#42 March 2014

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WWW.OUTDOORUAE.COM Issue 39, March 2014

Price: 10 DHS

Flats fishingfor Barracuda

All hands on deck

Seans guide to hikingin the UAE

Sailing Arabia the Tour 2014

The GCCCycle Challenge

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TO CHECK OUTPRODUCTSPlenty of

Musandam Adventure Race3rd

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MIDDLE EASTS OUTDOOR, ADVENTURE, TRAVEL & LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE MARCH 2014 - WWW.OUTDOORUAE.COM

The information contained is for general use only. While we have made every attempt to ensure that the information contained in this magazine has been obtained from reliable sources, however the publisher is not responsible for any errors. All information in this magazine is provided as is, with no guarantee of completeness, accuracy, timeliness or of the results obtained from the use of this information. In no event will the publisher, its related affiliates or anyone else be responsible for any decision made or action taken in reliance on the information in this magazine.

All contents are under copyrights and may not be reproduced in any kind without written permission.

2014 Outdoor UAE FZEReg. at Creative City FujairahP.O. Box 4422, Fujairah, U.A.E.

WHEN YOURE DONE READING,

PLEASE RECYCLE!

On the cover: Sailing Arabia the TourPhoto by: Oman Sail

Managing Editor Daniel BirkhoferEditors Glaiza Seguia, Tara AtkinsonDesigner Oybek DaniyarovAdministration Jane Mesina

Sales & Marketing (advertisement enquiries)Linda TurcerovaTel: 04-447 2030Mobile: 055 [email protected]

Published byOutdoor UAE FZEIn cooperation with D32 EventsP.O. Box 215062Dubai, U.A.E.Tel. 04-447 [email protected]

DistributorTawzea, Abu Dhabi Media CompanyP.O. Box 40401, Abu Dhabi, U.A.E.

Printed atDubai Printing PressP.O. Box: 6820, Dubai, UAETel: 04-3370344

2014 Outdoor UAE FZEIssue 39 March 2014

BETWEEN THE LINES

Daniel Birkhofer Founder and Editor in [email protected]

Oybek Daniyarov Graphics & [email protected]

Linda Turcerova Sales and Marketing [email protected]

Jane Mesina [email protected]

EXPERTS & CONTRIBUTORS

Tori Leckie Writer, runner, blogger and adventurer.

Kit Belen Our fishing pro

Ian Ganderton Kayaker, climber, mountainbiker and snowboarder. Enthusiastic jack of all trades, master of none.

Mike Nott The 4x4 expert

John Basson Moto/ATV and all round adventure seeker

Pete Aldwinckle Climber and all-round adventure seeker

Sandy Joy Rubin Pilates and yoga expert and general thrill seeking move-aholic

Darryl MacDonald Photographer, journalist, climbing and hiking junkie currently living in Oman.

Gordon T Smith Desert Diver and wannabe Marine Biologist

WANT TO CONTRIBUTE? CONTACT US! [email protected]

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Glaiza SeguiaEditor [email protected]

Time sure flies fast. Another year has passed and comes in a new one. Winter is over andspring is here. After more than a month of slacking off and buffet eating, its time to get backon track and cut down those gained pounds. Warm weather is just around the corner and foroutdoor enthusiasts like our readers, it is always the right season and reason to go out.

Getting inspired is the first step to doing anything. Going on an adventure is not always easy,especially for us expats who have full-time day jobs. So doing something in between like pick-ing up a good book or a magazine like OutdoorUAE or even researching travel reviews onlineare always helpful. Then after the inspiration, comes the action! Time to grab your favourite gear, outfit yourself, hit the open trail, be happy and get even more inspired.

After OutdoorUAE participated in different exhibits and local outdoor community events, we received numerous questions and requests from people on how to contribute or how to get a copy in their locations as far as RAK, Fujairah and even outside the UAE like Qatar. Being in this company for some time now, witnessing the many changes that came along, I can say things are only getting better! As they say: In life, the first act is always exciting. The second act that is where the depth comes in.

Jane

Tara Atkinson Travel [email protected]

Get to us on Facebook!

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24 GETTING DISABLED KIDS OUT ON THE WATER

CONTENTS

EVERY ISSUE

EVENT REVIEWS & REPORTS

OUR EXPERTS

LIFESTYLE

TIPS + TRICKS

05 BEST SHOTS06 EVENTS CALENDAR40 LIFESTYLE46 PRODUCTS58 PEOPLE67 DIRECTORY

12 SAILING ARABIA 201415 SHOWKA XC RACE20 RAK HALF MARATHON 2014

38 A CLIMB FOR HOPE

44 HABITUALLY HEALTHY45 LIFE IN PHOTOS - JOHN BASSON

56 IN ITALIA - TORI

65 CONQUER YOUR FEAR - TRACE66 DOLPHINFISH KIT BELEN

TRAVEL + ADVENTURE

19 THE FUNDAMENTALS OF MOUNTAIN BIKING

30 THE TERROR OF THE FLATS

36 SAUDI ARABIAN ODYSSEY

34 CLIMBING THE ARCTIC CIRCLE

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BEST SHOTS

Here are the best shots sent in by you for the monthly Want Fame? photography competition! Thank you for all your entries, they were all great and it was hard selecting the best photos this month. Congratulations to the top 3 winners, who will each receive Buff headwear and five free copies of the magazine: David Swan, Jerry Damian and Sunil Bhalla. Well done!

To submit your entries, simply email us at [email protected] with the subject Best Shots.

Jerry DamianTeamwork taken at Wadi adventure, Al Ain.

David SwanExploring.

Sunil BhallaAt the basecamp of Jebel Sumaini in Oman.

WINNER!

WINNER!

WINNER!

EVENTS CALENDAR ++Stay up-to-date with the latest events

Emirates Palace Marina SUP Festival March 21, 10:00am, Emirates Palace Beach

Paddles at the ready for a whole day of exciting SUP races and beach fun! Organised by the Abu Dhabi SUP club, Dive Mahara and Emirates Palace Marina, the event is composed of 6km (for elite paddlers), 3km (for recreational and junior paddlers) and 1km (for kids and first-timers) distances with additional Mini SUP Triathlon (200m swim, 500m run and 1km paddle) and Naish One Sprints (200m sprint heats). Awarding, free demos, BBQ, movie and music to follow. The race entry cost of 200 AED for adults and 100 AED for 16-year-olds and under will include t-shirt and dinner, but its free for spectators. For registration and more information, visit the Abu Dhabi Stand Up Paddle club website: www.abudhabisup.com.

Ride for RoyMarch 7, 7:30am, Atlantis, The Palm

Roy Nasr was a talented triathlete, but more importantly an inspirational, caring and kind man, who exuded positivity and had a huge love of life. This 65km bike ride is to honour the memory of the TriDubai co-founder and 100% of the registration fees will go into the Roy Nasr Memorial Fund. For more information on the event, visit tridubai.org/ride-for-roy.

ASICS 8K & 4K Run Series Race 4 of 5 March 8, 7:00am, The Track Golf Clubhouse, Meydan

A great corporate and family event for all ages and abilities (4km and 8km) held inside the private closed off roads of Meydan. Enter this race series and stand a chance of winning an all-expense paid week long holiday in the French Alps with Adventures in the Alps. For more details, visit www.supersportsdubai.com or contact Warren at [email protected].

Saucony Dubai Autodrome 10km 2014March 14, 7:00am, Dubai Autodrome Motor City

Pound the pavement at the Dubai Autodrome for 10km (over 16 years) or 2.5km (under 16) organised by the oldest running club in Dubai, the Dubai Road Runners. Register online at www.premiermara-thons.com or email [email protected].

Organized by: Abu Dhabi Stand Up Paddle Club

Al Mahara Diving

Emirates Palace Marina

Supported by: SPONSORED BY:

Date: Friday 21st March 2014

Time:Registration from 9:00 am

Events (Adults, Juniors & Kids):6km-3km-1km Distance RacesMini SUP TriathlonNaish One N1SCO 200m Sprint Races

Register Online:www.premieronline.com

For More Information:www.abudhabisup.com

ESSAEmirates Sup and Surf

Committee

Date: Friday 21st March 2014

Time:Registration from 9:00 am

Events (Adults, Juniors & Kids):6km-3km-1km Distance RacesMini SUP TriathlonNaish One N1SCO 200m Sprint Races

Register Online:www.premieronline.com

For More Information:www.abudhabisup.com

Featured Event

Featured EventOutdoorUAE and The Gramercy Beach PartyMarch 14, 8:00pm, Dubai International Financial Centre

Head down to The Gramercy for a different kind of beach party! Hang loose with like-minded water sports lovers and the local outdoor community for a laid-back beach-style indoor shindig every second Friday of the month until June. Dress down to your t-shirts and flip-flops and enjoy our fun photo booth, goodie bags, special promotion on beverages and Beach Boy and Beach Girl photo contest. Entrance is 50.00 AED only. For more information, visit www.outdooruae.com.

