Dubai: Some of the UAE's most talented young sailors go back into match racing action next week to fight for a place in the final of the ISAF Nations Cup.
Ahmad Shaheen, already in the record books as the first UAE competitor to contest the Optimist World Championships, leads one of three boats entered by Dubai International Marine Club (DIMC) for the Nations Cup regional qualifying event it is hosting from next Monday.
Another of the UAE's brightest young sailing talents, Yousuf Khalid, leads a second all-national crew in one of eight qualifiers being staged around the world over the next four months ahead of September's final at the Royal Cork Yacht Club in Ireland.
Great chance
"This is another great chance for our top young sailors to get valuable competitive match racing experience in the build-up to the Asian Games in Doha in December," said Saeed Hareb, Managing Director of Dubai International Marine Club and ISAF Group I Chairman.
"Some of the top match racing teams in the world are trying to win their way through to the final of the ISAF Nations Cup, and our youngsters have the chance to join them."
Cedric Le Rest will lead the third DIMC boat entering the first of the regional qualifiers in Dubai along with crews from Dubai Offshore Sailing Club and the UAE Marine Sports Federation, as well as teams from India, Bahrain, Qatar and Turkey.
World and Olympic champions from across the globe will be involved in the qualifying series which also see rounds being hosted in Finland, Portugal, Slovenia, Great Britain, Ecuador, the US Virgin Islands and New Zealand.
Re-launched this year by the ISAF and featuring open and women's events, the Nations Cup has been held three times previously.
It began with an open competition in 1991, and American Ed Baird's victory in the grand final in Barcelona was the climax of more than 1,000 match races sailed by teams representing 50 countries.
Setting sail
Members of the UAE team gearing up for the Nations Cup qualifier to be held in Dubai next week.
Teams from the UAE, India, Bahrain, Qatar and Turkey will compete in the qualifying round.