Dubai to Muscat Race - Preview

Gilles Chiorri with Rottee Guillaume and David Worrall, Technical Co-ordinator of the UAE Sailing and Rowing Federation with skipper Craig Turner of Bobbie, who placed third in last year's race © Dubai to Muscat Race

International arrivals of 2 Oman Sail boats and crew and Yachts Consulting Race Director Gilles Chiorri, as the race from Dubai to Muscat prepares to be bigger than ever before.

Gilles Chiorri, of Yachts Consulting, arrived in Dubai today, as he and Rottee Guillaume prepared for the skippers briefing and the yacht inspections prior to the launch of the Dubai to Muscat 25th Anniversary Yacht race on Thursday November 10th, at the Umm Suqueim 1 Fishing Harbour. Yachts Consulting are the international race managers of many high profile sailing yacht races, including the MOD 70, Route Du Rum, and the Figaro as well as the Transat Bakerly from Plymouth to New York, and five times managers of the Sail Arabia The Tour with Oman Sail.

Joining him for the race Rottee Guillaume, French National Coach for extreme sailing, who will be acting as race officer alongside Gilles.

The race is a milestone for the Middle East event, challenging because of the changing winds, all the thermal effects from the desert blowing day and night. On the east side of Musandam the wind may change completely due to the relief of the mountains.

After Musandam the yachts enter relatively open waters and the wind can build up much more freely. Strategically there are lots of directions to sail, whether to go deep into open waters or hug the coast.

Rottee Guillaume for who this is the first time in Dubai, "I am very happy to be here and work again with Gilles. The facilities and Dubai Offshore Sailing Club are beautiful. I am excited to meet so many new people and experience the Middle East".

Neil Dunkley Principal Race Officer, Rear Commodore of the Royal Weston Yacht Club in Plymouth, a dinghy sailor at heart, and formerly a dinghy racer and instructor in Oman in the 80's, and event director on many inshore and offshore sailing regattas said of his return first to the Middle East, "I'm just delighted to be back in Dubai and particularly in Dubai Offshore Sailing Club. A busy sailing community, good weather and hopefully good winds will make it a great race".

Professional and local skippers attend the formal race briefing

Last night the skippers briefing took place with more than 100 skippers and crew attending. The race, which is more than 300 nautical miles, will be launched by Sheikh Khaled Bin Zayed Al Nehayan of Dubai Customs.

Dubai Customs, who became the principal sponsor this year after first sponsoring in 2015, will host a four day Race Village at the Umm Suqueim 1 Fishing Harbour. The Race Village will, from the 10th November to the 13th November, include Try Sailing, marine safety demonstrations, a dhow, many children's activities, trendy food trucks and is free to enter.

The Race Village will also be the centre of activity for the children of GEMS Education who have taken part in the Sohar Education Programme. Each sponsor has taught the children elements of their own expertise and the last session will be Dubai Customs own lesson on Monday 14th November, teaching marina and fishing management.

Said David Worrall of the Sailing and Rowing Federation, "We are extremely proud to have Dubai Customs as our partner in the race, the hosts of the Race Village and contributors to the Sohar Education Programme. This 25th annual race is officially the largest ever, and that is thanks to the hard work of our sponsors, partners, our organising team and the children on the Sohar programme."

dubaitomuscatrace.com

About the Dubai to Muscat Race

The Dubai to Muscat Sailing Race is the longest offshore race in the region covering over 300 miles. The race is organised by the United Arab Emirates Sailing and Rowing Federation (UAE SARF), in association with Oman's Ministry of Sports Affairs, and recognised by the Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC). The race is scheduled for 5 days and 20 hours, departing from Dubai Offshore Sailing Club in Dubai on 10 November and ending at 6:00 p.m. on 15 November at Al Mouj Marina in Muscat. The sailors can expect to spend from three to five days at sea, racing 24 hours a day in pursuit in a variety of challenging conditions. This 2016 event is the 25th anniversary edition of the race. Sheikh Khaled Bin Zayed Al Nehayan, Chairman of the Sailing and Rowing Federation of the UAE said, "The safety of all competitors in the race is very important and we require the race management and the yachts and sailors to meet the standards set by World Sailing and the Royal Ocean Racing Club. This way sailors can enjoy the challenge and adventure of sailing to Muscat with the knowledge that all efforts have been made to ensure they reach the finish as safely as possible."

About the Sohar Education Programme

The education programme was developed by the UAE Sailing and Rowing Federation, in conjunction with the program sponsors – Sport360, GoPro, Premier Composite Technologies, Thuraya and Dubai Customs Authority. From September, students from five GEMS Education schools will participate in the education programme. In addition to getting involved in race events including writing press releases and assisting with the event management, the year 7 to 10 students will attend courses covering diverse aspects of sailing. Dubai Customs will teach courses on fishing, traditional customs and marine management. Thuraya, a leading mobile satellite communications company, will deliver courses on GPS technology, tracking and satellite communications. GoPro, a company which "makes the world's most versatile cameras," will teach the students how to edit videos. Sport360 will teach the students how to write press releases. Premier Composite Technologies, a leading global supplier and manufacturer of advanced composite components for the architectural design, transportation and boatbuilding markets, will take the students on a tour of their factory to teach them about boat design and construction. Sheikh Khaled Bin Zayed Al Nehayan, Chairman of the Sailing and Rowing Federation of the UAE said today, "It is very good to see the sporting community and sailing community giving back to the children of the future. The Sohar education program, named after the trophy of the race, is a collaboration of sponsors and the professionals around the race teaching their speciality to children, passing on their knowledge to the next generation in a practical way."