SpiriQatar Team t Of To Race 29th Annual Key West World Championships
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
SPIRIT OF QATAR TEAM TO RACE 29TH ANNUAL KEY WEST WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
Super Boat International Racing Series
Key West World Championships
November 8th – 15th, 2009
Key West, Fla. (October 16th, 2009) – Super Boat International is proud to announce the participation of the SPIRIT OF QATAR team in this year’s Key West World Championships. The international team, consisting of two boats, will compete in the Catamaran Superboat 750 and 850 classes. This will be the first time that his Excellency Sheikh Hassan bin Jabor Al-Thani and Qatar’s Abdullah Al-Sulaiti will have raced in the United States. Hassan will be teamed with veteran Super Boat throttleman, Steve Curtis. The following is the press release issued by Qatar Marine Sports Federation (QMSF).
DOHA (Qatar) September 22nd, 2009 - His Excellency Sheikh Hassan bin Jabor Al-Thani has confirmed that the Spirit of Qatar Team will enter the 29th Annual Key West World Championships in Florida on November 8th-15th, 2009.
The seven-day powerboat extravaganza attracts up to 100 entries annually, with races taking place on Wednesday, November 11th, Friday, November 13th and Sunday, November 15th. Sheikh Hassan will team up with England’s Steve Curtis MBE in Spirit of Qatar 96 - running to full Class 1 race specification - and Qatar’s Abdullah Al-Sulaiti will be joined by usual Italian throttleman Matteo Nicolini in Spirit of Qatar 95.
The Qatar Team, which runs under the wing of the Qatar Marine Sports Federation (QMSF), withdrew from this season’s UIM-WPPA Class 1 World Championship in protest at some of the official decisions that had been taken in connection with racing infringements, but the QMSF quartet are relishing the opportunity to return to a racing environment in the United States of America and increase their race experience before a possible return to the Class 1 arena in 2010.
“We will race in the (Superboat) 750 and (Superboat) 850 classes,” enthused Sheikh Hassan, who has claimed 20 Class One podium finishes since he joined the world’s premier powerboat series in the middle of the 2003 season. “Both these classes have the same rules and regulations and similar power-to-weight ratios.”
Both Sheikh Hassan and Abdullah Al-Sulaiti will be racing in the USA for the first time, although Curtis has taken part in the Key West race meeting on four occasions and won his championship class twice. Nicolini visited the venue many years ago to manage a customer team, but has never raced in Florida before.
“We have yet to see the final race formats, but I don’t think it will be much different to what we are used to,” added Sheikh Hassan, who will need to leave Florida as soon as the Sunday race is finished to return to Doha for the build-up to the Unlimited Hydroplane racing in Qatar the following weekend.
“I can only speculate that it will be more of a top-end speed course than we have been used to in Class One. Steve (Curtis) has been racing for many years and his experience in the USA and at Key West will be a great asset for us.”
Curtis is relishing the opportunity to represent the Spirit of Qatar Team in Florida with the Skema V12-engined Qatar 96. “We are ideally suited to the Superboat 750 and Superboat 850 classes, although the American boats may be a little lighter than ours. It will be a great chance for us to get back into race mode and also a chance for Sheikh Hassan to spread the word about Class 1 to an American audience. Maybe it will even attract a few American teams to enter Class One in the future.”
Al-Sulaiti and Nicolini will use their Sterling V8-engined Qatar 95 at Key West, where former Class One racer Randy Scism is a regular among the 100 or so competitors and competes in the Superboat Unlimited class. “For me it will be a good experience to compete against other teams and at a new race venue,” enthused Nicolini.
The Key West race week is held under the auspices of Super Boat International Productions and starts with a boat parade and registration at the Race Village, Truman Annex, on November 8th-9th. Testing and official practice will be permitted on Tuesday, November 10th between 09.00hrs and 17.00hrs (local time), before the first race fires into life on Wednesday, November 11th.
Further testing and practice will be permitted on Thursday, November 12th and the Spirit of Qatar Team will be in race action for a second time on Friday, November 13th. Testing and practice is again allowed on Saturday, November 14th and the final race of the Key West meeting fires into life on Sunday, November 15th.
