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By: Ben Smalley


  Sailing is growing ever more popular in Dubai as an increasing number of people take to the sea in boats ranging from one-man dinghies to multi-million dollar yachts. And with massive new waterfront property developments like The Palm and The World set to open over the next few years, the appeal of sailing among city residents is expected to grow even further.

  Dubai has four main sailing centres – the Dubai Offshore Sailing Club (DOSC), the Jebel Ali Sailing Club, the Dubai International Marine Club (DIMC) and the Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club– each of which has its own purpose built harbour where boats of every size and shape can be found – from sleek catamarans to traditional sailing dhows.

  According to Steven Kelly, manager of the Dubai Offshore Sailing Club, sailing appeals to people of all nationalities in Dubai who enjoy an outdoor lifestyle, with many parents introducing their children to the sport from the age of six.

  “The attraction of sailing is that it’s a fresh air sport and there’s so many different types of sailing – there’s single-handed and double-handed dinghies, right up to the bigger boats which will have a crew of 10 or more when they are racing, “ he says. “It’s very much a team sport, especially with the bigger boats, and a case of being at one with nature - using the power of nature to propel your self along. Anyone can drive a boat with an engine, but harnessing the power of the wind is a little bit different and takes a lot more skill.”

  The history of the Dubai Offshore Sailing Club dates back to 1974 when a group of friends, led by Colonel Guy Temple of the Dubai Defence Force, decided to explore the possibility of starting a sailing club. Their first thought was to use one of the three fishing harbours recently constructed on the Jumeirah coast and on 11 August 1974, HH Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum, the late Ruler of Dubai, granted an area of land in the Umm Suqeim Harbour.

  The club was immediately named the Dubai Offshore Sailing Club, under the patronage of HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Commander in Chief of the Dubai Defence Force, who had asked his father for the land to be granted, and the first sailing races were held in October 1974.

  At that time, the club boasted very modest facilities, consisting of a compound with hard standing for boat storage, a launching ramp and an area shaded by a barasti roof. In June 1976, the first clubhouse was built and the club grew so much that on three separate occasions Sheikh Ahmed asked his father to grant additional land so the club could expand.

 

  Today the club boasts a modern clubhouse and facilities, with its own fleet of sailing dinghies, ranging from Optimists - which are used to teach young children - to slightly larger Toppers and Lasers. Many club members also own Cruisers and other types of yachts and keelboats, which are berthed in the marina.

  In fact, the club has grown so popular that there is a sizeable waiting list to join and it is increasingly difficult for non-members to book sailing lessons with the club’s five instructors as priority is always given to members.

  “Sailing is getting more popular here with children and adults alike,” Mr Kelly explains. “We have a waiting list for sailing lessons so we have very little time for non-members to come in and take lessons. The only exception to that is for people applying for membership. If someone is on the waiting list, then we encourage them to take lessons or to bring their kids in for them to take lessons.”

  For those looking to start the sport for the first time, Mr Kelly advises joining one of Dubai’s sailing clubs and taking some lessons before deciding whether to splash out on your own boat – with the level of expense involved depending on what sort of sailing you wish to become involved with.

  “If you are interested in the bigger boats and want to get into racing then it does become very expensive,” he warns. “As well as buying the boat, you will need to replace sails and things like that every few years to give yourself the best advantage. But, if you want your kids to find out for the first time if they are interested in sailing, it’s not an expensive sport to start with – lessons cost around Dh 60 per hour. If they are interested, then you could look at buying a boat, with a second-hand Laser costing around Dh 2,000-5,000.”

  The sailing season in the UAE starts around the middle of September and goes until the end of May – missing out the summer months when it is just too hot – with ideal wind conditions prevailing throughout most of the season.

  “You have the offshore winds in the morning and the onshore winds in the afternoon, and generally you get wind speeds of 10-15 knots almost every afternoon,” Mr Kelly says. “It’s very regular, which makes sailing here very good.”

  The Maktoum family’s patronage of sailing in Dubai also led to the creation of the Jebel Ali Sailing Club in 1977, with the late Sheikh Rashid granting the land for that club as well. The recent creation of The Palm and Dubai Marina, however, threatened the club’s existence until HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Dubai Crown Prince and UAE Defence Minister, stepped in and offered to move the club to The Palm, with developer Nakheel bearing the expenses for an Dh8 million clubhouse at the new island location.

  “This will definitely make us one of the foremost sailing clubs in the Gulf and we are excited about it," Club Commodore Ramsey Assal commented at the time of the announcement, paying tribute to Sheikh Mohammed’s generosity in securing the future of the club.

  "It's a fantastic site for a sailing club,” added club spokeswoman Sharon Allison. “From the new clubhouse we will be able to watch our sailors racing, which will be amazing. Nakheel have been truly supportive by first giving us a magnificent site from which to operate and offering to fund the building.”

  As well as becoming the new home to the club, waterfront developments like The Palm are helping to solve another problem faced by Dubai’s sailors – the limited number of mooring spaces currently available in the city. Around 7,000 new berths are reportedly needed to cope with future demand from boat owners, which will be met by the creation of new marinas and berthing spaces at many of the residential development projects currently taking place along the Dubai coastline.

  “With the new developments there will be a lot more berths, which is very much in demand in Dubai at the moment,” Mr Kelly says. “We are inundated with requests for berth spaces at DOSC, but we are only able to offer them to our members. We had an extension of another 14 berths added a few months ago and they have already been filled.”

  When The Palm and The World become home to their first residents, the sight of yachts moored at the bottom of people’s gardens will become a common sight and enthusiasts say the sport of sailing will continue to grow from strength to strength in Dubai.

   

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