Extreme Marine aim to extend winning run

The Extreme Marine duo of Rashid Khalfan Al Merri and Salem Fadil Al Hameli will be the team to beat when the third round of the 2012 UIM X-Cat World Series is held off the Mina Seyahi waters of the Dubai International Marine Club (DIMC) on Saturday. Al Merri and Al Hameli, who have been regulars in this championship over a prolonged period of time, once again teamed up to clinch the top spot in Abu Dhabi, leaving the Qatar Team pairing of Mohammad Al Nasser and Hamad Jasim Mohammad in second and Omar Danial and Gary Ballough in Mouawad in third position in Abu Dhabi last month. Over a period of time, the pairing of Al Merri and Al Hameli has worked itself into a winning combination in this category of powerboat racing. "This is a race that will decide the course of the overall standings and that is why it is very important for us to win," Al Merri said. "There are a few boats that we will have to watch during this race, particularly the American ones [Mouawad and Abu Dhabi Racing Team]. It is very important that we go out on the water and win this one so that we can be the front-runners for the overall crown." Planning for victory With two rounds gone, the Qatar Team are at the top of the overall standings with 600 points after collecting two second place finishes, while Mouawad is lurking in second with 450 points closely followed by Extreme Marine in third with 422 and home team Fazza in fourth with 417. "Any of these boats are in a position to win this weekend. At Extreme Marine we have a plan and this involves winning the race as it will be decisive in ultimately having a winner," Al Merri said. With nearly 15 boats confirmed for the third round of the competition, organisers are expecting a tough tussle on the water this weekend.