Dubai: Some of the best UAE sportsmen are tipped to grace the opening of the ten-day Sea Dubai Watersports Festival at the Dubai Creek on Tuesday.
The continent's best junior footballer Ahmad Khalil and 14-time Middle East rally champion Mohammad Bin Sulayem have confirmed their attendance at the National Day Watersports Parade that is scheduled for a 3.30pm start today along the Dubai Creek.
The National Day Watersports Parade is being held under the aegis of the Dubai Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM), while the Dubai Sports Council (DSC) is coordinating the attendance of sports personalities.
The parade will comprise of all types of boats including Victory Team's Class 2 vessels to rowing, sailing and more traditional forms. The parade will make its way down the Creek towards the Al Shindagah traditional village in a festive celebration of the country's national day.
Action for the Sea Dubai Watersports Festival will start with the 'Dubai Shamal' - a surfski race that has attracted some of the most talented kayakers in the world to Dubai.
The race is slotted for a 1 pm start at the Mina Seyahi of the Dubai International Marine Club (DIMC).
The 'Dubai Shamal' considered among the world's richest surfski races with a total prize amount of $130,000 will witness paddlers from 28 countries including Olympic kayakers Tim Brabants (UK), Kenny Wallace (Australia) and Eirik Larsen (Norway) and Marathon World Championship contenders Manuel Busto Fernandez (Spain) and Grant van der Walt (South Africa).
The race will have a start on the western side of the Jebel Ali Palm and head at least three kilometers out to sea before turning back and finishing the approximately 24km distance at the Mina Seyahi.
The Sea Dubai Watersports Festival is a new concept initiated by the DIMC Managing Director Saeed Hareb keeping in mind the vision of His Highness Shaikh Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
"The festival is all about giving Dubai a unique identity and also an opportunity to connect the past with the future," Hareb told Gulf News.
The festival was announced by Shaikh Majid Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Culture and Arts Authority, last week.
Besides more traditional forms of watersports like sailing and rowing, the festival will also embrace the final two rounds of the UIM/WPPA Class One Offshore World Powerboat Championship.
"We will have everything in watersports with the staging of the festival. On one hand we will have the more traditional forms depicting skills and grace, while the modern racing will witness more of power," Hareb added.
Schedule
- December 2: (1 pm) Dubai Shamal - Mina Seyhi; National Day Festival (Traditional Watersports Parade) - Dubai Creek
- December 3: (3 pm) Traditional Dhow Sailing Race (22ft) - Mina Seyahi
- December 4: (2.30 pm) Traditional Dhow Sailing Race (43ft) - Mina Seyahi
- December 5: (2.30 pm) Pole Position for WPPA/UIM Class One World Offshore Powerboat Racing
- December 6: (12 noon) Wooden Powerboat Race; (2.30 pm) Dubai Grand Prix - WPPA/UIM Class One World Offshore Powerboat race
- December 7: Dragon Race; Surf-Ski Race
- December 12: (2.30 pm) Pole Position for WPPA/UIM Class One World Offshore Powerboat Racing
- December 13: (2.30 pm) Emirates Grand Prix - WPPA/UIM Class One World Offshore Powerboat race