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EVENTS CALENDAR ++

10th Dubai International Horse FairMarch 20 to 22, Dubai World Trade Centre

Now entering its 10th edition, DIHF, proudly under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, Minister of Finance and Chairman of Dubai World Trade Centre has firmly established its reputation as the finest equestrian business event in the Middle East. DIHF continues to grow its international exhibitor profile, attracting over 200 companies from 35 countries. To register and for more information, visit www.dihf.ae.

GO Sport Criterium Series March 22, 7:00am, Nad Al Sheba Cycle Park

The GO Sport Criterium Series is made up of three short course timed races that culminate in an overall Series Winner. Each bike race is held on a short course and is run in laps of the designated course. Race length is determined by a number of laps or total time (commonly one hour). Once the hour is past and the front of the pack passes the start/finish line a bell will ring and everyone has to complete one full lap and race to the finish. For more information, visit www.premieronline.com or email [email protected].

Abu Dhabi International Triathlon 2014 presented by ActivelifeMarch 15, Abu Dhabi

Once again in 2014 our world famous course will be taking in the very best of Abu Dhabi. The race will be a sea swim from the beach, the bike course will weave through the unmistakable scenery of the city of Abu Dhabi, featuring tree-lined roads, landscaped parks and gardens and the sparkling waters of the Arabian Gulf, which surround the city, all under the safety of completely closed roads. To the east of the city the bike route passes over Saadiyat Island and on to another attraction sure to whet the appetite of the cyclist; Yas Island, the home of iconic attractions including Ferrari World and Yas Waterworld. Here athletes in the short and long course will cycle round the Yas Marina Circuit which hosts the penultimate race of the F1 season. For more information, visit www.abudhabitriathlon.com.

2XU Triathlon Championships Series Race 3 of 3March 28, 7:00am, Mamzar Dubai

The calm waters in the Mamzar lagoon, closed roads and a designated running track will ensure a safe and speedy race for all. Three distances are on offer, the Super Sprint (300/375m swim, 24km bike and 5km run), Sprint (750m, 24km bike and 5km run) and Olympic (1.5km swim, 40km bike and 10km run). This event is open for all ages and abilities and relay teams of two and three people are welcome. This event is part of the Go Sports Super Series. For more information, visit www.supersportsdubai.com.

Dubai Polo Gold Cup Series Finals 2014March 14, 12:00pm, Dubai Polo & Equestrian Club, Arabian Ranches

Held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Maktoum Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai and set in the stunning surroundings of the Dubai Polo and Equestrian Club at the Arabian Ranches, this event will present the worlds best polo teams and players who will battle it out for the grand prize. For tickets and more information, www.dubaipologoldcup.com.

This is just a selection of the events taking place this month, for more upcoming events visit: www.outdooruae.com/event

Dubai World Cup 2014March 29, 4:30pm, Meydan Racecourse

The Dubai World Cup brings to an end the three-month long Dubai World Cup Carnival, a festival of high-class international horse racing over 11 race meetings. In addition to the racing, the Dubai World Cup, the UAEs biggest social and sporting event, offers ticket holders exclusive admission to the Dubai World Cup Opening Ceremony, which features a spectacular firework display as well as the post-race Dubai World Cup concert. For more information, visit www.dubairacingclub.com.

SUP Sisters is a ladies only class, which focuses on promoting the sport of SUP amongst women in the UAE. The class is aimed towards beginners and intermediates who want to learn SUP as a way to get fit, get healthy and enjoy the outdoors. Each session includes a combination of cardio and core exercises, as well as a focus on technique and how to paddle better. In the initial sessions, the coach focuses on ensuring the student is comfortable with their balance on the board. Once the ladies are standing and maintaining their balance, the focus is then on ensuring the paddling technique is correct, as picking up bad habits in the initial stages of SUP should inevitably be avoided.

Sessions are different every time, and each class the coach includes tips on safety (how to handle yourself in emergency situations), the SUP and its set up (i.e. leash, fins and

Something for the ladies Girls only SUP class launched in DubaiIgnite Surf School UAE offers a SUP class with a difference

With SUP (Stand Up Paddle-boarding) taking the Emirates by storm, more and more people are trying this sport for the first time and loving it! As part of the natural progression of paddle-boarding, more SUP programs are being launched to promote the sport here in the UAE. The newest class to hit Dubai is called SUP Sisters, an initiative from the team at Ignite Surf School UAE.

paddle) as well as other helpful tips to ensure each SUP Sister is getting the full benefit of paddleboarding.

SUP Sisters classes can take up to 10 ladies for each session, so classes are manageable for the coach and enjoyable for the girls. Classes are offered through Ignite Surf School UAE every Tuesday and Thursday mornings at their location inside Riva Beach Club on the Palm Jumeirah. Each session is 1 hour from 9:00 10:00am and any first timers are recommended to come 15 mins earlier for a quick express lesson on the SUPs.

These classes are for ladies only, from the age of 16 years and older and the basic requirement is that students must be able to swim. SUP Sisters sessions are 125 AED for a drop in class, or 100 AED for 10 sessions purchased upfront, and classes include all equipment hire.

This is an excellent and innovative way to stay fit, and if youre an ocean lover, its the best way to do some exercise, meet other like-minded women and enjoy the calm wa-ters of the Palm Jumeirah. The location of the Surf School inside Riva Beach Club is great as there are toilets/changing rooms available for the ladies as well as a small coffee shop and restaurant in case anyone wants to catch up for a coffee or nibble afterwards!

SUP Sisters classes will continue to run until the summer months, with a weekend class opening up in March due to demand so get in touch with the crew at the Surf School for more details. For more information or to register for a session, please contact Ignite Surf School UAE on 055 601 0997, [email protected] or visit them online at www.facebook.com/ignitesurfschooluae and www.surfschooluae.com.

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NEWS + COMMUNITY

How to paddle correctly is taught throughout the class to ensure correct technique.

Basic SUP technique is taught to first time SUP Sisters before getting onto the water.


Words By: Mari de VilliersPhotos By: Abdel Elecho


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Organised by TriDubai, a triathlon club co-founded by Nasr not long before his accident, the 65 kilometre ride will start and finish at Atlantis, The Palm. It will follow the route of some of Nasrs favourite bike rides, crossing the bridge over Sheikh Zayed Road where the accident happened. Full details of the ride and the route can be found at www.tridubai.org/ride-for-roy.

The Ride For Roy is a bike ride and not a race, commented Ian Le Pelley, who co-founded TriDubai with Nasr and is leading the team organising the ride. It is intended to honour Roys memory and to raise funds to help pay for the education costs of his

Memorial bike ride to honour Roy Nasr

The Ride For Roy to honour the life of Arab triathlon cham-pion, Roy Nasr, who was killed by a drunk driver whilst riding his bike near Safa Park last year, will take place on March 7th with as many as 1,000 cyclists expected to take part.

two children. Registration is already open and we encourage people to register as soon as possible.

Registration can be done online at www.premieronline.com/event/Ride_for_Roy or by visiting Wolfis Bike Shop on Sheikh Zayed Road. It costs 300 AED to register for the ride with 100% of the registration fee going to the education fund. Every participant will receive a Castelli, special edition Remember Roy Nasr TriDubai cycling top, with a retail value of 350 AED, which they will wear for the ride.

The cycling tops are being provided by gold sponsors: Emirates Flight Catering; DP World; Choueiri Group; Jumeirah; and Gulf Financetogether with silver sponsors: Adventure HQ; Abela; Amana; Executive Ex-patriate Relocations; The National Investor; Dubai Physiotherapy Clinic; Jebel Ali Resorts & Hotels; Newton Running; SPADAMCO Holdings; and McCone Properties.

Nasr was an enormously talented triath-lete who represented his native country, Lebanon, in races all over the world includ-ing the 2006 Asian Games and the Ironman 70.3 World Championship in Florida, 2010. He regularly found himself on the podium at races, claiming a bronze medal at the World Age Group Championships in China in 2011.

When not training or racing, Nasr often visited schools and colleges in Dubai to promote a healthy lifestyle and to encourage children of all ages and nationalities to set themselves goals in life and to work hard to achieve their dreams, whatever they might be.

Roys sporting achievements, as good as they were, dont compare to the impact that he had on so many of the people who came into contact with him, added Le Pelley. Its impossible to sum him up in words, but he was a huge physical and emotional force, whose love for sport and positive attitude to life was infectious. A fierce competitor when racing, he always had time for everyone no matter their station in life and this ride provides a perfect opportunity for people to honour his life.

A total of 12 teams, each team counting between four to six participants, registered to this event. The rules were simple and straightforward: each team received three sheets of plywood, five long wooden ba-tons, ropes, duct tape, silicon glue, nails and screws, and they had to build a boat within three hours. No assistance from outside was allowed of course, but many viewers encour-aged the teams throughout the event. Once the construction part was over, all boats were transferred to the water, ready for the race through Al Bandar Marina. They had to carry at least one person and be propelled by human or natural power. Building a boat was apparently not as easy as it looked and some of the boats sank or flipped over once the sailors launched the boats in the water; persistent team members paddled and pushed their boats all along the way through the marina and across the finish line.

