Manama: With just a week to go before the start of the third edition of EFG Bank Sailing Arabia – The Tour, a fleet of One Design Farr 30 yachts has arrived at Amwaj Marina, starting point for the two-week competition.
The contest will pit some of the world’s best sailors against the elements of the Arabian Gulf. Identical except for the sponsors’ logos, the nine boats arrived overnight at the Kingdom’s premier yachting facility and preparations for the arduous challenge ahead started immediately.
As the mast of his boat slid into position and the boat was lowered into the water, UAE national sailing team member and skipper of Team Abu Dhabi, Adil Khaled, stressed he was looking forward to the next three weeks:
“It’s a wonderful opportunity for Team Abu Dhabi to show how initiatives of the Abu Dhabi Government and the Abu Dhabi Sailing and Yacht Club are paying off for sailing in the Emirates.
“It’s going to be a tough few weeks, but with this wonderful boat and some great competitors from across the region and the world, EFG Bank Sailing Arabia – The Tour is going to be a great showcase for us. We’ll spend the next few days tuning the boat and training so as to get the best possible chance of winning.”
CEO of event organisers Oman Sail, David Graham, added his view of the next three weeks:
“It’s exciting to know that the boats are in place, that the crews are getting ready and that on February 10, EFG Bank Sailing Arabia – The Tour will be under way. We’re looking forward to a close competition that will inspire the young people of all the GCC nations to get involved in sailing and learn the teamwork and skills they will need to compete on the world stage.”
With just one week to go until the start, all the teams will be busy tweaking the boats for the last ounce of performance, and training hard to ensure they are in the peak of physical fitness.
The Farr 30, which first came to prominence in sailing competition in the late 1990s is still one of the most advanced boats of its size, balancing affordability with great design for an ideal offshore racing experience.
Leaving Manama on February 10, EFG Bank Sailing Arabia – The Tour calls at Doha, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Ras Al Khaimah, Dibba and Mussanah and ends on February 25 in Muscat. The racing will include in-port racing at selected locations.
For more information on the race, please visit www.sailingarabiathetour.com.
