Dubai: Around 100 traditional 60 foot sailing dhows will take to the water on Saturday to compete in the penultimate event of the Majid Bin Mohammad Watersports Championships.
The championship is an annual event and incorporates a series of races under the patronage of Shaikh Majid Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of Dubai Culture and Arts, who presents trophies to the competitors to encourage and develop watersports in the region.
The last 60ft dhow race was held during the Louis Vuitton Trophy (LVT) at Dubai International Marine Club (DIMC) in November 2010. The ‘Heritage Race' as it came to be known was a great success and was the first time non-Emiratis had been allowed to race on the traditional dhow of the Emirates.
Teams comprised six local crew members and 14 international sailors who were competing in the LVT on the version 5 Americas Cup Class (ACC) boats.
Stark contrast
The contrast between the wooden dhows with their triangular sails and little in the way of modern comfort was a stark contrast compared to the 85ft state of the art carbon fibre ACC boats and made an historic race.
The Heritage Race in November comprised only six dhows, but this Saturday the sea offshore from Jumeirah will host up to a hundred dhows racing towards the iconic Burj Al Arab.
The start line of the 13-mile race won't be determined until Saturday morning as it will depend entirely on the direction of the wind as the dhows' favoured direction is either sailing across the wind or with the wind behind them.
The race will start at 2pm. The final 60ft race is on May 21.
