Sailing the Arabian seas

Sailing offers an invigorating combination of wind and sea spray and a chance to experience the UAE's beautiful coast. For members of the Abu Dhabi Sailing Club, it is the ultimate lifestyle sport.

Whether rain or shine or shamal, members of the Abu Dhabi Sailing Club (ADSC) will take to the water. Abu Dhabi sits regally on the shores of the Arabian Gulf. Many expatriates as well as Emiratis have found comfort in the salty sprays of the sea while their yachts slice the skin of the sea.

Sailing offers a unique opportunity for various nationalities to come together and have fun in the outdoors.

It has become such a popular activity that pan-Arab sailing races are becoming more frequent. A Round Abu Dhabi Race organised by the ADSC is due to take place early in the New Year.

The Abu Dhabi Sailing Club was formed over 40 years ago by a group of young British navy officers. It has grown over the years to become the most successful club in Abu Dhabi. ADSC has more members than any other club in the UAE. Some of its present members have played an important part in establishing the Heritage Club. Many members trained young UAE sailors in the early days of the club before they hired a professional sailor to conduct training.

In regattas, ADSC members always participate with no less than 30 boats competing at a time.

In order to succeed and survive in this expensive sport, financial support is crucial. Members believe that as a club they have been lucky to have received support from many organisations and private companies, some of which include ADIMSC, Heritage Club, Adma-Opco, Adco, Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, Audi, Boscalis, British Airways and Spinneys, as well as contributions from club members.

ADSC owns all the boats and members are syndicated to a boat once they have passed a helm's test. This means that one gets a boat as a qualified sailor and then gets a chance to upgrade when newer ones are available. It is the responsibility of the syndicated boat owner to take care of the boat, sail it and have fun. No payment is required for the use of the boat other than the usual membership fees, so this is great news for sailing members. The members are obviously responsible for the maintenance, but help is always at hand with plenty of experienced and willing sailors.

It is with great passion and energy that the members of this diverse club shared their stories.

Peter Tonkin

I have sailed everywhere I have lived. Even when I lived in Al Ain I came to Abu Dhabi to sail. It is a dream of mine to travel on a yacht around the Greek islands, the Caribbean
and some of the Pacific Islands.

I work for the water and power utility in Abu Dhabi which is really fascinating at the moment because of the huge expansion of the city and the critical need for water and power all year round, especially in summer.

My father introduced me to sailing. He built a small wooden sailing boat and we sailed together when I was about 10 years old. I remember we first used to sail off a rocky shore with big waves. We had to row out beyond the breakers then anchor and haul up the sails. It was very exciting and scary as well as sometimes we used to end up swimming in the surf. I have sailed every weekend in Australia over the summer months ever since. You could call us a sailing family. Apart from my father, all my brothers and sisters love sailing. My wife and two daughters also love sailing.

I am the commodore for the ADSC. This is my third year as in this role.

My job is to give the club overall strategic direction and to make sure that all necessary roles and tasks are performed. I am the focal point for the ADSC but it is the team that runs the place. I enjoy mucking around in boats. My favourite quote is from the Wind in the Willows and it goes: 'There is nothing half so much worth doing as mucking about in boats. In them or out of them, it doesn't much matter.'

ADSC is the only sailing club with regular racing every weekend. However, unlike in Australia, there is a shortage
of sailing clubs in Abu Dhabi. At home there are local clubs every couple of kilometres where kids and their families sail all sorts of boats. With all-year-round good weather, the UAE is an ideal location for sailing. I am surprised that there are not more sailing clubs. With the sailing heritage of the UAE – trading, pearling and now racing dhows – it would be great if the government could allocate foreshore areas where sailing clubs can be set up and developed. It is a wonderful sport that makes use of free energy with the wind and it's a sport that men, women and children can become equally involved with.

The weather and water temperature in the UAE enable year-round sailing. On most days, the wind strengthens after 3pm as the hot air over the desert rises and drags in the cooler breeze over the water, creating a sea breeze.

