AbuDhabi and Ras Al Khaima will be a host venue to Sailing Arabia The Tour in its second consecutive year. Team Ras Al Khaimah, the official UAE entry for the second edition of Sailing Arabia – The Tour – was announced today (5 Feb 2012) at a press conference at the Adbu Dhabi Sailing and Yacht club HQ, organized by Abu Dhabi Sailing and Yacht Club, in association with Oman Sail.

Ras Al Khaimah will join teams from Oman, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and France for the 1,408 km yacht race starting at Bahrain’s Anwaj Marina on Sunday, February 12 and concluding about 15 days later at the Wave, Muscat in Oman.

The race is being sailed over five offshore legs with organized stopovers and short Olympic-style in-port racing at Doha, Abu Dhabi, Ras Al Khaimah, Zighy Bay Musandam, and Mussanah.

Now in its second year, the race is organised by Oman Sail in collaboration with a number of authorities from the Gulf region with a concept that brings the Gulf States together in a unique race across the Arabian Gulf.

Abu Dhabi Sailing and Yacht Club General Manager, Majid Al Muhairi, says the club is pleased to welcome Oman Sail and grateful for its organization of the second edition of Sailing Arabia – The Tour.

“It gives us immense pleasure to host the second leg of The Tour once again in Abu Dhabi and to host in-port races that will take place on February 18. These races will allow the public to capture all the racing action just metres from the shore.

“The SATT is a key annual sailing event hosted by the Abu Dhabi Sailing and Yacht Club and provides a great opportunity to link GCC stopovers in an exciting offshore race and this is in line with the club’s objectives of promoting sailing and developing our young local sailing talent.”

Majid says Abu Dhabi has positioned itself on the international sailing map after successfully hosting the recent Volvo Ocean Race fleet.

“We aim to have more Emirati sailors take part in major yachting events like the Volvo Ocean Race and the experience our sailors gain from participating in the SATT will ensure they’re well on their way to achieving great things in professional sailing.”

Oman Sail Event Director Issa Al Ismaili says Sailing Arabia – The Tour has attracted a host of international sailing talent including Olympic-winning and world record holding yachtsmen and women proving that the region has something great to offer the international sailing community.

“This is just the second edition of SATT and the event is already well known and it will be watched with interest by sailors around the world from the start in Bahrain until the last yacht crosses the finish line at Muscat.

“The inclusion of a team from the UAE along with other teams from the region is essential to the continued success of the event and we’re confident of drawing even greater regional and international participation for the 2013 event.”

“SATT provides a winter alternative to the European offshore yacht racing events and the timing of SATT is perfect as a prelude to the European sailing season. The event is also full of sailing challenges providing a perfect sail training platform.”

New race sponsor announced

Oman Sail was also delighted to announce today that Eden Yachting, the leading international yacht charter company in the Middle East, had re-joined Sailing Arabia – The Tour 2012 as a key sponsor.

Eden Yachting Founder and Managing Director, Philippe Saad, says Eden Yachting was extremely pleased to be again involved with the event for a second year running in a sponsorship capacity.

“As a passionate yachtsman and racing skipper myself, it gives me great personal pleasure to see a major sailing event taking place on our doorstep. Sailing Arabia – The Tour 2012 places the Gulf States on the map of international sailing regattas, as well as increasing the visibility of the sport within the region, something very important for upcoming generations of competitive young sailors.

“It also allows local businesses to engage in sponsorship and other commercial opportunities related to yacht racing, attracting international high profile sailing events to increasingly consider the Gulf as an attractive winter venue.”

A veteran of 160,000 ocean miles, skipper John Curran will lead the team on board team RAK. A sailing instructor with 30 years experience in the UK, Caribbean and Europe, John is well placed to get the best from his crew and says his UAE-flagged entry will be competitive, proving that team work is a key ingredient to successful yacht racing.

“Oman Sail is very focused on building sailing as a regional sport from the ground up. Sailing Arabia The Tour is attracting greater regional and international awareness and participation in the event and promoting the Gulf as a world class sailing and cruising destination.” said John

“Team Ras Al Khaimah is proud to be a part of Sailing Arabia – The Tour and to demonstrate what can be achieved by individuals when they come together as a team with a single common goal. I would also like to acknowledge our sole sponsor, the Ras Al Khaimah Tourism Investment and Development Authority, whose generous support has allowed us to compete in this exciting and challenging event.”

John’s crew includes watch leader Kevin Russell from Zimbabwe and his 21-year-old son Gareth Russell; James Atkinson, 27 and Frank Turnbull, 49, both from the United Kingdom and Australian Reginald Furlong who at 65 is the oldest competitor in the race.

For the first time there will also be an all women’s team, Al ThurayaBankMuscat, led by British round-the-world sailor Dee Caffari. The team, which includes four Omani women, will compete as part of the Oman Sail Women’s Sailing Programme, which was launched in October 2011.

The women have undergone a rigorous selection and training programme which has not only qualified them as professional dinghy sailing instructors, but has seen them become Oman’s first professional female sailors.

To follow Team Ras Al Khaimah’s progress during SATT please visit the official event website www.sailingarabiathetour.com