Zapcat

SPORT & OUTDOOR

HITTING

THE WAVES ZapCat

T

Hurtling across the water at high speeds with nothing but a rope to hold onto sounds terrifying. We sent our man Matt to find out just how terrifying…

he UAE loves its motorsports – and we’re not talking about the impressive traffic dodging witnessed on Sheikh Zayed Road on a daily basis. From hosting Grand Prix, to having its marinas lined with fleets of luxury yachts to churning out powerboat world champions at will, it seems that if you can strap an engine onto it, then in all likelihood, someone in the UAE will be already be racing it.

Enter the ZapCat – an ultra light boat with an inflatable hull and a powerful 50hp motor bolted onto the end of it. Agreed, it’s no aquatic Bugatti Veyron, but the boat is quick, corners sharper than a Formula One car and scuttles along barely a foot above the surf.

Time to grab my swimmers – and what I could muster of my courage – and off to the new Watercooled watersports I go.

GETTING STARTED Let’s not beat about the bush: ZapCats are fast. How fast?

Well, somewhere between having a huge crash helmet thrust into my hands and being told to buckle up, I think I hear the boat’s pilot, Chris, mention that it can clock speeds of up to 80kph. Well, at least I’ll be buckled into my seat, right?

Nope. As my luck has it, ZapCats do not come with seatbelts – or seats, for that matter. Instead, as Chris covers in the safety briefing, I am to sit at the front of the boat with nothing but a rope and

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a foothold to stop me from involuntarily abandoning ship as it turns corners on a halfpenny with up to 3Gs of force throwing me about. Oh. HANGING ON Taking the shotgun position at the front of the boat, I’m run through all the essentials: how to sit, what we’ll be doing and how to position my body so I don’t come flying off when hurtling round corners.

We motor out about 150m from the shore towards three large buoys. Chris then checks if I’m ready before flooring the throttle as we shoot off towards the first marker. Rocketing up to the buoy, I barely have enough time to remember what I’m

“It corners sharper than a Formula One car and scuttles along barely a foot above the surf”

meant to be doing before we swerve sharply to the left – I straighten my leg and push myself back out of the boat against the G-force, grasping the rope as if my life depended on it (let’s face it, it probably does).

A split second later the boat is hurtling towards another marker, this time it’s a right turn. On cue I pull on the rope, lean forward and shift my weight against the turn. It’s only been a couple of minutes, and I am already knackered. As we continue around the course, I start to get the hang of it, although I am convinced that Chris is taking it easy on me.

VERDICT The ZapCat is a genuine adrenaline rush. Tearing across the water while having to reposition yourself in order to keep from coming off adds that added element of danger. The 20-minute time slot may not seem like a lot on paper, but it is more than enough considering how much it takes out of you.

1/2 AD

Watercooled, Jebel Ali Golf Resort & Spa, 9am to 5pm, Dhs170 for 20 mins. Tel: (04) 8876771. watercooleddubai.com

‘Danger’ Matt

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