Skipper Mohammed Rashid Bin Shaheen leads the field in a 43 ft wooden racing dhow during a traditional dhow sailing race in Dubai.
Skipper Mohammed Rashid Bin Shaheen leads the field in a 43 ft wooden racing dhow during a traditional dhow sailing race in Dubai.

Tactics triumph in latest heat of 43ft dhow championships in Dubai



DUBAI // They had anxiously studied the weather forecasts, lovingly waxed their handbuilt boats and pored over maps. In the end though, it was strategy that won the day in the second heat of this year's Dubai Traditional 43ft Dhow Sailing Championships.

True to its billing as the most popular sport in the country, almost 900 young Emiratis took part in the race yesterday.

Shortly after 3.30pm, 82 dhows, each carrying a crew of between 10 and 12 sailors, hoisted their sails in unison and set off from the Palm Deira, and the winner reached the Burj al Arab a little over an hour later.

Sid Bensalam, the general manager at Dubai International Marine Club, the organisation behind the race since its start 20 years ago, said: "It's more popular than any other sport here, even football.

"The government has supported it, because it considers it as part of the heritage. But it's a thriving sport and very athletic. The younger generation's participation is the only way to connect the past, present and the future."

The sport typically attracts about 12,000 participants over the course of the year, Mr Bensalam said.

The season sees competition in three categories, 20ft, 43ft and 60ft dhows, each of which has three or four heats spread out over several months during the winter period. The first heat of the 43ft competition was in December and another heat will be held in March.

Only Emiratis can take part, with many members of the royal family among the owners of the vessels.

Sultan Hareb said he built the dhow he skippered in yesterday's race by hand at a cost of about Dh300,000. His vessel, Shamardel, is owned by Sheikh Majid bin Mohammed.

"Nobody teaches you how to build them," said Mr Hareb, 31. "There's a standard layout, you can change that based on your ideas."

Mr Hareb has a family history with links to the sea. His grandfather was the skipper of a pearl-diving dhow and his father is managing director of Dubai International Marine Club.

"We want to try to continue what our family did before," he said. "It's a message that we want to pass it on to the next generation."

The dhows do not have a weighted keel, making them sometimes unsteady. It is the duty of the crew, who are dressed in an incongruous mix of a traditional keffiyeh and Bermuda shorts, to clamber from side to side of the ship in order to balance the weight and stop them capsizing.

The wind speed yesterday was considered perfect for the race, a rate of about 13 knots.

Under those conditions, when the dhow can reach speeds of up to 19 knots, it moves as though "kissing the water", Mr Bensalam said.

On display were a wide variety of tactics employed by skippers, with some hugging the coastline and having to make regular changes to avoid man-made islands. Others travelled in a wide arc, only cutting in at the last minute. Mohammed Rashid bin Shaheen, skipper of the vessel Al Zeer, brought his wealth of sailing experience to bear to win the race.

Mr bin Shaheen has won more than 20 races and is described by marine club staff as famous for his strategic thinking.

"The most important thing in the race is tactics," he said, after hoisting a giant silver cup to the cheers of his crewmates. "Everyone knows that I am a man of tactics. I saw the weather and I knew what we needed to do in these conditions in order to come first. We got off to a good start, and I knew in my heart that we would win."

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Indoor cricket in a nutshell

Indoor Cricket World Cup - Sep 16-20, Insportz, Dubai

16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side

8 There are eight players per team

There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.

5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls

Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership

Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.

Zones

A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs

B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run

Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs

Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full

Springtime in a Broken Mirror,
Mario Benedetti, Penguin Modern Classics

 

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MATCH INFO

Inter Milan 1 (Martinez 18' pen)

Juventus 2 (Dybala 4', Higuain 80')

COMPANY PROFILE

Name: Qyubic
Started: October 2023
Founder: Namrata Raina
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Current number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Initial investment: Undisclosed 

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How to protect yourself when air quality drops

Install an air filter in your home.

Close your windows and turn on the AC.

Shower or bath after being outside.

Wear a face mask.

Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.

If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.

Wicked
Director: Jon M Chu
Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey
Rating: 4/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: ARDH Collective
Based: Dubai
Founders: Alhaan Ahmed, Alyina Ahmed and Maximo Tettamanzi
Sector: Sustainability
Total funding: Self funded
Number of employees: 4
Singham Again

Director: Rohit Shetty

Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone

Rating: 3/5

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Tips to keep your car cool
  • Place a sun reflector in your windshield when not driving
  • Park in shaded or covered areas
  • Add tint to windows
  • Wrap your car to change the exterior colour
  • Pick light interiors - choose colours such as beige and cream for seats and dashboard furniture
  • Avoid leather interiors as these absorb more heat
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
From Zero

Artist: Linkin Park

Label: Warner Records

Number of tracks: 11

Rating: 4/5

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Profile of Tarabut Gateway

Founder: Abdulla Almoayed

Based: UAE

Founded: 2017

Number of employees: 35

Sector: FinTech

Raised: $13 million

Backers: Berlin-based venture capital company Target Global, Kingsway, CE Ventures, Entrée Capital, Zamil Investment Group, Global Ventures, Almoayed Technologies and Mad’a Investment.

Did you know?

Brunch has been around, is some form or another, for more than a century. The word was first mentioned in print in an 1895 edition of Hunter’s Weekly, after making the rounds among university students in Britain. The article, entitled Brunch: A Plea, argued the case for a later, more sociable weekend meal. “By eliminating the need to get up early on Sunday, brunch would make life brighter for Saturday night carousers. It would promote human happiness in other ways as well,” the piece read. “It is talk-compelling. It puts you in a good temper, it makes you satisfied with yourself and your fellow beings, it sweeps away the worries and cobwebs of the week.” More than 100 years later, author Guy Beringer’s words still ring true, especially in the UAE, where brunches are often used to mark special, sociable occasions.

Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale

Starring: Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan, Radhika Sarathkumar, Nagarjuna Akkineni

Director: Amith Krishnan

Rating: 3.5/5

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Electoral College Victory

Trump has so far secured 295 Electoral College votes, according to the Associated Press, exceeding the 270 needed to win. Only Nevada and Arizona remain to be called, and both swing states are leaning Republican. Trump swept all five remaining swing states, North Carolina, Georgia, Pennsylvania, Michigan and Wisconsin, sealing his path to victory and giving him a strong mandate. 

 

Popular Vote Tally

The count is ongoing, but Trump currently leads with nearly 51 per cent of the popular vote to Harris’s 47.6 per cent. Trump has over 72.2 million votes, while Harris trails with approximately 67.4 million.

SPECS

Engine: Two-litre four-cylinder turbo
Power: 235hp
Torque: 350Nm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Price: From Dh167,500 ($45,000)
On sale: Now

KEY HIGHLIGHTS

Healthcare spending to double to $2.2 trillion rupees

Launched a 641billion-rupee federal health scheme

Allotted 200 billion rupees for the recapitalisation of state-run banks

Around 1.75 trillion rupees allotted for privatisation and stake sales in state-owned assets

TV: World Cup Qualifier 2018 matches will be aired on on OSN Sports HD Cricket channel

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