I have often seen turtles, dolphins and fish leaping out of the water out at sea. The feeling of peace and tranquillity when sailing off this coast is hard to describe. On particularly chilly days, you may need to wear a wetsuit to keep the cold out. In summer, it can get very hot, especially sailing with the wind when there is no apparent breeze on the boat to cool you down.

We sail all year round and in summer it is advisable to drink plenty of water before, during and after racing. Attire should consist of a large-brimmed hat and long-sleeved shirt and long pants to protect from the sun plus plenty of sunscreen lotion on all exposed areas. The water reflects light and so a pair of quality sunglasses are also required.

I sail a double-handed dinghy boat so I always have a crew. I enjoy the teamwork and camaraderie of sailing with others and I race every weekend, usually with other yachts in organised races. I love to sail and will sail at any time, alone or in a group.

However, although the waters here are very warm, when sailing alone, I always let others know where I am going and when I will return. It's vital to keep an eye on the weather.

The weather needs to be treated with respect, because although it is quite mild in terms of wind strength, sometimes a sudden shamal will appear making sailing very risky.

The changing coastline certainly makes it interesting and dredging has stirred up particles in the water, which makes it look milky. The new bridges have changed the way the currents flow down the channels and this can make sailing difficult when the wind drops.

I think the progress in Abu Dhabi is wonderful but a city also needs its parks and gardens.

I have a number of great memories of sailing. Sailing with dolphins cavorting around the bow, surfing down monstrous waves with spray flying everywhere, sailing into the setting sun with golden rays shimmering on the water's surface.

But the sea is very unforgiving if you make a mistake. I once borrowed a boat that I didn't properly check beforehand and when I sailed out of the harbour into the open sea, the wind and waves were greater than expected. The boat started to come apart. When I was finally rescued, I was in a state of uttter exhaustion and close to collapsing.

It was quite a narrow escape.

But despite some scary experiences, sailing remains my passion – every chance I can get, I go sailing. I work a lot better when I can indulge in my passion. It relaxes me and puts life into perspective. In fact, when days go by and I have had no opportunity to go sailing I turn edgy! I enjoy being with the elements, the wind and water.

It's a great way for a family to be outdoors and togther and bond. It is a wonderful sport to participate in together as a family. If you are a nature lover and like the feel of being out there under the sky, feeling at one with nature, there's nothing like sailing.

It helps if you know how to swim but on small boats, life jackets are compulsory so even if you don't know how to swim, you can still enjoy sailing."

Britt Sorensen

I spent six months in Sudan, saw a different lifestyle and decided to stop moaning too much and try out new things in life whilst I had the opportunity. So in 2006, I decided to take up sailing.

My first time out was with our commodore, Peter, and you could not ask for a better sailor. Teaming up with another sailor for some time as his crew was great fun and I learnt a lot.

I decided to learn to sail a laser which I love. The main thing is to have fun and be willing to learn all the time. You do get competitive being surrounded by many skilled sailors, so there's always friendly banter between us.

I am in my second year as the vice commodore. Working for the good of the sailing club and its members is easy. There are always things to do and arrange. I don't really consider it to be work as it is for a group of people I like. My favourite part of this job is to arrange the annual ball, which turns
out to be a great party as everyone dresses up to the nines instead of their usual sailing gear. Fridays can get a bit hectic in getting everyone sorted out before a race so like some of the other committee members, I get there earlier to set up.

We sail in various kinds of races so that everyone gets a chance and so it doesn't get too monotonous. We have picnic races to Lulu where we picnic there and race back again.

We have also just started a Tuesday group, which is more of a practise for those who want to fine-tune their sailing skills.

I love the warm, clean and easy waters for a novice like myself. However, I am concerned that the UAE's coastline is changing.

There was a time when you'd see a lot of dolphins and fish but now you hardly see them. A great coastline with corals and other marine life is just as important.

I've had one or two scary experiences while sailing. Once, we were taking boats over from the club to Marina Mall in quite windy weather and some in the group started to get into trouble. They capsized too many times. The group split and it got dark. Eventually, we were met by the coast guard as others had raised the alarm. All was well in the end but our security was tightened after that. In this hobby, I have won a few trophies. An amusing incident was when I won the third place in the Etisalat cup. When I walked up to accept my prize at the presentation, the Etisalat staff with whom I work took
a while to realise that I was there as a competitor in the race, not as an employee of the company.