There were two winners for the Best

2nd Wobbly Boat Race at Al Bandar MarinaART Marine Marinas, the leading

marina management company in the Middle East, recently hosted Wobbly Boat Race for the second year at Al Bandar Marina, Abu Dhabi.

Decorated Boat contest and they received a dhow cruise with their family member courtesy of Hydro Marine Sports. In the Speedy Boat category two teams were announced winners when they reached the finish line and they were awarded with complimentary tickets for Yas Water World. Bruno Meier, General Manager of ART Marine Marinas, said, We are delighted to

see that our initiative appealed to so many individuals and companies. It was a fun day, a great community event for Al Bandar, and a chance for companies to practice their team-building skills. We aim at organising more events at Al Bandar Marina, and we look forward to welcoming even more par-ticipants to the third edition of the Wobbly Boat Race.

The Fazza Championship for Falconry was organised by the Hamdan Bin Mohammed Heritage Center under the patronage of HH Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai and has witnessed some stiff competition over two months.

Khalifa Bin Mijrin and his brother Hamdan Bin Mijrin were crowned Nokhbah winners in the final contest of the Horr Farakh (younger falcon) and Horr Jirnas (older falcon) cat-egories of the Championship. Each received trophies with 500,000 AED and a Bentley.

Khalifa Bin Mijrin, who also headed the

Hamdan Bin Mohammed Heritage Centerclosing ceremony of the

awards champions in grandFazza Championship for Falconry

Touted to be the most expensive falconry competition in the world, the Fazza Cham-pionship for Falconry came to a successful conclusion with two Emirati falconers being crowned Nokhbah (Elite Champions) amidst great jubilation and fan-fare in Ruwayyah.

NAS (Nad Al Sheba) team comprising four falconers said: It is an honour to be crowned Nokhbah champion of the Fazza Champion-ships. It has been six long months of hard work and ensuring that the falcons were healthy and ready to compete. These Cham-pionships have made professionals of the amateur falconers and the Hamdan Heritage Center has played a key role in reviving this traditional sport in the region. I look forward to returning to participate in my individual ca-pacity and as a member of the Nad Al Sheba (NAS) team in the next edition of the Fazza Championships.

Hamdan Bin Mijrin, who was a first time Nokhbah winner, was thrilled with the results. I have been practicing falconry for nearly 20 years now and it is great to win such a prestigious contest and stand alongside my brother. The falcons have performed spectacularly despite the unfavorable weather conditions this year and they will have suf-ficient time to rest over the moulting period between now and September.

Souad Darwish, Director of the Fazza Championship for Falconry, who has been overseeing the successful run of the champi-onship, said the competition had witnessed a 55% increase in participation since its previ-ous edition.

She commented: Fazza initiated this Championship to revive the traditional sport of falconry and we overcame several obstacles to achieve this. We have also seen some exotic never seen before breeds of falcons competing with their falconers in this edition of the championship. The Hamdan Heritage Center is proud to have witnessed such a great contest of falconry and we would especially like to thank Dubai Police for their support in maintaining order at the event.

The Fazza Championship for Falconry commenced in December 2013 in Ruwayyah and has since invited participation from nearly 3000 falconers from across the GCC region that have competed in categories, includ-ing Sheikhs, General Public, Juniours and Khaleejis.

Over 25 teams battled it out in a nail biting race for the title and in front of a dy-namic mix of spectators who came down to show their support and enjoy the festivities. The winning team for the Womens Final was Dubai Marlins with Capital Divas and

Teams battled it out at the Dragon Boat Race and Festival at Yas MarinaOn Friday 31st January 2014,

Yas Marina played host to a special Dragon Boating Race and Festival from at Yas Marina on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi. The event was a roaring success and brought the community together with an action-packed day.

Shangri La Abu Dhabi as the runner ups. Herriot Watt University won first place in the Intermediate Mixed Final with Al Bandar in

second place and Capital Dragons in third. The winner of the Premier Mixed Final was Abu Dhabi MAR team with Dubai Flying Dragons and Steelcraft Dragons crossing the finish line shortly after.

Alongside the race, Yas Marina offered the ideal spot for families and friends to enjoy dining, while children were fully entertained by playgrounds and interactive musical fountains with over 2,000 guests in attend-ance throughout the afternoon. The festival also staged many family-orientated activities centered on the Chinese New Year such as childrens dragon mask making and Chinese Lion Dancers.

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Words By: Glaiza SeguiaPhotos Supplied By: Oman Sail

Fleet race to Abu Dhabi from Qatar

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EVENT REPORT

When there was more visibility, profes-sional skippers with their international crew started piling into the Farr 30 keelboats and the motors started churning the placid water. The boats of EFG Bank representing Monaco, Messe Frankfurt Sailing Team under the Euro-pean Union flag, Team Delft Challenge TU Delft from Netherlands, and three teams from Oman, the Al-Thuraya Bank Muscat, Royal Navy of Oman and Team Renaissance easily cut through the surface. As the wind picked up, the white sails were hoisted and with a blow of a horn, the Abu Dhabi in-port race was on.

The six teams arrived at the Abu Dhabi Sail-ing and Yacht Club during the early hours of Valentines Day after 159 miles of sailing from Doha, Qatar. During this leg, Team Delft skip-pered by 25-year-old Kay Heemskerk along

Action on the high seasSailing Arabia the Tour 2014

Unexpected fog rolled into Abu Dhabi, putting a slight delay to the days events. Movements from the docks pierced the stillness of that February 15th morning as sailors prepped their boats, chattered and breathless-ly waited for the mist to lift and begin another day at the EFG Sailing Arabia the Tour (SATT) 2014.

with other Dutch university students crossed the finish line first. But EFG Bank contested the two-minute lead due to an incident at a starboard mark. We came into the mark of the previous leg and the rules stipulate that the boat on the inside make room for the boat on the outside. But there is a zone that is defined around the three boat lengths and we thought we were in the zone, explained Koen de Smedt. We went around the mark as we thought we were in the zone and EFG thought we were not. The jury decided we were not in the zone so in that case we made a mistake. Delft was disqualified from the

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Group picture with the skippers

Sheikh Khalifa in a meet and greet with the teams

Team Al-Thuraya Bank Muscat

Team Messe Frankfurt and Team Renaissance at the opening leg

Yachts take in the iconic Dubai skyline during Leg 4

Leg 2 with EFG Bank on the lead. I was very disappointed obviously, but on the other hand, thats sailing. We are a self-regulating sport; if two boats dont agree, we go to the jury room and they help us make a decision, said Smedt.

The Dutch team was out for a comeback on the Leg 3, but fell short placing fourth, with Al-Thuraya on third, Messe Frankfurt on second and EFG Bank on top spot. This was the first podium finish for the all-ladies team. Al-Thuraya skipper Katherine Pettibone said this years competition is as tough despite fewer boats. We have a lot of returning teams and a lot of returning sailors, everyone had a year now to get better so it is definitely tight. Pet-tibone, 42, is proud to represent female sailors and looked forward to beating the boys. We actually have an extra person because were lighter, so we have an extra pair of hands. Its just a matter of experience on the water. Our goal is to make them better sailors and teach them the leadership skills that sailing provides so whatever they do, whether they stay with sailing or go to another industry, they can take these skills with them.

There seem to be no hard feelings as EFG Banks skipper, the 41-year-old Olympian and Volvo Ocean Race winner Sidney Gavignet, also commended Delfts skills during the prize giving. Last years contenders, teams Abu Dhabi, BAE Systems and, the 2013 champ AISM skippered by Bertrand Pac, were notably absent this time. But an Abu Dhabi crew headed by Miguel Contreras joined the two-round race at the capital to represent the UAE.

The racesA big crowd gathered at the Amwaj Marina in Bahrain on February 9th to watch the open-ing ceremony of this long distance sailing spectacle staged by Oman Sail. Sheikh Khalifa

bin Abdullah Al Khalifa, President of Bahrain Sailing Federation, along with Sailing Arabia Director Issa Al Ismaili were also present for the hearty send off.

Already on its fourth edition, SATT is a race from Manama, Bahrain to Muscat, Oman with stopovers at the marinas in Qatar and UAE. This means 760 nautical miles of tactical not to mention cold sailing across the Gulf coast for 15 days. Speaking ahead of the tournament, Oman Sail CEO David Gra-ham expressed his excitement for this year. Each and every year the tour has set a new standard for the region and I expect the same of the 2014 race. Oman Sail has worked hard to bring nations together through sailing and create a sporting property that attracts global interest for potential competitors and spon-sors. The continued commitment of a global sponsor like EFG International confirmed the premier status of the Tour. It provides a solid base for the staging of a bigger, better and even more exciting event with a high calibre entry of the sports best regional and international teams supported by the worlds most prestigious brands. He added: In just three years the event has established the Mid-dle East as an exceptional international yacht racing destination with unbeatable sailing conditions, local talent grown from centuries of sailing heritage and the chance to experi-ence a fascinating mix of ancient traditions and modern sophistication. Despite some delay due to final safety checks, the opening leg in Bahrain welcomed the sunny skies and the strengthening winds of 16 to 18kts from the north-west.

