Dhows vie for place in racing series

Dubai: The top 20 Traditional 22-foot sailing dhows from last season's Championship League will compete in two races on Saturday in a play-off to take eight from each race who will go forward to take part in the very popular match-racing series.

Match racing was introduced into the sport two years ago to develop and test the sailors' skills and handling of the boat.

Up until that time the 22-foot boats had only raced on one tack across the wind and other points of sailing were not often practised as the traditional design of the boat made it tricky to manoeuvre.

The dhow was the working boat of the Gulf in the days of the pearl trade and used for diving trips in the sea of the Arabian Gulf. Boats were built to be practical and safe in two sizes — 43 feet for shorter trips and 60 feet for the long trips away.

Match racing tests two boats against each other around a triangular course, not an easy task on a boat with a fairly basic design. Needless to say, modifications and new materials are gradually being introduced to enhance the boats performance, but guidelines set by the UAE Marine Sports Association must be followed.