TU Delft Challenge, the amateur student team from the Netherlands, are hoping to make it third time lucky in the EFG Sailing Arabia – The Tour 2015.

After announcing themselves as title contenders last year with a podium place in just their second attempt, new skipper Wouter Sonnema, a 20 year old Civil Engineering student who took part last year as a crewmember on TU Delft Challenge, has high hopes of improving on past performances and maintaining the positive momentum that saw the team finish 4th in 2013 and 3rd last year.

Sonnema said, “EFG Sailing Arabia – The Tour is the highlight of the year for TU Delft Challenge. We go to Arabia aiming to win every race we start. We have good speeds downwind and our tactics upwind are good, but there are four new teams so a lot of unknowns”.

Team Delft Challenge team has a new look this year and with student members, Jelger Rozendaal (18) and Daan Geldermans (21) joining the team after impressing in selection trials, Sonnema is confident that the strong team spirit they have formed will pay dividends. Professional sailor, Koen van Esch, has also joined the team as coach and has spent many hours training in light airs to make sure the team is ready to challenge some of the world’s best sailors.

A larger field of 11 teams featuring the best sailing talent in the GCC and elite international sailors take on the intense challengeof a brand new 760 nm course around the Gulf of Arabia. Kicking off in Muscat on February 15th, the new course presents different challenges to previous years and teams must develop new tactics to adapt to the strong headwinds and conditions. After the opening stage, teams will set sail for Ras Al Khaimah, Dubai, Abu Dhabi, in the UAE, as well as Qatar and Bahrain, in identical Farr 30 racing yachts that ensure sailing skill is the deciding factor.

The ‘reversed’ course represents an exciting challenge for the young sailors from TU Delft Challenge, who have been competing in Farr 30 championship races all year and narrowly missed out on a top 10 place at the Farr 30 World Championships last September.

“Having 11 teams participating this year as opposed to six last year is really significant progress for SATT and a larger field of Farr 30s always makes for a greater spectacle,” added Sonnema.

EFG Sailing Arabia – The Tour was established in 2011 as the Middle East’s equivalent of the Tour de France a Voile. The race offers professional and amateur racing teams a chance to compete in warm weather during the winter months and rekindle the region’s long affinity with the water.

Schedule:

Training sessions – 11-14th February, Muscat
Leg 1 – 15th February, Muscat- Sohar
Leg 2 – 17th February, Sohar – RAK
Leg 3 – 19th February, RAK – Dubai
Leg 4 – 23rd February, Dubai – Abu Dhabi
Leg 5 – 24th February, Abu Dhabi – Doha
Leg 6 – 26th February, Doha – Manama