Competition was tight as the fleet made their way to Doha with Messe Frankfurt keeping a close eye on the crowd favourite, the EFG Bank. The two leading boats have

run aground that afternoon, but it was EFG Bank who made it first to the finish line at around 6:00pm, then closely tailed by Messe Frankfurt and Delft. The first inshore battle on February 11th at the beautiful The Pearl marina in Qatar, who was celebrating its National Sports Day, saw Messe Frankfurt with a great start in the 0.08nm course. The shifty winds made it a challenge for the sailors, but Messe Frankfurt was ahead 21 seconds of EFG Bank in the first race. The 21-year-old German-born skipper of the Messe Frankfurt, Marcel Herrera, talked about their strategy for the first leg: We took the extra time we had

The winning team, EFG Bank (Monaco)

Oman Sail was on hand to present trophies to the top three teams


with the postponement to rest and re-analyse the weather routing. We expect the leg to be a fun downwind ride to Doha and so the start will be particularly important. On the second race, Messe Frankfurt emerged as the winner with a three-second lead against EFG Bank while Al-Thuraya finished third.

The Al-Thuraya, who placed 7th in overall position last year, has five Omani crew on board this time. When asked about their preparation, skipper Pettibone said they havent done anything differently training-wise and just continued working hard. We only had two weeks of training with the new ladies before we set off, but theyre really keen. They are very athletic so I think they are just naturally good sailors. They are new so we had to teach them a lot but they are learning really fast.

Meanwhile, Mohsin Mahfoodth Alzarafi stood in for skipper Abdul Aziz Al Hussaini of the Team Royal Navy of Oman for this race. Al Hussaini said before that he is optimistic especially with a crew composed of Royal Navy members who have the advantageous knowledge on local seas. I have three experts in the crew and some of the others are quite new but they have been training for a couple of months and I think they have be-come very good in their roles on the boat and in the race. They have learned fast and I can see they have improved a lot since last year. Faster reactions, better skills, better teamwork and better performance. There has been a lot of development so we are being quite ambi-tious. The Royal Navy team has been strug-gling on last place, but their enthusiasm and positive attitude was evident in their almost ritual singing and chanting before a sailing sequence starts.

Leg 3 from Abu Dhabi Sailing and Yacht Club to Dubai a short leg of 43 nautical miles was another win for Gavignets team who took advantage of the windshift before the first mark that proved crucial for speed. Leg 4 from the Dubai Offshoring Club to the Al Hamra Marina Yacht Club in Ras Al Khamiah and Leg 5 from Ras Al Khaimah to

Dibba was no different with the EFG Bank still on overall lead.

The race committee decided to divide the 139-nautical mile race from Dibba to Mussanah due to predicted light winds. The first part of Leg 6 was over a 30 nautical mile course where the fleet endured yet another tight fight. It came as no surprise that EFG Bank dominated this leg again, followed by Messe Frankfurt and Al-Thuraya. This was also a nice homecoming for some of Omani participants like Khalood Al Uraimi, who made her country proud with a podium finish in her turf. It is so great to have done so well on this leg of the course in particular because Oman is my home. It is really, really special to have sailed such a long distance and arrive here. I feel very proud, said Al Uraimi who was in charge of mast on Al-Thuraya boat.

The travel from Mussanah to Muscat, the shortest leg at 41 nautical miles, proved to be a close match between the teams. There were light winds at the start that eventually picked up to 10knts. EFG Bank maintained its lead with Delft and Al-Thuraya fighting neck to neck. Delft gained momentum as the

wind increased, finishing first with a time of 15.04.50, narrowly dusting past EFG Bank and Messe Frankfurt.

Unsurprisingly, the consistent impres-sive wins offshore and inshore earned EFG Bank the 2014 championship with a total of 12.00 overall points. On second was Messe Frankfurt and on third Team Delft Challenge. Thunderous applauses and congratulations met Gavignet and his six-man crew at the closing ceremony. It is a good job done. I am very happy for the crew and EFG, and for Monaco also because we were flying the Monaco Yacht Club colours. It is a great, great race with fantastic competition. Every leg we were fighting and we only ever won by a close margin, Gavignet said.

Ghasi Humaid AL Hashmi, Deputy Director General of Tourism Promotion, Oman Ministry of Tourism lauded the success of the event: The Sailing Arabia-The Tour 2014 has defi-nitely helped in promoting the rich Arab herit-age, culture, and traditions of Oman. Sailing enthusiasts from around the world came and participated in this major sporting event that further bolstered the countrys tourism sector and highlighted its vast maritime potential.

Position Team Name Points

1 EFG Bank (Monaco) 12.00

2 Messe Frankfurt Sailing Team 18.50

3 Team Delft Challenge TU Delft 28.00

4 Al-Thuraya Bank Muscat 31.25

5 Team Renaissance 39.25

6 Royal Navy of Oman 49.50

Overall results


15OUTDOORUAE

EVENT REPORT

The race is held in Showka, a popular mountain bike destination in the region which is an hours drive from Dubai. The 3.4km course consists of existing trails and fire roads that range from loose gravel to baby head size rock gardens, uphills, downhills with a couple of technical sections thrown in for good measure.

At exactly 7:00am the race started ala Le Mans style where racers had to run 20m to get on to their bikes before the starting line. First off was the Masters with 10 gruelling laps. After 30 minutes of racing, it was now time for the ladies with four laps. Finally after waiting anxiously, the Experts category, one of the highlights of the race, where in all 118 racers charged side by side to get the holeshot, while spectators cheered them on. The scene was like watching a clip from a war movie.

The trail course was packed causing long queues and traffic along the technical sec-tions and racers need to push themselves lap after lap. Thanks to the race officials, marshals and medics, the race proceeded as planned

Showka XC Race 2013

Previously conceived three years ago by the UAE MTB/UAE Mountainbiking for its members and headed by its chairman Mr Jessie Cruz, this mountain bike event held last November 29th highlights the start of the winter riding/racing season in the UAE. With the help of the UAE Cycling Federation and Ride Bike Shop/Giant as its main sponsor, the annual XC Race is now open to every mountain bike enthusiast in the country.

with only few suffering minor cuts and bruises.As the dust settled, it was Andy Whitaker

coming out on top to win the Masters cat-egory, Ian Miller for the Experts category and Michelle Guerin of Team RBS/Giant for the womens category respectively.

Medals, items and gift vouchers from main Sponsor RBS Ride Bike Shop/Giant, other sponsors like Cycle Hub, Beyond a Bike, Wolfis Bike Shop, Adventure HQ, Global Climbing and Decathlon were awarded to all the winners.

A folding bike courtesy of Beyond A Bike was awarded to the first place of the Masters category. A Specialized Hardrock Bike courtesy of Cycle Hub was also given as the top prize for the raffle draw. Medals were awarded to all first five finishers and certifi-cates to all the finishers.

We would like to thank all the sponsors, media groups, teams, specially the volunteers and the mountain bike community for putting such a great effort to make this race a suc-cessful event. See you all on our next event.

To see more of our ride schedules and events, please go to www.facebook.com/groups/uae.mtb.

Words By: Paul Conde

A few days later, I managed to salvage a friends aluminium framed bicycle and it was the real start of a journey that would change the way I looked at things for good. No one had cycled around the GCC before and be-ing the first to attempt such a feat was going to carry a lot of weight on my shoulders. I was used to this since I had conducted other challenges in the past.

After a few months, I found myself with two volunteers on the Nad Al Sheba cycling track, we were preparing to tackle the roads that connected Oman, UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Bahrain and Kuwait. Lots of questions ran through my mind especially since I had never cycled such a long distance before in my life.

My training sessions consisted of 60km per day and the feat I was attempting required 150km per day to be on the bike is I were to complete the journey in under 30 days. Finding a cause was challenging as I always have to find someone new to the field or is in need of more awareness. I found the Al Jalila Foundation and became aware of a cause perfect for the journey and they accepted my

Words By: Jalal Bin Thaneya

The GCC Cycle Challenge

I can remember the day I said that I would cycle across the GCC, an alliance of the six Gulf states. It was right before the start of Ramadan and I remember very clearly that I did not own a bicycle.

EVENT REPORT

two days I reached the Ghuwaifat border; the desert highway was harsh, mixed with indus-trial bitterness and weather conditions which were certainly very moody and tough on the mind and body. Truck drivers were relentless sometimes falling asleep on the wheel; this was an issue as they would sometimes swing very close to me as I cycled on the highway towards the border.

A day before we reached the KSA-UAE border a member of our team had given up and decided to return home. The dilemma that we had to face after this was due to the fact that the car that we had rented was under his name.

