UAE National Sailing Championships in Dubai - Round 4

5-6 February 2010
By Sharon Allison 07 Feb 2010 09:00

Read article

Photo gallery

Discuss

Email to a friend

Printer friendly

Send us an event report

Photo © Ashraf Al Amra

Round 4 of the UAE National Championships
Photo © Ashraf Al Amra

Round 4 of the UAE National Championships
Photo © Ashraf Al Amra

Round 4 of the UAE National Championships

Adel Khalid and Robyn Smith had equal points in the Laser Standard Class at the end of the hard fought fourth round of the UAE National Championships at DIMC. But it was Khalid who came out on top with the countback rule and after a regatta that had thrown everything at the two young sailors it was a tough call. ‘I sailed in all the major laser regattas in Europe over the summer and got some good results in difficult conditions and it was good training,’ said Khalid, after his win. ‘I raced in the Beijing Olympics for the UAE which was a great experience, I really hope to be able to go to London and race in 2012,’ he concluded. ‘I really needed to win the last race as I knew we were so close on points,’ said a disappointed Smith, ‘I felt that I sailed really well though and this just makes me more determined.’

Suhail Ali Rashid Al Ghilani, from Emirates Sailing School took first place in the Optimist Class ahead of James Griffin from Abu Dhabi International Marine Sailing Club and Harry Bone Knell from Dubai Offshore Sailing Club took the honours in the Optimist Junior Class with Hannah Froud, the only girl on the podium taking second place. Saeed Salem Al Zaadi took first prize in the Laser 4.7 Class confidently winning four out of the six races ahead of Saif Ibrahim Al Hamadi who both sail for Emirates Sailing School.

With heavy skies and no wind delaying the start of the final day the prediction of big squalls and thunderstorms provoked mixed feelings for the sailors. ‘We had choppy conditions and little wind for the first days races but the sea started to build and we ended up surfing down huge waves in gusts of 20 - 25 knots by the end of day one,’ said Jon Hemingway from Dubai International Marine Club, who was helming in the Open Catamaran fleet. ‘It certainly wasn’t for the faint hearted and conditions today were the reverse, wild seas and screaming wind once we got started and then the wind died again,’ he added after taking his second place prize behind husband and wife team Peter and Carol Eldridge who were winners of the Open Catamaran Class.

Members of the UAE Sailing & Rowing Federation attended the race and Sheikh Khalid Zayed S Al Nehayan, President of the Federation awarded the trophies to the winners.

Results:

Related Articles:

 UAE National Championship at Mina Seyahi - Preview - 04 Feb 2010
The fourth UAE National Championships this season will take place at Dubai International Marine Club over the weekend. Five sailing clubs from the UAE will converge on Mina Seyahi bringing over fifty boats to join the established home fleet.