The Sir Bani Yas Offshore Race begins Thursday with 13 teams of UAE sailors competing on a 257-kilometre course from Dubai to Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi and then on to Sir Bani Yas Island before returning to Dubai.
The 10-day race is organised by Tourism Development & Investment Company and is sponsored by the Abu Dhabi Tourism & Cultural Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi).
Sir Bani Yas Island, which is at the core of the desert islands in Abu Dhabi’s Western Region, is an 87-square-kilometre island originally developed as a wildlife reserve by Sheikh Zayed, the founding President of the UAE, to ensure the survival of Arabia’s endangered species, including the Arabian oryx.
Winners of the country’s newest sailing event will receive exclusive experiences at the Volvo Ocean Race Abu Dhabi stopover, the TCA Abu Dhabi programme being planned for the December-January hosting of the round-the-world Volvo Ocean Race (VOR) fleet.
Abu Dhabi is sponsoring the Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing team, who will sail Azzam in the 2014/15 VOR.
The winning team will receive invitations to the Destination Village’s Seashore Lounge during the VOR stopover, before boarding a boat and taking in views of the in-port race from the sea. The winning skipper will have a chance to meet the Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing crew, including skipper Ian Walker, who will be competing in what has been called “the Mount Everest of sailing”.
“To honour the sailors’ winning spirit, skills and efforts, we’re looking forward to welcoming the winners,” said Faisal Al Sheikh, the TCA Abu Dhabi events bureau director.
Sir Bani Yas Island is a tourist destination with three hotels and a range of nature activities based around its Arabian Wildlife Park.
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