Dubai: Mohammad Rashid Musabeh Al Rumaithi led his ‘Al Adeed’ to victory in the opening heat of the 60ft Dubai Traditional Dhow Sailing Championships held off the Mina Seyahi waters of Dubai International Marine Club (DIMC) on Saturday.
With more than 80 dhows participating in anticipation of the traditional season-ending ‘Al Gaffal’ held in the final week of May each year, competition was stiff in the 15 nautical miles race.
Al Rumaithi managed to get the perfect line on a normal day of sailing off the Mina Seyahi waters past The Palm Jumeirah. As he led ‘Al Adeed’ leewards and then turned in towards the finish line near the Burj Al Arab, there was a tussle for second between ‘Ra’ad’, ‘Zef Zaf’ and former champion ‘Ghazi’.
Evetually, Al Hur Rashid Khadim Al Muhairi managed to steer ‘Ra’ad’ clear and finish in a strong second, while ‘Zef Zaf’, owned by Ahmad Khadim Rashid Al Muhairi and skippered by Abdullah Ahmad Khadim Al Muhairi completed the podium finish leaving ‘Ghazi’ in fourth, while ‘Bin Halais’ – owned and skippered by Mohammad Ahmad Hassan Al Hammadi – took the fifth position.
Essa Khalfan Bin Kharbash, DIMC Board of Directors and Chairman of the Sports Committee was joined by fellow board member Khalid Bin Dasmal and Hazim Qamzi, the Acting Executive Director at DIMC and Mohammad Al Marri, Director, Sports Affairs at DIMc at the presentation of trophies at the end.