Crossing through the border into Saudi Arabia, I felt the road break under me. Since my bike was made out of composite, you could feel a stone the size of a pebble. It was a neglected road which led to the Qatari boarder. The border at Qatar was congested when I arrived there after a day and a half. The road which is taken from Ghuwaifat (UAE) to Qatar is a tough and barren slab of cement in the middle of the difficult desert. I remember my father saying, Not everyone would be comfortable doing this.

In Qatar, I cycled through interchanges and roundabouts that ran across roads to reach the corniche before finally meeting with UAE embassy officials. Then I pedaled to my friends, who operate a blind and deaf centre.

A day later, I made my way out of Qatar but not before dealing with two flat tyres. The next destination would be Bahrain. It took me two days to reach Bahrain and I had to battle through an industrial area, with limited food as well as dealing with strange security of-ficials who would visit us in the middle of the

offer when I paid them a visit to their office in Dubai Health Care City. The journey of cycling 5,000km around the GCC was to raise awareness for children with special needs and the Al Jalila Foundation supports the efforts of advancing this cause.

The main challenge started on the first day while I was attempting to cycle on Omans highway which led up to the UAE. The police stopped us and said that we didnt have permission to continue. This came as the first in a series of challenges we would face on our way through the GCC. A few hours later the Omani authorities realised we had ap-plied for permission months in advance and escorted us through the mountainous region that led up to the boarder. It was a tough two days wherein the first had us dealing with slow bureaucracies and the second dealing with the difficulty of elevated roads that also twisted and descended as I tackled hostile terrain.

Entering the UAE, I cycled to Abu Dhabi I made a stop at the Zayed Grand Mosque. I had to cycle on the pavements in Al Ain to avoid the numerous roundabouts. The UAE authorities didnt provide us with a police escort like Oman had done previously. After


ZX-10r

WERE Rolling oUTnEW 2014 PRodUcTs

800 [email protected]

desert to ask us strange questions.Crossing the bridge that leads into Bahrain

which I would say was one of the more dramatic aspects of the journey we crossed the King Fahad causeway with a police escort into Bahrain and out the next day back into Saudi Arabia. There I would make my way to Kuwait 400km upwards.

I had to handle another flat tyre in Kuwait as a police car that was escorting me and protecting my rear hit me by accident. Luck-ily, the frame was untouched but the tyre had to be replaced completely.

These incidents during the journey worried me as I had limited replacement supplies for the bike and there were not a lot of special-ised stores that deal with spares relating to my bike.

After Kuwait, I made my way to the city of Riyadh a difficult place to navigate through as it is roughly the size of Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Sharjah emirates put together. I remem-

ber the police stopping me on the outskirts of Riyadh and when I also tried to leave Riyadh toward Medina region, the police stopped us again, this time telling me that I had no permission to move. The UAE dip-lomatic mission in Riyadh quickly intervened and liaised with the Saudi ministry of interior to allow us to continue the journey.

Sleeping on the road and camping along the desert highway allowed me to reflect on the harshness of what my people in the olden times have gone through before the discov-ery of oil in this place. There was always little or no luxury while I was cycling almost 8-12 hours a day, most of the time without access to running water.

Mentally, the journey would sometimes be stressful as most of the time was spent in the dark, people would often ridicule me on the road but there were many times when people praised the feat, they were happy to see someone from the region doing some-

thing for a special cause. As my final days on the road approached I would make my way through the Medina region, climbing up through steep mountains, navigating through dark roads and avoiding cars that drove on this vast and open space.

On the last day, I cycled 210km after eating a cereal bar and a handful of dates. I ended my journey of 5,000km at the heart of Jeddah city.

I would like to thank the Al Jalila Founda-tion for allowing me to spread awareness for their Taalouf (which means harmony in Arabic) program which seems to empower parents with children who have special needs. DP World for providing me with logistics, Gulf News for my blog, Emirates Islamic Bank for funding my equipment, Wa-tani for their social media effort to back the journey and all the great people who went on Instagram and Twitter to support me while I updated my journey in real time.

18 OUTDOORUAE

Kayaking around The Palm Discover the Palm Jumeirah in a guided kayak tour

Nico is a blogger, marathon runner and triathlete, diver and heli rescue swim-merwith Bergamo Scuba Angels. You can read his blog atwww.dubayblog.comor email him [email protected] for information about Dubai and desert trips, to schedule a desert run together, or just to say hello.

Kayaking is differentiated from canoeing by the fact that kayakers use a double bladed paddle and sit in a seat on the bottom of the boat with their legs extended out in front of them. Canoeists will either sit on an elevated bench seat or kneel directly on the bottom of the boat with two knees or one knee in the high kneel posture.

Recreational kayaks are designed for the casual paddler interested in fishing, photogra-phy, or a peaceful paddle on a lake, flatwater stream or protected salt water away from strong ocean waves. For this tour we are using sealed-hull (unsinkable) sit-on-top kayaks, crafts without the cockpit, where the paddler is seating on top of the boat.

SeaYou, a company owned by a French couple, native of Brittany (northwest of France), with a passion for the sea, offers lots of water activities, including a guided tour of the Palm in kayak. The tour starts from Sofitel The Palm on Palm Jumeirah - East Crescent towards west, passing close by The Atlantis. After a short break on the beach with a view on Dubai Marina, the group comes back with

stunning views to the Atlantis again, Burj Al Arab and the Burj Khalifa.

Every tour starts with a brief training session in which you learn all the basics. Newcom-ers are always welcome. But lets give a look at the primary elements of a good forward stroke. The forward stroke is the first kayak stroke that paddlers should learn. Good technique and injury prevention start with a correct seating position. Good posture is the key for an effective paddling: sit straight, relax your shoulders, open your chest for ease and efficiency of breathing, dont lean against the backrest.

Adjust the foot pegs in order to have your feet against the foot pegs, your knees slightly bent and to be able to spread and press them against the inner gunwales for extra balance. Keep in mind that power in paddling does not come from the arms. It comes from trunk rota-tion matched with leg drive. Your shoulders and arms are only there to transmit power.

A paddle stroke is made of three phases: the catch phase, the power phase and the recovery phase. The catch phase is the part of the stroke that describes when the paddle enters the water. The power phase is the part of the stroke that actually pulls the canoe or kayak through the water. The recovery phase is the name for the section of the paddle cycle between the exit and the next catch.

A stroke on the right side begins with a rotation of your torso counter-clockwise so that the right paddle blade is forward.

The stroke is driven by torso rotation with both arms staying relatively fixed in place compared to a rotating torso. Try to generate more power at the beginning of the stroke, less at the end.

Place the forward paddle blade in the water near the feet and toward the tip of the kayak. The blade should touch the water with little disturbance. The face of the blade should be perpendicular to the direction of pull.

With the blade in the water, rotate the torso so as to pull the blade through the water along side of the boat. During the power phase, the stroke side leg straightens (the off-side leg drawing up) so that it drives the stroke through rotation of the whole trunk. The power produced is applied to the boat through the feet.

This leg drive and torso coordination pro-vides the most powerful dynamic movement that can move the boat forward.

The exit occurs just before the torso is fully rotated, when the blade is between mid thigh and pelvis. At the end of the stroke the blade

is off to the side of the boat. The path of the blade in the water during the power phase of the stroke follows the wash line and is not parallel to the line of the boat. As soon as the stroke is over snap the blade out of the water. Your paddle should be setup for the next stroke on the left side of the boat. Continue the rotation of your torso to obtain the maxi-mum reach on the left side of the boat and have a continuous and harmonious flow.

Good rotation will result in the blade being almost parallel with the boat just prior to its descent for the next catch.

The basis for all other kayak strokes is found in ones ability to be able to correctly do the kayaking forward stroke. If you are a beginner, we do suggest you to use this tour also to improve your skill with the basics of paddling, thanks to the instructor who are following you.

The tour lasts two hours to two hours and 30 minutes (including time for briefing and a break on the beach).

You will spend your tour paddling easily, slowly and quietly with minimal impact on the surrounding environment. This allows you to not only see the wildlife, but to get close and observe its behavior unaffected by human impacts. Experienced kayaker will have the chance to discover new places, meet new people with the same passion and get trained in the beautiful scenario of Palm Jumeirah.

Dubai has an ancient maritime culture: pearl culture, maritime trade, etc. One of the objectives of SeaYous tours is to promote this maritime legacy, which forms part of the heritage of the Emirates. All the tours are in English; on demand, kayak tours can be arranged in Italian, French, Urdu, Russian, Spanish and German.

For more information do not hesitate to contact me or to visit the website www.seayou.ae.

SeaYou is the only company authorised in Dubai to offer such a tour in Palm Jumeirah. The tour is duly authorised by Nakheel, NOC no H&R-01/PJ-711.

Ready to paddle,

Nico

A kayak is a small, rela-tively narrow, human-powered craft primarily designed to be manually propelled by means of a double bladed paddle. The traditional kayak has a covered deck and one or more cockpits, each seating one pad-dler. The kayak was first made and used by the indigenous Ainu, Aleut, Inuit, and Yupik hunters in subarctic regions of northeastern Asia, North America and Greenland. Some mod-ern boats vary considerably from a traditional design but still claim the title kayak.

