Doha: The Leg 2 of the seven-stage EFG Bank Sailing Arabia The Tour took off from here yesterday for Abu Dhabi.
The 15-day sailing event, that takes the nine teams clockwise around the Gulf Co-operation Council (GCC) states, which started from Manama, Bahrain on February 10 will follow a tricky course, strewn with oil field exclusion zones and other hazards, en route to Abu Dhabi - the first of three stops in the UAE.
The teams have had only minimal rest since their bruising encounter in the short course stage on Tuesday, a three-race series which was dominated by America’s Cup veteran Bertrand Pacé and his Dubai based Team AISM.
In a stronger breeze than on the opening leg from Manama, Team AISM delivered a masterclass in tactical sailing and teamwork, and leaving the standings before leg 2 wide open.
The result leaves AISM in third position on the leader table, just 1.75 points behind second placed Sidney Gavignet and EFG Bank (Monaco) and 2.25 points behind overall leader Cedric Pouligny and BAE Systems, who placed respectably in the in-shore sailing after a win on the first leg.
At 159 miles long and with the possibility of light winds, the organisers prudently catered for Leg 2 taking as much as two days, but the forecast is now indicating a much breezier ride east-southeast towards the UAE’s Capital. The result is that the crews are now expecting to only spend one night at sea, but the ride will be a shorter and very much more intense one.
Earlier in the week, the forecast showed that the boats might experience as much as 30 knots but the forecast has thankfully moderated since then.
“I am not so sure the wind will be so strong. The last forecast we got was showing a maximum of 17 knots, although it is stronger to the east,” said Bertrand Pacé, who is hoping he can follow up on Tuesday’s success when his Team AISM won all three in-port races, elevating them to third place overall behind Cédric Pouligny’s Team BAE Systems and the Sidney Gavignet-skippered EFG Bank Monaco.
Taking in four countries and eight ports of call, EFG Bank Sailing Arabia – The Tour is a showcase of everything that the Gulf has to offer in terms of state-of-the-art facilities and idyllic sailing conditions
EFG Bank Sailing Arabia The Tour calls at Doha, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Ras Al Khaimah, Dibba and Mussanah and ends February 25 in Muscat.
the Peninsula
