I don’t know why this hasn’t been publicized more but the XCAT World Championship series is taking place in Kuwait this week! I remember back in the late 80s and 90s powerboat races were pretty big events in Kuwait but this one seems to be flying under the radar.
XCAT (short for Extreme Catamaran) is one of the most challenging and extreme powerboat series in the world. Ten boats powered by twin 400hp outboard engines and reaching speeds of over 200km/h compete against each other over 20 laps each 6.5km long.
Abdullateif Al Omani (@raheeb_17) and Khaled Karam (@khlod_ali) make up Team Kuwait. Abdullateif has been part of team since it was formed in 2000 and has been competing in XCAT since the series began in 2012. Khaled, on the other hand, started his career in 2015 with single-engine powerboats, and after local and international achievements, decided to move into XCAT and has been part of the team since 2023. This is the first time the XCAT championship is taking place in Kuwait.
The races are taking place along the seafront between Marina Waves and the Scientific Center with the main event area located between Marina Waves and Babel (the boats are currently all parked there right now). There is a parade taking place tomorrow (Tuesday) at 4PM on the Gulf Road. On the weekend you’ll be able to watch the races from the shoreline, and no tickets are required.
For more info head over to @xcatworldchampionship