Dubai: Eight boats qualified for the first round of the Dubai International Marine Club Match Racing Series in the Traditional 22-foot Dhow Sailing Class on Sunday, making the best of a light westerly breeze.
Shamardel, Dahees, Al Alawi and Al Za'eem led the field in the first race while Rejam, Mura'ab, Al Wasf and Lahoub scooped up the winning four places in the second race.
The 20 contesting boats were divided randomly for the two races but the draw caused a stir among the audience after the first, second, third and fifth-placed boats from last season's championship were called up for the first race.
"It was a tough race," said Sultan Saeed Hareb, skipper of Shamardel. "We had to work hard and avoid mistakes to be in the top four but luckily we made it."
The Shamardel crew showed some superb skill to gain first place on the last leg after tailing Dahees for most of the course.
It was not so smooth, however, for the other boats. During the weigh-in before the race, one boat was banned in view of a longer-than-permissible mast and one of the leading boats in the first race was disqualified as a crew member was not a UAE national, a mandatory requirement to compete in this class.
The eight winners will now go into the first series of matches to be held later in the season.
Back on shore, the Traditional 22-foot Sailing Dhows crews mingled with the RC44 Class sailing boat crews, the latter having arrived for the Sea Dubai RC44 Gold Cup starting on November 25.
Many of the Dhow skippers were seen vying for a place on board for the match racing events which will be held during the first two days of the RC44 Championship Tour regatta.
