Wednesday, February 27th, 2008...1:47 pm
Dubai Maktoum Sailing Trophy – Ichi Ban continues good work
Dubai, February 27, 2008: Westin in control in Division 2 at Maktoum Sailing on second day
Ichi Ban continued its good work in Division 1 while Westin Mina Seyahi kept up the pressure in Division 2 after four races on the second day of the Maktoum Sailing Trophy being held off the Mina Seyahi waters at the Mina Seyahi Dubai.
In Division 3, North Star and Rush North were headed towards a confrontation for the sole leadership with just one point separating them, even as defending champion Eureka kept up the pace with the leaders in third place.
In not so ideal sailing conditions, the Australian boat Ichi Ban, owned and skippered by Matt Allen turned up with yet another strong performance in the third and fourth races to keep sole leadership at the top of the standings in Division 1 with five points to his credit.
Dubai-based Yo!, winner of the recent Jumeirah Regatta with Toby O’Connell at the helm, charged into second place with nine points, while the RC44 boat Team Aqua skippered by Cameron Appleton was a further five points adrift in third place.
Most of the excitement, however, was concentrated in Division 2 where Westin Mina Seyahi and Le Meridien tussled to gain control after four races. But it was the experience of skipper Sultan Hareb that came to the fore as Westin Mina Seyahi took full control with five points at the top.
Le Meridien is in second with 10 points while defending champion AGMC BMW creeping in behind for third place with 12 points. In fact, AGMC BMW, skippered by Emirati Yousuf Bin Lahej, beat Westin by more than a minute in the fourth race yesterday, but the division leader had done enough in the previous three races to feel the impact.
Division 3 is being hotly contested by two of the best boats while defending champion Eureka is slowly gaining ground.
Skippered by Christophe Vanek, North Star – which dominated the opening day on Monday – kept up its good work to head the standings with seven points, while the Phil Hoskings/Lee Turnbull-skippered Rush North kept pace in second spot with eight points. Niccolo Bertola’s Eureka is in third with 12 points.
“We have had some excellent and exciting sailing and the experience of the crew is slowly coming to the fore,” stated Saeed Hareb, Managing Director for DIMC.
“Another two days of sailing and anything can happen,” he added.
Action will continue off the Mina Seyahi waters with another two races being scheduled today.
The event is being held under the patronage of Sheikh Mayed Bin Mohammad Bin Rashid Al Maktoum.
The Maktoum Sailing Trophy is sponsored by Emirates Airline, AGMC BMW, Le Meridien Mina Seyahi Beach Resort and Marina, The Westin Dubai and Marine Pool.
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July 31st, 2008 at 11:34 am
Jumeirah Regatta is now firmly established as one of the highlights of the national sailing calendar and an event with growing international appeal.
The growth of the Jumeirah Regatta into a major fixture with all-round significance is highlighted by the fact that, for the first time since it was launched in 1991, the event is likely to feature more cruiser and catamaran sailors than juniors over its two race courses.
While the fleet of cruisers and catamarans compete outside the UAE Championships, the Jumeirah Regatta title has become a prestigious prize in its own right, and at the same time the event is a perfect warm-up for the Maktoum Sailing Trophy in February.
It is the region’s most experienced fleet-racing specialists as well as many of the UAE’s brightest young sailing talents. While the cruisers and catamarans battled for honours, most of the UAE’s most talented young sailors fought out the third of five rounds in this year’s UAE National Sailing Championships in seven dinghy classes. All winners were awarded with the Jumeirah designed crystal trophy made by Precise.
http://www.jumeirah-regatta.com
The 2008 Jumeirah Regatta was run over two courses, one being set off Dubai Offshore Sailing Club for the cruisers and dinghies and the other off Mina Seyahi Sailing Club for the catamarans. Toby O’Connell completed a successful title defence in the Jumeirah Regatta to extend an impressive winning sequence in his 50-foot yacht Yo!. Victory for Yo! was no surprise.
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