Established in 2011, Abu Dhabi Sailing and Yacht Club is the turf for modern and traditional sailing activities taking place in the capital. The yacht club includes all necessary infrastructure & facilities to host sailing events, promote watersports and conduct a plethora of training programs for the development of sailing and rowing sports in Abu Dhabi.
Watersports are popular in the capital and the Abu Dhabi Sailing & Yacht club plans for further development of sailing and rowing activities in the emirate. The club also works towards building close relationships with foreign yacht clubs so as to support the international and local sailing community by offering them the right kind of facilities.
Abu Dhabi Sailing and Yacht Club Activities
Dhow sailing is a heritage sport for the UAE. Originally, dhows were used for fishing, pearl diving and transportation of goods. To keep the tradition alive, Abu Dhabi Sailing and Yacht club holds annual races. These races take place when the climatic conditions are moderate.
To put it simply, the club hosts a plethora of watersports activities including dhow sailing, yachting, dinghy sailing, surfing, rowing & kayaking. The club also hosts events for these watersports throughout the season on the local, regional & international levels in close cooperation with local schools, universities and the government.
Let’s go through the Abu Dhabi Sailing and Yacht club activities in detail.
60 Feet Dhow Sailing Boats
The 60 feet class dhows are the largest of them all. These boats resemble the dhows that were traditionally used for fishing and pearl diving in the older days. For safety purposes, the dhow’s rigging is made of modern materials, and the 60ft class dhows are equipped with two masts and sails. Doing this makes the boats more technical.
However, due to this very reason, the skipper and the master have to work more skillfully in order to sail the dhow in the waves and wind.
The Abu Dhabi Sailing & Yacht Club organizes races covering long distances throughout the year for the 60 ft dhow sailing boats. There are 80 boats on the start line. At the start of the race, the dhows lay and the crew gets ready.
After receiving the signal, the fleet raises their sails and races the 15 Nautical Miles back to Abu Dhabi.
A number of events and races for the 60 ft dhow sailing boat category take place throughout the year. For more information, you can visit their official website.
43 Feet Dhow Sailing Boats
10 to 14 sailors are crewed with a 43 feet dhow sailing boat rigged with a single mast. As per local tradition, these boats are built of wood and the length of the keel is a fixed 43ft.
As for the mast and rigging, it is less traditional and upgraded with modern technology. This tradition break happened because of safety concerns. Case in point: the traditional wooden mast is too heavy and fragile at the same time to be used in racing.
The 43ft dhow races are held over a distance of approximately 15 Nautical Miles. Usually, the race for this category has between 80 and 100 dhows at the start line. The dhows race takes place either in a straight line or a gybing course to the finish line which is near the Abu Dhabi Breakwater.
The Championship hosted by Abu Dhabi Sailing & Yacht Club includes 3 races throughout the year.
For more information on the events and races for the 43 ft dhow sailing boat category, you can visit the club’s official website.
22 Feet Dhow Sailing Boats
The base to learn the traditional rowing sport is the 22ft dhow racing.
Taking part in this race is an important first step for young sailors aged 8-12 years. The 22ft dhow Sailing is an important part of the UAE’s dhow sailing heritage.
Races of the traditional sport are held on the Abu Dhabi Corniche, with about 60 dhows racing in front of the city. The 22ft dhow Sailing boats made of wood are rigged with one sail. The sails carry the colours of the UAE flag.
The boat crew includes 3 sailors from the age of 8 to 12 and 1 skipper aged over 18. This is done so that the older, experienced skipper teaches and passes on their skills to the youth.
Each race takes place over a 6-10 nautical mile course, and three races constitute the Championship. The 22 feet dhow sailing program organized by the Abu Dhabi Sailing & Yacht Club, aims to encourage and help young sailors to continue with the tradition of dhow sailing in the UAE.
Al Bwanish Sailing Boats
Originally Al Bwanish sailing boats resemble boats that were used for fishing and sailing on shallow waters earlier. The boat is made in a unique way with one wooden board. The wood is derived from tree trunks. The size of such boats depends on the size of the tree trunk.
Abu Dhabi Sailing and Yacht club decided to keep the old traditional boats alive in the form of Al Bwanish sailing boats. The club also organizes races for this category annually. At present, the club has 40 boats and 160 sailor participants.
Sailing Boats
Sailing boats require athletes to skillfully control the boat’s spend and balance in order to control and navigate the boat across the wind and the waves. Abu Dhabi Sailing and Yacht club developed different categories according to the age and the number of sailors on the crew. For more details, visit Abu Dhabi Sailing & Yacht Club’s official website.
Every year, the club hosts a variety of races for all classes. All events follow the standards set by the International Sailing Federation.
Rowing
Rowing, kayaking and canoeing aren’t just interesting, modern watersports but they also form an important part of the Olympic Games. Rowing a boat faster depends on the skill and power of the athlete.
Abu Dhabi Sailing and Yacht Club Location and Contact Details
Following are the club’s location and contact details.
Location: Abu Dhabi Theater Road, Near Marina Mall, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Contact: +971-2-6583333
Email: info@adsyc.ae
The club also has a rowing and sailing school to ensure a high level of safety and training pertaining to the watersport activity. In addition to getting experience, training for watersports also helps build physical strength, self-reliance and makes one think quickly and strategically. The club makes sure that safety is never compromised. Besides, here are some effective boat safety tips.
If you wish to register with the Abu Dhabi Sailing & Rowing School, you can email at register@adsyc.ae or call them on this mobile number – 050998920.
That is all about the Abu Dhabi Sailing & Yacht Club. Besides, if you wish to buy boats personally, go through this list of used motor boats for sale in the UAE. Here you will find a variety of motorboats, sailboats and row/paddle boats. You may also want to go through these useful tips for buying a boat in the UAE.
Stay tuned to UAE’s top auto blog for more interesting topics pertaining to various forms of transportation.
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