The Renaissance team skippered by Saleh Al Jabri sailing downwind past the Musandam headland. Image copyright Mark Lloyd/Lloyd Images.
by Ingmar Jense
The Concept?
Simple. To bring Gulf states together in a race around the Arabian Peninsula.
Along the way the race will promote one of the region’s fastest growing sports, showcase commercial opportunities in sponsorship engagement and encourage the development of this region as an international stage to host high profile sporting events.
Sailing Arabia-The Tour will join sailing events such as the Volvo Ocean Race, the Extreme Sailing Series and the Indian Ocean 5 Capes race as well as the Asian Beach Games and the upcoming FIFA World Cup.
Based loosely on the demanding and internationally renowned Tour de France a la Voile, held annually in France, Sailing Arabia-The Tour will be a true test of sailor’s skills. Raced on the same one-design boats as the Tour de France a la Voile, sailors will not only have to race offshore overnight, but they will also have to do short, fast races in stopover venues close to shore for the public to watch.
The Renaissance team skippered by Saleh Al Jabri sailing downwind past the Musandam headland. Image copyright Mark Lloyd/Lloyd Images.
Build it and they will come; this is the thinking behind the first Sailing Arabia-The Tour. The Gulf Region sits perfectly placed to host events in the warmth of winter between the freezing conditions of Europe and the USA and the sailing series in Asia and Australasia. Soon after the announcement of the event, a team from France had confirmed their participation with several others showing interest for the 2011 edition. In fact, the French team is the same team that won the Tour de France a la Voile 2010, 3 places ahead of Oman Sail Renaissance. Teams from Italy, UK, Australia and Hong Kong have also shown interest for the 2011 race, as have teams from Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
Sailing Arabia-The Tour will also give massive opportunities for sponsors to engage with a totally new demographic in the region and give B2B and B2C platforms at venues along the way. The first tour has already attracted interest from financial, logistics and lifestyle companies who all see potential in involvement.
The Route
Competitors in Sailing Arabia-The Tour will traverse the Arabian Peninsula and take in four countries. Starting in Manama, Bahrain the six boats will sail around the top of Qatar and into the capital city of Doha and The Pearl Marina. From there they will have the longest leg of the Tour as they cross to the oil-rich capital of the UAE, Abu Dhabi, and the newly established Abu Dhabi Yacht Club. Teams will then pass the Jebel Ali Freezone, The World development and the famous Palm Island before calling in at the Al Hamra Marina in Ras Al Khaimah, previously home to America's Cup team, Alinghi. A short rest for the crews before sailing towards the easternmost tip of Arabia and down to the exquisite Zighy Bay Resort and Spa. The final run down the coast of Oman has the teams stopping in Musannah Games City before a sprint to the finish at The Wave, Muscat. Teams will have covered at least 1,400 kms over the route, possibly much more.
LEG - ROUTE - DISTANCE (KMS) - APPROX TIME IN HOURS AT 4 KNOTS - APPROX TIME IN HOURS AT 5 KNOTS - AVERAGE HOURS
1 Manama-Doha 241 32 26 29
2 Doha-Abu Dhabi 296 40 32 36
3 Abu Dhabi-Ras Al Khaimah 232 31 25 28
4 Ras Al Khaimah-Musandam 278 37 30 34
5 Musandam-Musannah 278 37 30 34
6 Musannah-Muscat 84 12 9 11
Sailing Arabia
Oman Sail