Photos By: Nicola de Corato and Gemma BiffiWords By: Nicola de Corato

ACTIVITY REPORT

Kayaking close the Atlantis


ACTIVITY REPORT

Words By: Sean James

The fundamentalsof mountain biking

biking you should read the trail ahead and anticipate. Just looking at the immediate piece of dirt in front of your wheel will cause you to come upon obstacles too quickly and unprepared. Glance up into the distance oc-casionally so that you get a rough idea of the contour, what is coming and where to position your bike.

Track positionSo you are racing down a track at 25kmph and have spotted a corner ahead. Maintaining momentum and speed through the corner is a more efficient way to ride. The use of what is called the racing line or the tangent e.g. the outside of the track as you enter will help you do this. The racing line widens your cornering arc and allows you to both enter and exit fast. This applies to both cornering on descents and ascents, commonly known as switchbacks. Taking a corner too tightly will result in a stop-start movement that requires more energy. It can also result in an increase in distance over the whole ride.

Marathon experts have calculated that over a distance of 42.1km with an average of 64 corners, incorrect position at each corner will add an extra 1km to the total distance. If you want to give everybody else a 1km equivalent to a 3-4 minute start then continue to disre-gard your position through the corners.

Body positionBody position on a mountain bike is constantly changing from back to front, left to right and up and down. Entering the corner, your body weight should be toward the front of the bike. Do this by bending your elbows to act as sus-pension and bringing your chest down toward the handle bars and stem. This also keeps your centre of gravity low on the bike and gives extra traction to the front wheel. It is estimated in professional motorcycle racing that 80% of the traction comes from the front wheel in high speed corners.

Lean slightly into the corner and stop pedal-ing. Your outside foot should go to the bottom of the pedal stroke to avoid catching your inside pedal on the ground as the bike tilts to one side slightly.

To assist the bike around the curve, the in-side shoulder should drop and the inside knee widen and point slightly into the corner. The outside elbow should rise and your head and chest should move toward the handle bars.

If you lift your bum off the seat slightly, it al-lows you to turn your hips in the direction you want to go. This feels very strange and unnatu-ral at first, pointing your hips in the direction of the corner. However I find this one of the most helpful and confidence boosting tricks to getting the bike around the corner, preventing any unnecessary sharp movements.

EyesYour wheels will follow your eyes. When riding be alert and look towards where you are head-ing. Whilst initially practicing, over emphasise each point and each body movement. Slow and steady movements are best. Trying to turn the handlebars too sharply will result in crashes, especially with 29inch wheels and tight turns such as those at Showka.

As you practice the above, the steps will become more natural and you will become more confident on corners. Watch others and also get others to watch you. Ask them if they notice anything about your style and how you can improve it. The more you practice the cor-rect techniques, the more your mountain bik-ing skills will become second nature and you will achieve that blissful state of unconscious competence and being at one with the bike.

These days it seems like any-one who owns a bike is also part of a cycling team. Since the relaxation of rules that govern the licensing of cycling teams in the UAE, the number of similarly clad team riders whether on road or off-road has appeared like a rash on the UAE landscape.

To help those who want to improve their riding and looking for an invite to a team, this article will look at techniques that can assist you whilst mountain biking. Improving your technique will allow you to explore new and potentially more adventurous places. It will also keep you safer on the trails and avoid coming home with the tell-tale signs of crashes and accidents.

Three of the key areas that result in big improvements, saving time and energy are cornering, ascending and descending. This article will look at cornering.

CornersEverybody is slightly nervous about taking a corner too fast. In the UAE, fast and flowing tracks are often covered in loose gravel. The worry that the wheels will slide from under you often leads to lost time going into the corner and increased energy to build up the speed again when you exit the corner. There are how-ever some points to think about to improve your cornering skills.

AnticipationGoing into a corner you must be controlled, smooth and precise. As always with mountain

Elbows and knees slightly bent will act as a natural suspension especially on rougher ground. Using the outside of the corner and the camber or raised section will help to steer the bike around as if on a rail.

Here you can see the rider setting up well ahead for the corner, using the outside line and with the inside pedal raised.


EVENT REPORT

Both received just the boost they need as the defence of their respective titles ap-proached, but a blend of admiration and frustration was the toxic mix left for observers who realised not far in to the race, that an op-portunity was being missed on this clear, still Friday morning in the UAE.

The distinct feeling of What if...? was the result of the men covering their first 5km in a pedestrian 14:31, while the women relatively speaking, were even slower, reaching that mark in 17:14 - virtually training pace for many of them. Well before half way, both races livened up, but despite the front-run-ning efforts of Bernard Koech (fourth in 56:43) and eventual winner Jeptoo, in the mens and womens races respectively, the chance for super fast times had already been lost.

After that initial reluctance to attack the distance, things livened up remarkably in the mens race, with Koech, Desisa and even-tual third placer Wilson Kiprop pushing the tempo, resulting in a 10km split of 28:30 after a 14:01 segment for the pack of ten. This was more like it and when the leaders reached 15km in 42:38 (14:08), with only Jacob Kendagor and Ibrahim Jeilan tailing off, a sub-60 minute clocking looked on the cards yet again.

That middle 10km had taken a meagre

Astonishing strength in depth of results but only af-ter painfully slow starts, were the underlining features of the eighth RAK Half Marathon, with the victories of Ethiopias 2013 Boston Champion Lelisa Desisa in 59:36 and last years London Champion Priscah Jeptoo in 67:02, inevitably topping the early world rankings for the year.

RAKHalf 2014:Special depth, but what if...

28:09, but there was no let-up as Koech, under the hour in his last four half marathons, continued to be the aggressor. Sadly for him, he did little to dent the form of several rivals however, the main beneficiaries being even-tual winner Desisa and Eritreas late developer Nguse Amlosom. This pair cut loose with 3km to go, with initially the unheralded Amlosom, despite a modest best of 60:46, looking the better of the two. A kilometre later though, the marathon strength of Desisa enabled him to dig deeper and he won the critical gap of a few metres that he would eventually hold to the line.

The pace from 15km to 20km (14:02) meant the 15km after the slow start, was cov-ered in a vicious 42:11 (28:10 second 10km) with the final 1.1km taking Desisa just 2:56 - or about 2:40 for the final kilometre. But while the pair drew clear, there was little room for error; behind them the next six athletes battled on gamely and it was here that the results were special. Wilson Kiprops 59:45 garnered third but behind him, Koech was fourth just one second down, Bernard Kip-yego was another second back, Micah Kogo

set a PB of 59:49 in sixth, Feyisa Lilesa was seventh in 59:51 and Paul Lonyangata set a fastest-ever eight place time of 59:54. Never before have eight men broken the hour in the same half marathon.

By contrast, despite their similarly slow opening 5km, the womens race was blown apart by Priscah Jeptoo, who on this winning form looks to have picked up in 2014 where she left off in New York last November. Her acceleration over the 5km to 10km (32:41) meant a 15:27 split, with only Flomena Cheyech, Guteni Shone and Helah Kiprop able to stay within a few seconds of her notoriously flailing gait. What came next was mighty impressive: she covered the 5km segment between 10km and 15km in another

21OUTDOORUAE

MIDDLE EASTS OUTDOOR, ADVENTURE, TRAVEL & LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE

Men 5km 10km 15km 20km Time

1 Lelisa Desisa ETH 14:32 28:31:00 42:39:00 56:40:00 59:36

2 Nguse Amlosom ERI 14:32 28:30:00 42:39:00 56:40:00 59:39

3 Wilson Kiprop KEN 14:31 28:30:00 42:39:00 56:45:00 59:45

4 Bernard Koech KEN 14:31 28:30:00 42:38:00 56:43:00 59:46

5 Bernard Kipyego KEN 14:32 28:31:00 42:39:00 56:45:00 59:47

6 Micah Kogo KEN 14:31 28:30:00 42:39:00 56:45:00 59:49

7 Feyisa Lilesa ETH 14:32 28:31:00 42:39:00 56:45:00 59:51

8 Paul Lonyangata KEN 14:32 28:31:00 42:39:00 56:44:00 59:54

9 Jacob Kendagor KEN 14:31 28:30:00 43:16:00 58:11:00 1:01:27

10 Ibrahim Jeilan ETH 14:31 28:31:00 43:19:00 58:23:00 1:01:47

Women 5km 10km 15km 20km Time

1 Priscah Jeptoo KEN 17:14 32:41:00 48:08:00 01:03:43 01:07:02

2 Flomena Cheyech KEN 17:14 32:45:00 48:41:00 01:04:45 1:08:13

3 Guteni Shone ETH 17:14 32:46:00 48:48:00 01:05:03 01:08:31

4 Helah Kiprop KEN 17:14 32:45:00 48:46:00 01:05:07 1:08:36

5 Rita Jeptoo KEN 17:14 32:52:00 48:59:00 01:05:10 1:08:49

6 Mare Dibaba ETH 17:14 32:59:00 49:06:00 01:05:20 01:08:56

7 Feyse Tadese ETH 17:14 32:59:00 49:24:00 01:05:53 1:09:19

8 Aberu Kebede ETH 17:14 32:52:00 49:08:00 01:05:53 01:09:22

9 Worknesh Degefa ETH 17:15 32:59:00 49:07:00 01:05:54 01:09:43

10 Caroline Kilel KEN 17:14 33:13:00 49:58:00 01:06:53 01:10:33

Top 10 results with 5km splits:

15:27, so 30:54 for that middle 10km and after that there was still little let-up. She hit 20km in 63:45 (15:37) and it was that split that really did the dam-age. Her lead as she headed in to the final 1.1km and the long home straight had reached a yawning 62 seconds and the race was all but over. Even then this quietly spoken 29-year-old mother and business-woman pushed hard, covering the final 1.1km in 3:17 to win by a massive 71 seconds.

