‘Pretty Fast’ MTI 54 Spirit Of Qatar Catamaran To Test Today In Key West

With one freshwater test-session on a Central Florida Lake a few weeks ago under their belts, throttleman Steve Curtis and driver Sheikh Hassan bin Jabor Al-Thani of Qatar will take to saltwater for the first time today in Key West, Fla., in their 54-foot MTI catamaran dubbed Spirit of Qatar and powered by dual-calibration 1,550/1,350-hp engines from Mercury Racing. It will be the reunited duo’s final opportunity to sync up in the cockpit before taking the Extreme-class green flag tomorrow in the first of three contests in the Race World Offshore Key West World Championships.

Curtis owns the 54-footer that he and Sheikh Hassan will pilot in Key West. Photos by Pete Boden copyright Shoot 2 Thrill Pix.

Curtis described today’s water conditions as “bumpy,” though based on the marine forecast he is expecting them to “flatten out” throughout the week.

“We will go out and give it a quick test, but it is the worst conditions of the week,” he explained. “So we don’t need to smash it to bits—just give it a shakedown and try a rough-water setup.

“The boat is pretty fast, and with a bit of time I think you could make it really quick,” he added.

The owner of the 54-footer, which has a 49-foot running surface, Curtis and Sheikh Hassan are backed by the Qatar Ministry of Sports and Youth and several other sponsors. They will go head to head in tomorrow’s contest against the American Custom Marine team of Michael Knoblock and Jeff McCann in a 42-foot Fountain V-bottom. While they had hoped for more competition, both are delighted to be sharing a raceboat cockpit again.

“Obviously, it’s a bit sad that a couple of other teams that said they were going to come didn’t make it—it would have like the old Miss GEICO days,” Curtis said. “But the main thing was to get down here and enjoy Key West for what it is.”

The American Custom Marine Fountain V-bottom will go up against Spirit of Qatar MTI catamaran tomorrow in the first of three races this week.

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