Omar Shaheen, one of the rising stars of sailing in the UAE, has his eyes set on a new title when the 2005 Jumeirah Regatta gets under way today.
After dominating the Optimist class for the last four years, Shaheen has moved up to the Laser 4.7 senior grade and made a flying start to the 2005-2006 UAE National Championships with victory in last weekend's first of eight rounds.
Having passed that opening test, he faces another stern examination when he takes his place in a line-up of more than 300 competitors assembling at Jumeirah Beach Hotel for the two-day second round of the national series which starts at 2pm today.
Sponsored by Jumeirah, the Dubai based luxury hospitality group, the event provides valuable high level competitive experience for much of the UAE's top young sailing talent, including most of the members of the national team currently being prepared for next year's Asian Games in Doha.
Shaheen is already in the record books as the first and youngest UAE competitor to take part in the Optimist World Championships following his participation in the 2000 event in Spain when still only nine years old.
