffal, which means home, is a traditional dhow sailing competition held annually in Dubai. While the Dubai International Marine Club (DIMC) is gearing up to host the 50-nautical mile race, it’s a different return for the Dubai-based Victory Team this year on the powerboat circuit. The former champion returns to the track after a hiatus of several years and now aims to regain his former glory in the coming years.

“The entire marine industry has been impacted by the Covid-19 pandemic and activity in the sport came to a halt for a short period of time. In 2023 we are seeing international activity pick up again and Victory are a well-known team as we all know. So , we started to take action to bring back the glory days of the past by participating in the Formula 1 division and had some good results in the last two races,” DIMC chief executive Mohammed Harib told Gulf news.

He added: “One step at a time, we will gradually return to the international stage and will start to rebuild the reputation of the winning team.”

Victory was the undisputed champion in every category before the pandemic hit the marine sports scene. Victory Team has been awarded the title of “Master of the Sea” by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Executive Council, for their exemplary commitment and expertise. The team has won 24 world championships and more than 600 awards and trophies.

Victory is currently fifth in the 2023 UIM World Championship F1H2o Constructors standings, while Victory 4’s Swedish driver Erik Stark is second in the Drivers’ World Championship standings with 21 points, while Victory 3’s Emirati driver Ahmed Fahim is 15th. Stark’s fourth-place finish in the second round in China should boost the team’s morale for the rest of the season.

“We are currently only concentrating on this year’s UIM F1H2o World Championship and aiming for another division next year, and so on. We want to gradually return to the international stage, but the aim of our winning team is to top every race we participate in. On the podium,” Mohammad Harib added.

As one of the oldest maritime sports clubs in the region, DIMC organizes a variety of events including traditional sailing, rowing, modern sailing and more to meet the needs of the grassroots.

“The calendar at DIMC is very diverse and needs to meet CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) as well as normal sporting events. In between we have the international calendar and then the traditional calendar. So we have a lot of community based events covered in the calendar .Compared to a few years ago, now we have more than 30 programs,” Harib said, adding that the club has added new programs such as fishing competitions. “We are working hard to come up with new ideas, new concepts from event management to sports management.”

The DIMC season concluded with the Al Ghaffal 60ft Traditional Dhow Regatta on May 27-28. Al Ghaffal has a rich tradition as the race will be the 32nd to be held between Sir Buner Island and the coastline of Dubai, a distance of 50 nautical miles.

The Al Ghaffal competition was organized under the patronage of the late Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum and was first held in 1991. The Al Gaffal race embodies the past and historic nautical traditions and revival of memory. The race commemorates the festival celebrated by the ancestors of the UAE during their long journey after months of diving in the high seas. The match is now being held under the patronage of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammad bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

“Originally, Al Ghaffal started as a game, then it became a way of life. Today, it is imperative to attend and be part of the game. This is how a joint venture between many entities over the years has made the game a success A classic example. Apart from racing, it can also create harmony in society. I admire the vision of Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid in creating this race.”

Registration for the 32nd edition has already begun and organizers expect no fewer than 125 boats. The competition has grown over the years, with 119 entrants in the last edition. “The scene at Al Ghaffal is completely different. While other races have a 15-20% dropout rate after registration, in Al Ghaffal the number of dropouts at the finish line remains the same. A race of 119 boats, at least 3000 People race on water. If you count other people like organizers, spectators and sailors, then we see 3,000 to 5,000 people packed into that small area. That’s a huge number in the marine industry,” added Mohammed Harib road.

DIMC has a rich heritage and is the benchmark for maritime sports and Mohammed Hareb believes they can use all their expertise to take the sport into the green race of the future.

“Our aim is to stay at the top of the industry and take it one step at a time in the future. Unless, there is a new motorsports world out there, we are willing to be pioneers. Our aim is to go green and move our sport from carbon-based We want to build electric engines, but it will take time. We also want to be pioneers in this,” concludes Mohammed Harib.