Abu Dhabi: More than 700 sandcastles were built on Thursday at the heart of Abu Dhabi Corniche in an attempt to enter the Guinness book of records.
The attempt did not however break a record set in Yorkshire, United Kingdom, on August 17, of this year, in which 683 castles were built within an hour.
“Although more than 700 castles were built in Abu Dhabi, only 537 of the structures met the Guinness guidelines,” Jack Brockbank, an official adjudicator with the Guinness World Records, told Gulf News.
“The structures had to resemble castles and be a minimum of two feet wide at the base. Each castle must have also had four towers that were at least seven inches high,” Brockbank added.
The attempt was organised on Al Sahil Beach at the Abu Dhabi Corniche by live events company Flash Entertainment. More than 1,000 residents participated in the challenge.
Before the challenge began, officials ensured that the designated section of the beach had no built structures. After an hour, participants were asked to stop and the structures were twice inspected by Brockbank and other adjudicators from Guinness World Records.
“The challenge was actually quite difficult, especially as members of the public took on the attempt. But the great thing about such an initiative is that it involves the entire community in something exciting,” the Guinness official said.
Abby Dorsey, a 10-year-old from America, was at the venue with her family and friends.
“I love building sandcastles and as soon as I heard of this attempt, I wanted to be a part of it. I am so excited to be here today,” she said.
Harold Dickenson, 33, a graphic designer from Antigua, also participated in Thursday’s attempt along with his friends.
“I am from an island, and I think this means I can build a proper sandcastle. I have built sand structures before, but not a castle this big,” he said.
“Even though we didn’t break the record, we sure gave it a shot,” Dickenson added.
The Guinness record attempt marked the beginning of the 2012 Yasalam Festival, which also includes the renowned short film competition Tropfest Arabia, and a design battle known as Cut&Paste. Over the Eid weekend, a number of drawing and design workshops, as well as motorsport-themed activities such as remote control car racing, will also be organised at Al Sahil Beach as part of the 2012 F1 FanZone.