Contact: Spirit of Qatar
Neil Perkins, NDP Publicity Services, Mobile: + 44 7831 123153, E-mail: ndppublicity@compuserve.com. www.ndp-publicity.com (press releases). http://www.superboat.com http://www.qmsf.org/2009/index.html
Media Contact:
Super Boat International Rodrick Cox • rodrick@coxgpcom
About Super Boat International
Founded by John Carbonell 19 years ago, Super Boat International races are scheduled to take place in 9 markets across the country in 2009. The series has attracted many celebrity racers, including Don Johnson, Kurt Russell, Chuck Norris, Bruce Jenner and Jason Priestley. An estimated 20 million race fans have attended Super Boat International races and this number continues to grow as the sport attracts new fans. Super Boat International is the official national and international sanctioning body for offshore powerboat racing. For more information about the Super Boat International Racing Series, including the complete race schedule, visit www.Superboat.com.
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SpiriQatar Team t Of To Race 29th Annual Key West World Championships
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10-16-2009 07:48 PM
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10-17-2009 09:44 AMThis is some great news,,,,gonna be a huge party !!!!!!!!!!!
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10-17-2009 11:31 AMI had heard this was happening. Glad to see it is official now. And the last piece, does this mean Steve David will be there???, and race?????
Getting bad advice is unfortunate, taking bad advice is a Serious matter!!
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10-17-2009 03:37 PMNot sure why you would think Steve would be there? I have a call into him I'll try and find out but I dont think so.
Originally Posted by Ratickle
I had heard this was happening. Glad to see it is official now. And the last piece, does this mean Steve David will be there???, and race?????
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10-17-2009 03:46 PMOn a thread a while back, Steve said he might be there with this team, not to race. (Best boating pictures thread, On The Dock)
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10-17-2009 04:51 PMHey Pat whats going on?????
God forgives.....The 1% doesn't!!!!!!
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10-17-2009 05:02 PMHey Sean
Taking my vitamins and taking deep breaths getting ready for Key West.
9 races means more madness than usual in town.
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10-17-2009 05:55 PMCause he's friends with the Sheik, was just over there, and I'd love to see him in an offshore race (or at least involved some) again. When you talk to him, tell him he at least needs to come to the Thursday get together and introduce the sheik to Bobby, Charlie, and friends..... Originally Posted by XtremeRacing
Getting bad advice is unfortunate, taking bad advice is a Serious matter!!
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10-17-2009 05:57 PMIf Steve offered to be in a boat, I'm sure someone would strongly consider it.....
Getting bad advice is unfortunate, taking bad advice is a Serious matter!!
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10-17-2009 07:13 PM:driving
:driving will do Originally Posted by Ratickle
Cause he's friends with the Sheik, was just over there, and I'd love to see him in an offshore race (or at least involved some) again. When you talk to him, tell him he at least needs to come to the Thursday get together and introduce the sheik to Bobby, Charlie, and friends.....
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10-18-2009 10:45 PMHis Excellency Phantom1 is excited about this......
I'd rather be on the boat with a drink on the rocks, than in the drink with my boat on the rocks.
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10-19-2009 07:09 AM Originally Posted by phantom1
his excellency phantom1 is excited about this......
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10-19-2009 01:17 PM Originally Posted by Phantom1
His Excellency Phantom1 is excited about this......
Yeah, I was getting a Boner too
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10-19-2009 08:49 PM
Damn,,,what are u gonna do in KW??? LOL Originally Posted by FastDonzi
Yeah, I was getting a Boner too
Better stay a couple of feet behind me when your down there , or just walk infront of me ..
Don't take much to get u all hiped up .HEHE
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10-20-2009 10:52 AMWhen Steve Curtis lived in Miami We Rode Moto X on weekends for fun, He was Fearless then as well. He won Some sort of MotoX Championship in england, He Raced with John Bohnams Son. Steve Had a Honda/Mugen sponsership. On his MotoX bike he would hold WFO Just to Get ahead of everybody no matter what the terrain, I think he still does that with the sticks today, He's a talented guy-And Fearless.....
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10-20-2009 11:32 AMFearless guys don't live very long !!!!!!! Originally Posted by FastDonzi
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10-21-2009 08:22 PMSean........are you coming to KW and is Bobby. I asked John today and he said he hadn't heard from him. Originally Posted by Sean Stinson
Tell him I asked for him.............
Pat
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