Overall, the reward is coming back from a race and knowing that you have done well in handling the boat and beaten your own self-set records.

In my book of sailing wisdom, the important lines are, 'Don't live to be a 'wannabee'; just get out there and have a go. Life is too short to say 'I wish I had done this or that'. Take out your list of 'I wish I had...' and tick off at least three things. And then fulfil them. Make new friends, find new passions and enjoy life to the fullest.

Amer Hamze

I was introduced to sailing by a Scottish couple I had met at the Abu Dhabi Sailing Club in 1985. Sailing became my passion when I started winning trophies – first as part of a crew and then later on the helm. I have been a champion at the club nine times.

I have collected over 200 trophies since 1986.

Many of us are experienced enough to train people of all ages. We do, however, have a professional trainer who can take training further. I have sailed in the UAE, Bahrain, Qatar,
Oman and Lebanon.

What's special about sailing in the UAE is that you can sail for most days a year as it's sunny and there is always enough wind to catch in the afternoons. Deeper water is ideal for fixed keelboats, but for small dingy sailing, both deep and shallow waters are fine. In Abu Dhabi, we are lucky because there are many islands that make sailing interesting. When the wind is light and the tide is strong, you can easily go backwards instead of forwards. Experienced sailors can use these conditions to their advantage.

What gets me revved up for a sailing race is the competitive spirit of the sailors on the water and the laid-back vibe afterwards. We fight on the water like hungry wolves but once we return to the clubhouse we are like brothers. My best winning experience was when I went up to the VIP stand to collect my prize from the late Shaikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan – the founding father of the nation.

He supported sailing in all its forms and his legacy will remain forever.

Sailing offers you so many kinds of experiences. I once performed a rescue operation. It was two years ago. A freak wind blew in from nowhere and wrecked havoc with most of the boats. As officer of the day, I spent most of my time trying to save boats than running the race from the committee boat. The UAE coast guard was very helpful that day and helped us to bring boats back to safety.

Sailing is a very important part of my life. Just ask my wife. She will tell you that the only time I miss a race is either because I am sick or out of the country. When my daughter joins us, it becomes a family affair. My oldest daughter turned eight this month.

This means she can start to train and learn to sail. Since my wife is an Emirati and my daughter will one day become an Emirati and I hope she will be good enough to represent the UAE in sailing competitions. I believe that it's important for more girls to get involved in this exciting sport but as of now it is predominantly male-dominated.

Sailing to me is a form of alternative medicine. Experiencing the wind, water and sun all at the same time is a fantastic way to relax.

Every Friday, my wife complains that I retire too early on in the evening. But being exposed to the elements just takes it out of you. Since I fell in love with sailing all other sports have became a distant second. I used to enjoy playing squash four times a week and was a member of my university team
as well as the club team but now sailing takes up most of my spare time.

If you take my advice, do visit one of the clubs in Abu Dhabi or Dubai. There are many clubs with boats available at very little expense. Plus there are people to help and guide you. Sailing is a sport with a touch of class. Things which normally do not form a part of your life – like the winds and the tides – become part of your world. Sailing allows you to witness nature at its best and makes you appreciate the sea a lot more.

While I am a member of ADSC, I do wish to join the prestigious Kaslik Yacht Club in Beirut, Lebanon, at a later date.

Sue Peterson

Years ago I worked in London for the John Lewis Partnership and they had a small sailing club consisting of three nine-metre yachts. A friend and I joined and spent many happy weekends 'sailing' in the Solent and Isle of Wight.

I say 'sailing' with a pinch of salt here because we were very much passengers along for the ride. I didn't learn to sail then but loved being out on the water so much that I promised myself I'd learn sailing when I got the opportunity.

