tomorrow (Tuesday) as young contenders from around the world and a high-class contingent of match racing specialists begin a fascinating week-long battle for honours. Now in its sixth year, the Emirates Airline-sponsored Dubai Junior Regatta adds another chapter to its success story by hosting 143 enthusiastic competitors from 18 nations for a highly competitive race series in the Optimist and Laser 4.7 classes. While the world’s largest junior sailing event is an appetising prospect on its own, the launch this time of the Dubai Match Race in conjunction with the regatta adds to the feast of competitive activity being served up by Dubai International Marine Club and Emirates.
Open to competitors of all ages, the exciting new match racing series already seems assured of a big future, fuelled by a growing appetite, both locally, and internationally, for Americas Cup style head-to-head combat.
“We have all the ingredients for a great week of sailing involving many of the world’s best young competitors and a strong contingent of match racing teams,” said Saeed Hareb, managing director of Dubai International Marine Club and the regatta’s chief executive, before this afternoon’s (Monday) colourful opening ceremony at DIMC.
“With the consistent backing of Emirates, the regatta continues to go from strength to strength and we plan to make sure that trend continues in the years ahead. At the same time we have very high hopes for the Dubai Match Race because we believe match racing has a great future in this part of the world.”
Emirates’ sponsorship of powerful Americas Cup contenders Team New Zealand has driven a rising demand in the UAE for top quality match racing events, and the arrival of a new high performance racing boat, conceived in Dubai, is set to deliver fresh impetus.
Officially unveiled at DIMC on Sunday afternoon by its makers, V1 Advanced Composite Technologies, the V1/Lutra-30 Sport Boat will be given its competitive debut when the Dubai Match Race gets under way tomorrow (Tuesday) morning.
Teams from Finland, Germany, India, Italy and Sweden go into match racing action along with two crews from the host club and another from Dubai Offshore Sailing Club.
Taking place under the patronage of H.H.Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al-Maktoum,
Chairman of Emirates, the Dubai Junior Regatta is organised by DIMC in conjunction with the UAE Marine Sports Federation and the ISAF, the world governing body of sailing.
The event is co-sponsored by Le Meridien Mina Seyahi Beach Resort and Marina, the official hotel, Marine Pool and V1 Advanced Composite Technologies. Other official suppliers for the event are Trek, Al Boom Marine, Dubai’s Victory Team, Duboats, El Mundo, Nordest and Olimpic Sails.
Predicting a likely Dubai Match Race winner is perhaps as difficult as selecting the Optimist and Laser contenders who will succeed South Africa’s Justin Onvlee and Sweden’s Karin Alkstedt, the 2005 champions who have now stepped up to other sailing classes.
“There are a lot of very talented youngsters here and the regatta is really wide open,” said Sid Bensalah, the regatta chairman and sailing manager at DIMC. “Everything is set for some very interesting and highly competitive sailing.”
Sweden defend their Optimist team title while last year’s Laser team champions South African go for a repeat victory and Holland aim to hold on to the Dubai Trophy as the overall regatta team champions.
It may be too early to predict the Olympic champions of the future, but one young man certain to come under the spotlight this week is 13-year-old Frenchman Sacha Pelisson who is rated one of the world’s top Optimist competitors.
With teams from DIMC, Jebel Ali Sailing club, Dubai Offshore Sailing Club and Abu Dhabi Sailing Club in the international regatta line-up, the UAE will be looking to be amongst the honours when the event reaches its climax next Sunday.
Also hoping to carrying the UAE flag to victory will be brothers Omar and Ahmed Shaheen, two of the country’s brightest hopes. While Omar chases the Laser crown to underline his considerable potential, Ahmed skippers one of the two DIMC crews entered in the Dubai Match Race.
