Abu Dhabi: Shahrazad was crowned the first-ever winner of the Sir Bani Yas Offshore Sailing Race on Sunday.
Seventy sailing enthusiasts on board 11 boats took part in the two-day non-stop race, which was organised by Tourism Development and Investment Company (TDIC), in partnership with Anantara Hotels Resorts and Spas, Rotana Jet, Dubai Offshore Sailing Club (DOSC), and Volvo Ocean Race Abu Dhabi Stopover.
The event was the last of a series of races for the season by the Dubai Offshore Sailing Club.
Shahrazad, the winner of the event, regularly races to Muscat and Sir Abu Nair and competes in the local boat regattas and the annual Commodore’s Cup Regatta.
David Worrall, Captain of the Shahrazad, was delighted with the victory.
“We’re thrilled to have been part of the first Sir Bani Yas Offshore Race and to have come out as the winners of it,” he said. “It was a challenging yet just a remarkably beautiful route to sail. It has also been a great opportunity for us and other fellow sailors to explore Sir Bani Yas together. Overall, it’s been an incredible experience which we would love to do again.”
Due to the success of its first edition, TDIC is looking to make the Sir Bani Yas Offshore Race an annual event that would bring sailors from the UAE to Sir Bani Yas Island. The island is one of the largest natural islands in the UAE and is a sanctuary to over 10,000 indigenous and non-indigenous terrestrial mammals, many of which are endangered or extinct in the wild. The island also hosts the Arabian Wildlife Park, home to one of the largest Arabian Oryx herds in the world.