That opportunity came when we moved to Abu Dhabi – I decided there'd never be a better place or time in my life; although my children were very young at the time I had help at home and wasn't working so there was nothing to stop me. Originally, Andrew – my husband – and I had planned to learn together but his work hours didn't permit this so I went along by myself to ADSC. Getting started was difficult as there was no instructor and I had to rely on the goodwill of experienced sailors to take me out. However, once I hooked up with a regular helm I really started enjoying it. I found it exhilarating if a bit scary at times but I soon got 'the bug'.

I love racing now and I go out to win. Win or lose, it is still great just being out there, although I still get scared from time to time!

I sail a Kestrel, which is a two-man dinghy, so I work in a team either crewing or helming with my sailing partner John. We've sailed together for a couple of years and it's been fun. You learn a lot by sailing with different people. It's very sociable but I think it's more rewarding when you sail with the same person regularly because you really improve as a team.

The water is never really cold and the conditions are generally good. We get to sail around some of the islands,
in clear blue sea, under a clear blue sky, with the occasional glimpse of turtles and dolphins. You can't beat it!

Both my children (Robert, 13, and Alice, 11) have done some sailing here and in the UK. They occasionally come out with me and although they enjoy sailing, they are not wild about it.

Andrew likes sailing but not racing. In a way it's fine by me – sailing here has been 'my thing' and my family has always supported and encouraged me to pursue it. I think I'm really lucky.

Personally, getting going was the most challenging part. If you want to learn, my advice is to join a club and take lessons. That way you'll get off to a flying start. You'll know the bow from the stern and won't be intimidated by the jargon!

Sandra Fischer

I consider myself to be a leisure sailor having gone on sailing holidays around the Mediterranean and Scotland. I have 20 years experience in sailing and I sail at the Abu Dhabi club with a group of great people.

The first time I taught children to sail was when I was in my late teens. When I came to Abu Dhabi, the ADSC asked me if I would be interested in teaching kids. My first reaction was to say no because I didn't want my hobby to become a job. After half-heartedly changing my mind, I prepared and read a lot of the instructional material but when the time came the enthusiasm of the children rubbed off on me and in no time things were on auto-pilot.

When I see the enthusiasm of these kids getting on to the boat and sailing away I remember my own childhood when my brother first introduced me to sailing at the Bavarian lake. When I was 12 he bought a dingy so that whenever there was a Bavarian wind we would go sailing. If I hadn't said yes, these kids wouldn't have tested the waters in their sailboat. I've fired them up to do something that I like to do and now they enjoy it too!

I remember my time in London before I came to Abu Dhabi. I had to forget about my passion for sailing because there really wasn't any sea within easy reach. At most you could paddle at Hyde Park. Coming to Abu Dhabi was a thrill as I could sail during the day and now I sail every Friday without fail.

My first race was a Muscat competition in March 2005 for
the Al Maktoum award. The starting point was Dubai's Mena Seyahi Marina Club and the destination was the Marina Club at Muscat. I was on a 13-m yacht, along with seven professional sailors. We worked shifts and it was quite strenuous but worth every bit of it.

Moving to Abu Dhabi has been a blessing in many ways. Not only am I sailing again, I am also imparting knowledge to kids.

I am glad to be in the UAE.

It caters to all adventure needs and allows me to enjoy the balance between work and pleasure.

Winning streak

The key to winning is preparation which is about 90 per cent of the effort, according to Peter Tonkin. He offers some guidelines:

- Prepare your yacht well, making sure nothing will break.

- Practise sailing together to ensure a cohesive team so that all possible manoeuvres on the boat are flawlessly undertaken.

- Understand what makes your yacht go faster. There
are large number of different settings and combinations of sail that will help your speed but you need to be able to have the fastest speed for any wind.

- Know very well the waters in which you are racing, the tides, the predominant winds, the oscillations, the bias in breeze if it swings ... you need to be able to predict the likely weather better than the opposition so that you place your boat in the right place at the right time.

- Get a good start and go the right way. The fastest way to any point is usually to go straight to it and sailing in a fleet, you need to have clear strong wind.

- Know the rules of sailing and avoid any penalties.

- Finally, enjoy it!

– Preethi D'Sa is an Abu Dhabi-based freelancer.