As Dubai this week showcases the wonderful world of superyachts, an altogether less ostentatious side to the region's sailing ambitions was revealed recently when the Oman Sail race series, EFG Sailing Arabia - The Tour, stopped off in Abu Dhabi.
"The vision by Oman Sail to develop the region's sailing talent and reignite the rich maritime heritage has become a reality," says David Graham, the Oman Sail chief executive.
But a fully-fledged racing boat is a far cry from the millionaires' playthings that ply the warm waters of the Arabian Gulf and beyond. This became acutely apparent when I somewhat unexpectedly joined crew members of the Abu Dhabi Yacht Club vessel for the second run in the Abu Dhabi in-port race leg of the series a couple of weeks ago.
After watching the first race from the comfort of the 38ft VIP motorboat, I was plucked by rubber dinghy to the side of the yacht. An ungainly scramble aboard saw me take my place - at the back of the boat - as the crew of trainees, plus an experienced skipper and first mate, swung the sleek 24ft craft into the wind. "Just swap sides when I tell you," the skipper said as I perched nervously on the hard plastic ledge along the inside of the hull. "And watch out for that as it swings," he added, pointing to the boom. "That can hurt."
The boat's sails filled with wind and it keeled over hard as it accelerated into position for the start of the race. "Jibe," cried one of the crew, wrestling a mass of ropes and pulleys that enable the boom to swing over. At the same time, a figure at the front of the boat frantically hoisted another sail, which billowed out like a hot-air balloon.
"This side," shouted the skipper to me, and I half-climbed up the now steeply slanting floor to cling to the guide wires and sit opposite from where I had begun.
There followed an hour of what was an exhilarating taste of a racing yacht in competition - the complexity of the rigging, sail work and manoeuvres required to stay in touch with the six or seven other racers, all in identical Farr 30 craft, was astonishing. How anybody knew which rope to pull and when was beyond me. Eventually, sea-soaked and sunburned (well, I was), we crossed the finishing line, only behind the Oman navy-crewed yacht due to some ill-luck with the wind and jibing.
For the local trainees aboard, the race around the Corniche bay was designed to give them real-time experience of competing as part of the club's remit to boost the sport among Emiratis. While the event I was in was a training exercise for them, next year the Abu Dhabi boat will be a fully-paid up member of the series and will take part in the whole 760-nautical mile event from Bahrain to Oman via Qatar and the UAE. It is a further example of this country's bid to raise awareness of the emirate both to tourists in general and as a sailing destination in particular.
"I believe this year's event has really strengthened that image and has put the Middle East on the map as a prime international yachting location," Mr Graham says.
From Oman's point of view, the Oman Sail initiative ticks the right boxes. "Sailing enthusiasts from around the world came and participated in this major sporting event that further bolstered the country's tourism sector and highlighted its vast maritime potential," Ghasi Humaid Al Hashmi, the deputy director general of tourism promotion at the Oman ministry of tourism, said as the series ended.
It is not just the world's best sailors who are waking up to the attraction of the tour. Commercial partners are realising great value from promoting their brands so widely across the GCC states. In the first year the Sailing Arabia event yielded US$1.5 million of media return, according to EFG Bank's website. In the second year that value had doubled to more than $3m.
"EFG Bank receives branding on each of the boats as part of their sponsorship package in the form of a composite logo on the hull," says Bryan Winning, Oman Sail's business development director.
"Individual boat sponsors receive the majority of the boat branding to ensure a ROI [return on investment] for the boat sponsors.
"EFG also sponsor an individual boat allowing them to fully brand it for maximum effect. A great deal of brand awareness is generated for EFG through logo placement on the spinnakers, which act as giant floating billboards, maximising the level of media coverage the EFG brand receives."
The quality of Oman Sail's backers alongside EFG Bank are testimony to the high esteem the organisation is held in.
"BAE Systems is a founding partner of Oman Sail," says Guy Griffiths, the group managing director for BAE Systems International.
"They fully understand our project; specifically that it is not only a sailing project, but that the core of Oman Sail is the development of young Omani talent, empowering them with life skills and making them more employable."
Mr Graham, too, was ebullient in his praise. "The fourth edition of the tour has produced a stronger than ever level of competition. I am particularly pleased to see the healthy mix of youth, women, regional and professional sailors develop into a highly competitive, international fleet."
I suspect he was not referring to the less-than-lightweight human ballast the capital's entry was saddled with.
chnelson@thenational.ae
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