Without doubt she could have gone a minute or more faster, and while well never know exactly what she could have run, to suggest that Mary Keitanys three-year-old world record of 65:50 would have been under serious threat, is likely no exaggeration. Behind her, the next eight athletes broke 70:00, with Guteni Shone in third broaching new ground (68:31) while Mare Dibaba, who tops the world marathon

rankings after her win in Xiamen on January 2nd (2:21:36), looked less than fully recovered from her Chinese exertions with a 68:56 clocking for sixth.

Ultimately only Jeptoo came out of the womens race with added credit, her main rivals well beaten with namesake Rita a subdued fifth in 68:49. For the mens part, while any sub-60 performance has to be respected, bearing in mind the glorious conditions that prevailed, their slow start was disappointing. What if both races had gone out a little quicker - say 14:10 for the men and 16:00 for the women? What if there had been pacemakers instead of just a hope that the athletes would lay down their own good tempo, as last year? And what if the main protago-nists were less focused upon their spring marathon effort and actually targeted this Half as an end in itself. There is undoubtedly a lot more to come from the RAK Half in years to come.

22 OUTDOORUAE

Words By: Samantha Cadwallader


The 2XU Triathlon Championships is a series of three races that are open to all, from juniors and adults to novices and profession-als. Organised by Super Sports Events, the Championships offer triathlon enthusiasts in the Middle East various race options, includ-ing Super Sprint (200m swim, 8km cycle, 2.5km run or 375m swim, 8km cycle, 2.5km run), Sprint (750m swim, 24km cycle, 5km run) and Olympic (1.5km swim, 40km cycle, 10km run) distances.

Participants were super excited about the follow-up event on Friday, 7th March, after the top spots were hotly contested in Race 1 by some seriously talented triathletes. De-spite the chilly weather, Race 2 attracted over 300 athletes and even though it was a wetsuit legal swim, fewer people seemed to venture into the water for the usual pre-race warm-up, choosing rather to stay huddled together on the beach like a colony of penguins for added warmth.

Top 10 tri essentials2XU trisuit Swim goggles Race belt Lock laces for your running shoes Nutrition: GU gels and Aqualyte fluid and electrolyte supplement Bike helmet and shoes Visor BodyGlide Sunscreen

Entry fee per competitor per race dateAdults (19 years and over) 300 AED; Juniors (18 years and under) 22 AED; Relay 175 AED. Your 2XU Triathlon Championships race entry fee includes an electronic timing tag, t-shirt, swim cap, finishers medal, Go Sport voucher and refresh-ments. Plus, you can download your achievement in the form of a certificate and share your results with friends via Facebook.

Tri-ed it. Loved it!EVENT REPORT

Look no further than the 2XU Triathlon Championships held at Al Mamzar to satisfy your search for lo-cal racing that offers an action-packed morning of competitive fun for the entire family.

With the briefing complete and the sound of the horn shattering any last-minute strate-gic race thinking, the race was on. The juniors were the first to brave the water followed quickly by the Olympic and Sprint competi-tors. A somewhat nippy swim ensured; the senses were stirred as swimmers clambered around the buoys and back to the beach before tackling the bike leg, which hugs the scenic shoreline before looping out and back and returning to the starting point.

An unfortunate headwind on the day meant that participants had to dig deep while navigating their way over roundabouts, around a few technical turns and monster speed bumps. Keeping track of the number of laps you have completed can prove tricky (three for the Sprint and five for the Olympic), but it certainly makes the ride seem quicker as you mull over numerous calculations in your mind. Tired or not, drafting is not ac-ceptable so do not get caught in the act or you will be penalised by some eagle-eyed marshals and volunteers who monitor this rule very closely. Ensuring a fair race for all, they also provide some much-needed support and encouragement as you pass them by great job guys and girls!

Into transition, ditch the bike and don the trainers because it is run time. The soft track is a welcome sight, soothing any heavy and weary legs. What is great about this run is that you can set your sights on those ahead of you, using them as a homing beacon or to motivate yourself to work harder as you try and catch them. It also keeps you on your toes as you can see if you are being closely tailed, or not, at the turns. As runners pass each other on the course you can hear whis-pers of friendly banter and praise. A fun but competitive spirit out on the course means that the event is renowned for good sports-manship and pushing people to their limits.

Coming down the 2XU finishing shoot, crossing the finishing line and receiving the race bling (finishers medal) is awesome. Mak-ing it to the 2XU Triathlon Championships podium priceless. Go on, tri it!

Entries for Race 3 on 28th March 2013 are already open and will be limited to the first 500 entries received. For more information visit www.supersportsdubai.com.

From left to right: Rohit, Nazeer and James in their Laser Picos.

The access dinghies used by Sailability in Dubai.

24 OUTDOORUAE

Words By: Jennifer HardiePhotos By: DOSC

The Sailability programme in Dubai fo-cuses on training children and young adults to sail a boat, or feel comfortable in a sailing situation. The programme uses specially de-signed boats called access dinghies which are easy to get in and out of for people with limited mobility and virtually impos-sible to capsize. Students are also taught sailing theory and have the opportunity to try kayaking, which helps improve water confidence, in between their sailing and theory lessons. The goal for many students is to have them progress from basic sailing in access dinghies to independent sailing in small singled handed boats called Picos.

Rachel Eglington, the lead coordinator for Sailability said, We have children with all types of disabilities who come down to DOSC and take part in Sailability. Some

Getting disabled kids out on the water

EVENT REPORT

When you have a disability, either physical or mental, taking part in regular sports can be a challenge. For the past five years, the Dubai Offshore Sailing Club (DOSC) has been trying to make sailing accessible for people with disabilities through its Sailability programme. Sailability is a worldwide, not-for profit, volunteer-based movement that facilitates sailing for everyone regardless of ability. At DOSC theyre helping children and young adults withdisabilities by giving them the opportunity to learn to sail through a structured sailing programme, which includes a number of special needs schools in Dubai.

pick up sailing right away and are keen to progress as quickly as possible, while others are very physically disabled and simply enjoy the calming effect of sitting in a boat for a few minutes.

Rachel talks about the enthusiasm all of the volunteers have for the programme, We recently had a severely autistic boy who could barely communicate. When he first started he was scared of the boat and didnt want to get in, but after a while his confidence grew and he agreed to get into the access dinghies. After a few sessions on the water, we saw a completely different child. Hed be full of smiles, splash his hand in the water and would wave to people while he was in the boat. You would never see this behaviour on land, as the boy had difficulty engaging with anyone. His mother told us that she saw a big change in him at home and his weekly sailing sessions were a big reason for this. When you see a transforma-tion in a child like this you see how impor-

tant a programme like Sailabilty is to the local community.

Three very recent success stories are that of Rohit, Nazeer and James, who have become accomplished sailors through the programme. The three boys have been invited to further develop their sailing skills by attending a sailing programme aboard a tall ship in Halifax, Canada from 4th to 10th August 2014. Sailability is hoping to be able to fulfill this dream for the three boys, as the fee is 17,000 AED per student for accom-modation, flights and sailing. Each sailor also needs to be accompanied by an able-bodied helper, pushing the total cost to well over 100,000 AED. The Sailability team is cur-rently fundraising. If youd like to help con-tribute to their trip or volunteer for Sailability, contact: [email protected]

Abu Dhabi Sailing and Yacht Club also runs a Sailability programme in Abu Dhabi. For more information contact: [email protected] or 02 658 3333.

