By Sports Reporter/Doha
The final countdown is well underway with just one week to go until the EFG Sailing Arabia – The Tour 2015 (SATT) reaches Qatar waters on February 26 Eleven teams will sail into the Four Seasons Marina, Doha and take part in an action-packed in-port race set to thrill spectators from across the nation. The boats, which set sail from Muscat on February 15th are now on Day 5 of the Gulf tour and will depart Doha on the final leg of the race as they take on the ultimate head-to-head challenge to reach the finish line in Manama, Bahrain.
Now in its fifth year, the tour offers 15 days of intense sailing to test the skills of not only the region’s best sailing talent, but also a selection of elite world class sailors. The 760 nautical mile course spans over four countries from Oman to Bahrain, with eight of the region’s premier marinas playing host as stopover venues during the six legs of the course.
The race began with a wave of excitement at the new start location in Muscat, Oman on February 15th. Some of the world’s best international and local offshore sailing teams are now sailing through the azure Gulf waters and tackling the challenging route of strong headwinds and tricky shores.
A total of 11 teams representing seven nations – Oman, Kuwait, China, Switzerland, EU, Monaco and The Netherlands – and of more than 20 different nationalities spent the final few days before the start to fine-tune and prepare for the challenge with practice sessions added to the race format for the first time this year. Returning champions EFG Bank (Monaco) aim to continue the team’s flawless sailing streak at SATT.
Sidney Gavignet, skipper of EFG Bank (Monaco) – Olympian and winning Volvo Ocean Race skipper – who took part in last year’s event, said: “Compared to last year, my crew is a lot more offshore oriented and that gives us an advantage. The new route, which features more upwind sailing will be more tactical and also harder physically for the teams but that should favour us because of our offshore experience. The harder the route, the better it is for us.”
The reversed route created a unique buzz around The Wave – Muscat, where the fleet of identical Farr 30s held practice sessions and launched on February 15th for the first leg of the race. The port and opening ceremony saw spectators gather from across the country not only to witness the elite sailors preparing for Sunday’s start, but also to offer their support to the region’s competitors who have embraced EFG Sailing Arabia – The Tour with its commitment to inspire a new generation of sailors.
