UIM Dubai XCAT Naples 2014 - Mouawad put new driver to test in Naples
by Karien Jonckheere on 15 May 2014
Mouawad - UIM Skydive Dubai XCAT World Series in Naples, Italy 2014 UIM Xcat Middle East Championships
http://www.uimpowerboating.com/
At the UIM Skydive Dubai XCAT World Series there will be several new faces and team combinations when the Series resumes in Naples, Italy on May 23.
A total of 13 teams will line up in a bid to chase down current Series leaders, Fazza (Arif Al Zaffain and Nadir Bin Hendi) at the Napoli Grand Prix.
Among those will be Mouawad, the boat that finished third in the overall standings last season. However, driving the boat instead of owner Omar Danial will be young Swedish star Joakim Kumlin, who’ll be teaming up with Gary Ballough for the Italy race.
Kumlin’s season in Team Westerlund came to a premature end at the last race in Fujairah, when the boat flipped and was badly damaged. As a result his services became available, and Mouawad snapped him up, with regular driver Danial occupied in Dubai and unable to race.
'Westerlund team has decided to sit the rest of this year out, so Joakim is available to drive our boat,' explained Ballough. 'We are confident of his skills and enjoyed his friendship as a fellow racer, thus it will be simple to gel as a team.'
The hugely experienced Ballough has claimed just about every title possible in offshore racing, but still believes he can learn from his new teammate. 'Yes, I have a lot of experience so I go into racing with Joakim with an open mind that I can always learn from what he has accomplished in his career as a boat racer,' said Ballough.
