Dubai-based Rashid Al-Mulla has arrived in Italy for final preparations to represent Team Abu Dhabi at the opening round of the 2018 UIM-ABP Aquabike World Championship in Gallipoli.
The talented 31-year-old Emirati has entered the prestigious Freestyle category and will need to be at his best to stop Slovenian brothers Rok and Nac Florjancic, who have dominated the sport since 2012. Between them they have 42 heat wins and 22 Grand Prix victories; Nac won last season’s world title after four years of dominance by his brother. Al-Mulla was third in last year’s World Championship on his Xscream 1200rr and is currently ranked sixth in the world.
Team Abu Dhabi’s aquabike stuntman broke through last season, pushing the Slovenian pair to the limit with a spectacular routine of spins, flips and somersaults. He scored 10 heat wins and three Grand Prix titles, ending the season with stunning performances in Dubai and Sharjah.
The Abu Dhabi International Marine Sports Club (ADIMSC) rider and the Slovenian brothers will not necessarily have it all their own way in this year’s six-race calendar, which features two Italian rounds, two in China and two in the UAE at the end of the year. Italy’s Roberto Mariani is the current European Champion and ranked number one in the world, while compatriot Alberto Camerlengo also has a point to prove in 2018.
Etihad Airways is Team Abu Dhabi’s official carrier, and the team is supported by the Abu Dhabi Sports Council. It runs under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Dr. Sultan Bin Khalifa Al-Nahyan, advisor to the Head of State and chairman of the ADIMSC board of directors, and the guidance of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Sultan Bin Khalifa Al-Nahyan, ADIMSC Vice-President and CEO, under the umbrella of ADIMSC board member and general manager Salem Al-Remeithi.
The venue
Gallipoli lies near the southern tip of Puglia in the province of Lecce in south-east Italy, a popular fishing port and tourist destination on the Salento peninsula. The event is organised by BeFree Sports & More under the auspices of the UIM, the Federazione Italiana Motonautica and Aquabike Promotion Ltd.
The Grand Prix also features Runabout GP1, Ski Ladies GP1 and Ski Division GP1 racing. Freestyle riders take to the water for their opening 30-minute practice at 11.25hrs CET on Friday, with Freestyle pole position (qualifying) at 17.00hrs. Two heats follow on Saturday and Sunday: after free practice at 12.25hrs, Moto 1 (heat 1) starts at 16.30hrs, and the timetable is repeated on Sunday for practice and Moto 2.
2018 UIM-ABP Aquabike World Championship calendar
- Grand Prix of Italy, Gallipoli – May 25-27
- Grand Prix of Mediterranean, Olbia – June 1-3
- Grand Prix Nansha, China – September 14-16
- Grand Prix of Shanghai, China – September 21-23
- Grand Prix of Dubai, UAE – November 15-17
- Grand Prix of Sharjah, UAE – December 11-14