Dubai: Zilzal, owned by Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, and skippered by Marwan Abdullah Mohammad Al Marzouqi emerged as the winner of the 27th Al Gaffal Long Distance Traditional Dhow Sailing Race on Sunday.
Muzahim, skippered by Atiq Mohammad Sabir Al Mazroui and owned by Al Mandoos, finished second while Lizaz owned by Serdal Marine and skippered by Khalifa Muhair Al Mazourie finished third.
Bin Ghazi, skippered by Khalifa Ali Maizer Al Rumaithi and owned by Ahmad Saeed Salem Al Rumaithi, clinched the fourth place. Emaar, also owned by Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, and skippered by Salim Ali Abdullah Al Adeedi, finished in the fifth spot.
Adverse wind conditions had forced the return leg of the race to be deferred by a day from Saturday. The annual race, held over 51 nautical miles from Sir Bu Nair island and Dubai, was scheduled to be flagged off at 6am on Saturday. The 120 dhows were braced for action at the tip of Sir Bu Nair island on Saturday early morning but with winds suddenly rising to well above the favourable 15 knots, the organising committee decided to postpone the event.
The decision to defer the race by a day was also because some of the skippers said that their boats had been damaged due to the wind squall. The race committee thought it best to wait and watch while giving the teams a chance to repair their boats. The start of the race was also delayed due to strong winds coming in from the land.
