JEDDAH: King Abdullah, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, has approved the participation of the first Saudi powerboat team, Saudi Falcon, led by Prince Turki Bin Thamer Bin Saud Bin Abdul Aziz in the 2011 Class 1 World Powerboat Championship. It is for the first that a Saudi Arabian team is participating in a world powerboat event. The championship will be held at 5 different venues – Brazil, Italy, Norway, Abu Dhabi and Dubai. This was announced by Prince Turki at a press conference here Wednesday. He also said that the team broke the national record of marine speed while speeding from the coast of King Abdulla University of Science and Technology (KAUST) down to Al-Ahlam Marina with 55 minutes at a speed ranged from 60 to 64 nautical miles. The team comprises Prince Turki Bin Thamer at the wheel, the Norwegian co-pilot Forde Sundsdal and two navigators, Prince Saud and Abdullah Gary. Prince Turki said that he is very pleased to represent his country in this world maritime event in different countries. “The attempt of today's breaking speed record is a part of our semi-daily practices ahead of the upcoming event. I just wanted to check out my team's endurance throughout this speedy sailing in order to be ready for harder tasks,” the Prince added. The Saudi Falcon team will enjoy a very unique experience as this racing is an exciting and action-packed event combined with the glitz, allure and glamor of an international sporting event. Asked about his amazing physical fitness the Prince said: “I am still in the body building's field and I go to the gym on a daily basis.” The prince also commented that even though Saudi Arabia lies at one of the longest coasts along the Red Sea the marine sports are still nascent. He, however, has high hopes of developing and enhancing these kinds of sports with the support of the Saudi Arabian Maritime Sports Federation (SAMSF).
