Due to extreme weather forecasts of over 35 knots of wind, the event authority of Sailing Arabia – the Tour has made the official decision to postpone the start of the first leg of the race, from Bahrain to Qatar.
The race was due to start at 1300 local time (1000 hours UTC) on the 12th February, and has been postponed to the following day. Racing will know start at 0700 hours local time (0400 hours UTC) on the 13th February
The decision has been made for the safety of the teams due to extreme weather condition. Jean-Michl Gandon, Race Director said:
“We have taken the decision because there is a lot of wind forecast tomorrow night. It is the first leg and we don’t want to break the boats – we want all nine boats to finish the race safely. We think with more than 35 knots forecast it could make it very complicated for crews.”
The decision to postpone the first leg will not affect the following legs, which will remain as per the schedule below. The official opening ceremony will still take place on the 12th February, at the Amwaj Marina in Bahrain.
