Abu Dhabi: A new team from organisers Oman Sail — Team BAE Systems skippered by Cédric Pouligny from France — is the latest entrant in this year’s EFG Bank Sailing Arabia — The Tour, running from Bahrain to Muscat next month.
The EFG Bank Sailing Arabia — The Tour will begin on February 10 from the Amwaj Marina in Manama, and Oman Sail’s new team is expected to be one of the main contenders for the title when the race ends on February 25.
“It’s great to have Team BAE Systems competing in EGF Bank Sailing Arabia — The Tour for the third time. With a strong team that includes Arab sailors, Team BAE Systems is a reflection of one of the event’s objectives — to get sailing talent from the region involved in competitive sailing at the highest level,” said Oman Sail CEO, David Graham.
“This is the third year that Team BAE Systems will be competing in Sailing Arabia The Tour and we are looking forward to following their progress throughout this inspirational regional race,” said Andy Carr, Managing Director, BAE Systems Oman.
Pouligny, who is an experienced offshore racer and one of the driving forces behind Oman Sail’s offshore team: “The winning team will have a combination of great teamwork and team spirit, will have excellent navigation skills and the ability to stay physically fresh over the great distances we’ll be covering in EFG Bank Sailing Arabia — The Tour.”
“The team has been training hard over the past months to achieve the fitness we’ll need,” he added.
The nine teams confirmed so far will travel through Doha, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Ras Al Khaimah, Dibba and Mussanah, before arriving in Muscat on February 25. Further information on the race may be obtained from www.sailingarabiathetour.com.
