60ft traditional dhows line up for championship

posted on 12/10/2010: 59 views

Under the auspices of Dubai International Marine Club (DIMC) the best crews of the 60ft traditional dhows will line up on Saturday in preparation for the first round of the new seasons Championship.

Four rounds are staged over the year ending in the now famous long distance race, Al Gaffal, from Sur Bu Na'air Island, fifty nautical miles offshore. Registration for the race in DIMC Race Centre closes at 17:00 on Thursday 14th October and over seventy boats are expected to sign up for Saturdays race. All the boats have to be on the starting line at Moon Island, twenty-nine nautical miles offshore at 11:00 on Saturday and head to the finish line in front of the Burj Al Arab. The race is expected to take five hours ending at around 16:00.

It is a course, which will be mimicked on Saturday November the 20th during the Louis Vuitton Trophy, 12 - 27 November at DIMC when the helm of six traditional dhows will be given to the six skippers competing on the 85' Americas Cup boats. ‘It will be the first time the dhows have been sailed by non Arab sailors and it will be interesting to see how the world's elite sailors take to our traditional boats,' said Saeed Hareb, CEO of DIMC. ‘We will not make the course as long as this Saturdays and the regular dhow skipper will be on the boat with four crew members to assist if needed. But all 17 members of the six Louis Vuitton Trophy teams will take part and we are really excited to see the results and their reaction.'– Emirates News Agency, WAM

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