Dubai: ‘Al Zeer’ and ‘Emaar,’ owned by Shaikh Hamdan Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and Chairman of Dubai Sports Council (DSC), finished a 1-2 under trying circumstances at the 25th Al Gaffal traditional dhow sailing race on Saturday.
With winds playing truant throughout the day following a delayed start at 8.10am — instead of 5.30am from Sir Bu Na’air Island — dhows waged a relentless battle in trying to catch the winds as they inched towards the finish line at the Burj Al Arab.
Shaikh Saeed Bin Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum presented trophies and cash awards to the winners in the presence of Saeed Hareb, Vice-President and Chairman of the Board of Directors, Dubai International Marine Club (DIMC) and General Secretary, DSC and organising committee members Dr. Khalid Mohammad Zahid and Eisa Khalfan Bin Kharbash, among others.
Exactly 120 dhows had been flagged off from the Sir Bu Na’air island at 8.10am for the silver jubilee sailing of this annual event — held each year under the patronage of Shaikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and Minister of Finance.
The fleet struggled right from the start to catch draft of crosswinds that normally blow inland during this part of the year. This resulted in severe delays and the first of the dhows managed to cross the midpoint at Moon Island only after 2pm.
As per rules governing the race, the first of the dhows crossing Moon Island may be considered for final placing in case there is an absence of winds. Al Zeer, skippered by Mohammad Rashid Bin Shaheen had been the first one to cross the midpoint of the race, followed by Shaikh Hamdan’s second dhow ‘Emaar’ that was skippered by Salim Ali Al Adeedi and former winner Ghazi, owned by Mohammad Ahmad Jaber and skippered by Ahmad Saeed Al Rumaithi.
Shaikh Hamdan had entered five dhows in this annual race — the other three entries being Al Qaffay, Za’abeel and Jumeira.
The race was held for the first time on May 23, 1991 with more than 50 dhows in fray. With so much emphasis being laid on the preservation of maritime heritage and traditions of the UAE, the field has shown a drastic improvement in the number of dhows.
‘Al Gaffal’, or the homecoming, traces the route of UAE’s pearl merchants as they returned from their exploits. The pearl merchants used to make a customary stop at the Sir Bu Na’air island to rest and prepare their pearls for
trading in the markets of Dubai.
