Squared on top of speedboat championship: Arif Al Zafin Ambassador to seas of world

Arif Al Zafin was born in September 1974 in the Emirate of Dubai. The coastlines of the Arabian Gulf ignited an immense passion for maritime adventure in Al Zafin since childhood, developing an interest to lead the waves of the sea.

In an effort to turn his passion into reality, he enrolled himself into maritime sports and competitions, and excelled in the local fast heritage wooden boat races. These events served as his entry point into the global marine sports world, notably the 1997 Formula 2000 boat races.

The first race he participated was the Formula 2 and Formula 4 speedboat races in the Dubai Creek. During this, he showcased his exceptional skills and capabilities in boat racing, which earned him third position, giving him the opportunity to experience the bittersweet taste of victory while on the podium to start a long career of success. With Team Victory, he went from wooden speedboat racing to the Class I speedboat in 2007, winning the World Championship title in their inaugural year.

A history of achievements

The UAE Steamboat Race, the first marine motorsport competition, was held in Dubai in 1986, sparking the country's as well as Dubai’s passion for this kind of competition.

The name ‘Victory Team’ first appeared in Dubai, a year after the establishment of the Dubai International Marine Sports Club in 1988. Since then, the team has participated in fast sea boat racing competitions throughout the UAE, the GCC, the Middle East, and the USA, winning accolades and making exceptional global accomplishments.

In order to further expand his skills, Zafin travelled to Sweden and was trained by the best trainers in the country to secure first position in the World Championships, marking a breakthrough and qualitative shift in his sporting career as well as a new accomplishment for Emirati sport. This was made possible by the leadership's interest and unlimited support across a variety of fields, particularly sports.

Al Zafin has always been inspired by the words of the visionary leader, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE, and Ruler of Dubai, who said: “We are no less than the first place. Anyone who persuades themselves that he does not deserve first place, he wrote and sentenced himself to failure from the beginning.” Al Zafin set out on a path of glory and sporting brilliance motivated by his love of the sea and its adventures, with his tenacity and unwavering will to succeed, which propelled him to achieve the current status as a champion with multiple world titles in marine sports. Furthermore, this has also allowed him to rapidly adapt to the world of Class I boats. He outperformed several top players in the field to acquire the world title at the 2000 Formula World Championships, demonstrating his unwavering dedication and unshakeable determination.

In 2011, Team Victory boat 3, led by the duo Arif Al Zafin and Mohamed Al-Marri earned a historic victory with the World Speedboat Championship title – Category 1, which marked the eleventh time in the event's history that a team had won the world championship. In addition, the Middle East Championship ranking in 2011 was also topped by Team Victory Boat 3. The series of success and excellence continued when he started playing for Fazza’ boat 3, along with Nadir Ben Hindi. The duo earned the first place of the Dubai Grand Speed Boats Prize ‘XCAT’ in 2013, in the seventh and final round of the Sky Dive Dubai World Championships.

The duo carried on the winning streak with the same boat, Fazza, emerging victorious in the main race in the first and opening round of the 2014 Sky Dive Dubai World Championships, thereby winning the championship for the second year in a row. Subsequently, this was followed by the crowing of the X-Boat Dubai 3, led by the same duo, who also won the Portuguese Grand Prix for speedboats ‘X-Cat’ and the third round of the 2015 World Championships in the coastal city of Cascais with 13 participants. Furthermore, in 2016, Victory boat 3, captained by the same pair, took home the ‘XCAT’ title of the World Speedboat Championship after topping the overall ranking of four rounds.

The remarkable series of achievements continued into our current year when the brilliant duo of Fazza’ 3 demonstrated control and exceptional skills at the XCAT 2023 World Speedboat Championship at the Romania Grand Prix - the third round – which was held in the Black Sea city of Constansa. They won the main races for the fourth time in a row, placing them first in the overall standings of the competition.

Arif Al Zafin's success story is one of the inspirational stories for UAE children and Arab athletes in general. It proves that success and excellence are an ally of those who possess determination, perseverance and great ambitions.