IRC racing all set to take off this year

The UAE has once again shown a fresh initiative on the sporting scene with the floating of a brand-new sailing class called the IRC Class.

The IRC Class - an idea mooted by DIMC managing director Saeed Hareb and DIMC Sailing Department Manager, Sid Bensalah - will come to life with the opening race for the eight-card Maktoum Offshore Sailing Trophy in the first week of October this year.

"We've been amazed with the response to this completely new class of sailing," Sid Bensalah told Gulf News.

The DIMC has been successfully pursuing an intense sailing programme for youngsters over the past five years now. The UAE has a very competitive breed of sailors in the Optimist and Laser 4.7 Classes following the setting up of the sailing department in 1999.

"Having a new class was just a logical step to take for us," Bensalah offered.

Accordingly, the idea for a new class of sailing was floated and the very first annual general meeting of the UAE IRC Owners' Association, which was held at the DIMC clubhouse on May 31.

Among other things, the meeting endorsed the committee for the UAE IRC Owners' Association headed by its president Salah Bin Touq.

Among the first things accepted by the new committee is the eight-race card for the Maktoum Trophy, which will have a prizemoney of Dh100,000 at the end of the first year of racing.
"Everyone has backed us on this new venture," Bensalah smiled.

"We are deeply appreciative of the patronage of His Highness Shaikh Maktoum Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, and also to Saeed Hareb for his guidance and enthusiasm in seeing this project through," Bensalah added.

This new class of keelboat provides for inexpensive but fair competition for local sailors.

Though there are many high-quality IRC Handicap races held throughout the world, including the Sydney-Hobart race, the King's Cup in Thailand and the Cowes Week in the UK, the Maktoum Trophy will be the first-ever highly-organised race series in this class.

"The good thing about this series is the idea of fairness as boats between 29 feet right up to 55 feet can compete," Bensalah stated.

Adding further spice to this competition will be the possible presence of former world sailing champions Paul Cayard and Russell Coutts. "Both have promised to be in Dubai at least for a couple of races," Bensalah stated.

Besides such world-class talent, there is also the likelihood of foreign sailors entering for some of the races. "We want our sailors in the UAE to get exposed to a bigger spectrum of sailing," Bensalah offered.

The new type of racing will be an ideal opportunity for the sailors to compete in a variety of races from short 'around the marks' to the prestigious 365 Nm ISAF Category 3 offshore course between Dubai and Muscat.

The UAE IRC Owners' Association's Constitution has already been approved and finalised. The overall winner at the end of the eight races will walk away richer by Dh100,000.

With this year being an experimental year, the racing activity in this class will see a bigger outcome from the 2006 season. "We want all the big boats in the water to come and join us," Bensalah invited.