SAiLing HeriTAge

aRaBIaN DhowS have been plying their trade along the Gulf’s coasts and as far as India and Africa for centuries, whether fishing, pearl diving or shipping goods to foreign ports. Even today, the dhow is a common sight in most of the region’s older ports.

Over the past forty years, though, due to the rapid modernisation of the Gulf countries, luxury cars, planes and yachts have subverted the more traditional methods of transportation, and a generation has lost its connection with the old seafaring traditions.

However, there are those who don’t want this connection to be lost forever, and are working to revive the region’s interest in seafaring. Organisations like the Abu Dhabi Sailing and Yacht Club (ADSYC) have been established for this exact purpose, offering free sailing lessons for Abu Dhabi-based youth of all nationalities, and hosting local sailing events such as the GCC Sailing Championships, and international ones such as the prestigious Volvo Ocean Race, with a view to establishing a strong sailing heritage once again.

“It’s all about building the foundations for the sport here in the UAE, making the country attractive as an international training destination for sailing, and developing the sport for the future,” says Reinier D’Arnaud Gerkens, Sailing & Events Coordinator for the ADSYC. “We always tell our young beginners that the skills and techniques you learn in a small sailboat like an optimist you can take with you to any larger sailboat – the fundamentals are the same.”

An important step in this direction has been taken with the establishment of the Asian Youth Cup, being held for sailors aged eight to eighteen. “It is an event being held for the first time this year by four host countries, which are Hong Kong, Singapore and India, with the final taking place in Abu Dhabi in April,” explains Reinier. “It’s an excellent and accessible platform for young sailors to compete on an international level and really build their experience.”

Another aspect of maintaining the region’s sailing heritage has been keeping the interest strong in dhow sailing, with several competitive dhow racing events taking place across the region.

“The importance of something like dhow racing is the younger Arab generations seeing dhows being sailed, and connecting with the traditions that their grandfathers might have been part of,” says Reinier.

“The dhows do have traditional elements, such as a wooden hull, but they have also been modernised for safety and efficiency, using materials like lightweight carbon fibre for the mast,” he explains.

“All of the dhows must adhere to regulations of a specified width, height and length, and certain safety specifications, but aside from that, there is a lot of freedom to design within those specifications. Dhows can be designed for speed, stability, or manoeuvrability and so on, which makes for great competition, as knowledge, design and craftsmanship are very important factors.”

Despite only having been operational for three years, the ADSYC is already making its mark on the sport in Abu Dhabi, and with the help of other organisations like this in in the region, the tradition of sailing will only go from strength to strength as time goes on.