Dubai: Team Averda saw off EFG Bank Monaco to win the first leg of EFG Sailing Arabia — The Tour, from Dubai to Abu Dhabi on Tuesday.
The victory came a day after Averda finished top of the in-port race standings with a first, fourth and second place finish in Dubai on Monday.
“That’s two wins for us so I’m hoping it’s a sign of things to come,” said Averda skipper Marcel Herrara. “We didn’t have any wins last year, so two wins in the opening two races has lifted our confidence,” he added.
EFG Sailing Arabia — The Tour is a 15 day 750 nautical mile race from Dubai to Muscat, via Abu Dhabi, Doha, Khasab and Sohar, involving nine identical Farr 30 yachts.
Next up, Abu Dhabi will host the second batch of three in-port races on Wednesday before the second offshore leg departs for Doha on Thursday. The three batches of three in-port races serve as bonus rounds offering points that amount to overall series totals. The overall race is decided on points accrued over all five offshore legs and the three in-port races.
Sidney Gavignet’s EFG Bank Monaco are the favourites to win this year’s race having won the series for two years running. But Herrara’s Averda are hoping to deny Gavignet’s team a hat-trick, and make it third time lucky for themselves having twice finished second to Bank Monaco.
The series was established in 2011 as an opportunity for sailors to sustain training and competition programmes over the winter months while showcasing the GCC region.
