Victory 1’s Mohammed Al Marri and Nadir Bin Hindi received a standing ovation from guests and teams at a glittering Gala Dinner at the Dubai International Marine Club in Dubai, as the 2008 World, Middle East and Pole Position Champions held aloft the Sam Griffith Memorial Trophy.

The dinner, hosted by Emirates Airline the and Dubai Duty Free, brought the curtain down on a simply outstanding season for Dubai’s Victory Team, which saw them win five races from eight starts to retain their World title, with Victory 7’s Jean-Marc Sanchez guiding Abdullah Al-Mehairbi to the runners-up slot in his ‘rookie’ season.