25OUTDOORUAE

Sail Around The World


March-April Sailing Events7th-8th March, Round 5, UAE National Championships, Abu Dhabi11th-15th March, Mussanah Race Week, Oman20th-22nd March, Airbus Regatta, DOSC, Dubai3th-4th April, Abu Dhabi Offshore Race10th-12th April, Bani Yas Rally: Dubai Sir Bani Yas Island11th-12th April, Round 6, UAE National Championships, Al Hamra (RAK)17th-19th April, Bani Yas Offshore Race25th-26th April, Round 7, UAE National Championships, Mirfa (Abu Dhabi)

The sail was initially delayed by more than two hours, after thick fog engulfed all of Dubai on Saturday morning. The event was hosted by children from the Dubai Offshore Sailing Club (DOSC). They were also joined by 14 youth sailors from Al Hamriyah Sailing Club in Sharjah. The mixed group of Emirati and expat children from countries such as the UK, Netherlands, Ireland, Spain, Australia and New Zealand, regularly race against each other in the UAE Nationals, but joined together to promote youth sailing and have a fun day on the water.

The World is a collection of 300 islands off

UAE Nationals, Round 4: 14th-15th February 2014

Optimist Junior (under 11 years)1st Jentl Hanemaaijer, DOSC 2nd Matthew Hardie, DOSC3rd Abdulla Nooh Alraeesi, AHCSC

Optimist1st Saif Al Mansourie, EHC 2nd Jentl Hanemaaijer, DOSC3rd Marie Oldeman, DOSC

Laser 4.71st Hamood Salem Al Zaidi, EHC2nd Mohammed Gtat, EHC3rd Saif Ibrahim Al Naimie, EHC

Laser Radial1st Saeed Salem Al Zaidi, EHC2nd Saif Ibrahim Ah Hamadi, EHC3rd Fionn Conway, DOSC

Laser Standard3rd James Hopson, DOSC 2nd John Woolcock, DOSC3rd Abdulla Saeed AL Hammadi, AHCSC

UAE Sailing Results February

On 22nd February, fifty children aged as young as seven years old circumnavigated The World islands independently in six hours and 30 minutes in Optimists and five hours in Lasers.

the coast of Dubai in the shape of a map of the globe. Its breakwater has a circumference of more than 27 kilometres. It was the young sailors longest ever voyage and more than 10 times the distance they cover in regular races. They had been expected to take up to eight hours to complete the circuit.

I really enjoyed sailing with the kids from Hamriyah today. Normally we sail against them at the UAE Nationals, but we got to get

to know everyone today, said Peter Dalem, a 12-year-old sailor from Belgium. We also had some of our little kids from DOSC out sailing and it was great to help them along the way. It was a long hard sail, but an amaz-ing experience.

It was one of the best days that Ive ever had sailing. It was the longest time Ive ever sailed, from the morning until sunset. It was great to be with different friends from other clubs, and we all took experience from each other, said Abdullah Saeed, a 16-year-old Emirati from Al Hamriyah Sailing Club.

The 10 girls and 40 boys in their small two-metre racing dinghies were shadowed by their coaches and parents in several safety boats. A big crowd cheered them in to the harbour as they returned to DOSC, just as the sun was setting.

DMX Review is kindly sponsored and supported by

26 OUTDOORUAE

How did you get into motocross?I started riding in India when I was 18. I was the Indian National Champion from 2002 to 2005 and the official rider for TVS Motors. Then I came to Dubai in 2007 where I started working for Liberty Kawasaki in sales and, at the same time, raced for their team too. When I joined them that time I was the only rider.

Whats your greatest racing achievement so far? I finished DMX last year in fourth place and the year before that at third place. Just being able to race is an achievement in itself. I just love to ride. I enjoy it because its thrilling, challenging and a lot of hard work.

Is anyone else in your family into motocross? No, no, no [laughs]. My family is completely different. They never watch me ride because they know its a dangerous sport and they worry. Even back in India, my father and mother didnt like it. Nobody likes it except my brother. I want to inspire my kids to try it if they want to, but not now. I want to introduce it to them slowly.

Jinan CDAge: 38Nationality: IndianOccupation: Sales Consultant in Liberty KawasakiRace Number: 50Bike Model: 2014 Kawasaki KX450FClass: MX-1

Whats your training like?I try to balance my schedule, so whenever I get free time, I go for practice. Its not regular, but its fine. I practice here and in the track in Shar-jah. The DMX track is more technical, while the Umm Al Quwain is a little bit easier because its smaller, so its good to familiarise yourself with different tracks. Whats your race strategy?I want to go fast. I just try my best that day and the goal is always to finish. Concentration is very important. I want to finish all the races, do it surely and keep it steady.

Is the competition tough between other riders and even between your teammates? Its definitely tough competition because there are plenty of impressive riders here, but whats great about the motocross clubs here is that at the end of the day were all friends. I like riding for Kawasaki, the machine is very strong and when you ride it you feel strong on it. Kawasaki is very supportive of its riders. Every Friday is like a get together.

What do you love about this sport?A lot! It keeps me fit. Riding is good fitness training; its giving me good energy. Of course, I love bikes and when I have time I try to fix it myself like some body works.

Have you had major injuries? I had a lot of crashes, but thankfully no major injuries, but I feel bad when my bike crashes though [laughs].

What can fans expect in this years series? Its going to be good, especially as we are nearing the finals. The series is definitely getting better every year. The track here in Jebel Ali is very good, permanent and very well-maintained with good space for spectators to watch.

Whats your advice for those who want to get into this sport?There is no shortcut for this field. There is no easy way. You need to train hard and spend a lot of hours to practice and work on your skills. I promise 100%, the result will be evident.

Photos By: Abdel Elecho

27OUTDOORUAE

Position No. Competitor Laps Total time

1 19 Eugenio Barbaglia 7 15:10.009

2 2 Keving Valenti 7 15:10.835

3 174a Abdullah Al Nuaimi 7 15:44.357


1 88 Alex Mortada 6 15:45.091

2 174 Ahmed Al Nuaimi 6 17:08.467

3 27 Will Burke 5 15:35.681


1 28 Hamdan Al Tamimi 10 20:02.796

2 19 Clinton Wyngard 10 20:23.723

3 79 Richard Cornfield 10 22:04.551


1 28 Hamdan Al Tamimi 10 20:32.104

2 19 Clinton Wyngard 10 20:49.537

3 21 John Watkinson 10 21:59.492


1 11 Erik Landgren 11 19:43.875

2 5 Dean Jullien 11 20:33.012

3 22 Nicholas Kefford 11 20:33.476


1 1 Ross Runnalls 13 20:59.085

2 83 Sam Sunderland 13 21:05.601

3 12 Sean Gaugain 13 22:29.508


1 13 Shannon O Connor 10 20:04.059

2 895 Brent Gregson 10 20:33.615

3 5 Sean Holder 10 20:40.591


1 11 Erik Landgren 9 18:21.114

2 73 Darren Berry 9 19:04.123

3 22 Nicholas Kefford 9 19:32.780


1 83 Sam Sunderland 12 21:10.260


3 12 Sean Gaugain 12 22:15.624


1 12 Sean Gaugain 13 22:24.910


3 2 Dale Jullien 13 22:50.889


1 13 Shannon O Connor 10 20:23.183

2 310 Enrico Barbaglia 10 20:47.000

3 25 Duncan Crerar 10 20:56.808


1 19 Eugenio Barbaglia 8 14:33.948

2 22 Nick Kefford 8 14:58.496

3 174a Abdullah Al Nuaimi 8 15:18.428


1 88 Alex Mortada 7 15:46.055

2 174 Ahmed Al Nuaimi 6 15:10.404

3 27 Will Burke 6 15:42.423

85cc

65cc

Clubman Class

Clubman Class

125cc

MX1Masters

125cc

MX1

MX2

Masters

85cc

65ccDMX Round 7 Results2013-2014 race season

Position No. Name Laps Total time


2 2 Dale Jullien 12 22:35.600

3 12 Sean Gaugain 12 23:14.094

MX2

MOTO 1

MOTO 2

High-octane action at the seventh round on February 21at the Jebel Ali track.


28 OUTDOORUAE


Adventure sports and hobbies are on the rise, becoming more and more popular with locals and expats alike. And one of these has been a well-kept secret spearfishing.

After the making of One Fish in 2010, a DVD featuring the adventures of one local Qatari diver Mohammed Jassim Al-Kuwari, the popularity of spearfishing soared in Qatar.

Increasingly, spearfishing is being ex-plored as a preferred past time in Qatar. Its all about an early start, making your way to that perfect diving spot, getting into the water and catching your fish of the day. The simple pleasure of enjoying it later with some friends over the BBQ is enough reward for most of the spearos in Qatar.

There is no official body regulating these activities in Qatar and information can be hard to come by. But a few trips to the Souq Waqif (and of course getting some locals to share their secrets), you quickly come to understand the community and the need for some local assistance. It is imperative to con-nect with one of the Qatari experts, and this can be tricky like all true fishermen, they reluctantly give away their secret spot.

Currently, there are no government regula-tions restricting these fishing activities, and the season is open all year round. It must

ACTIVITY REPORT

Spearfishingin QatarUnraveling the secrets of the spearos Words By: Eulogy Du Plessis

Qatar is fast becoming the sports capital of the world, hosting many world championships and inter-national competition across a variety of sporting codes; however its outdoor activity lifestyle is not as well known.

be noted that the spearfishing community in Qatar is quite environmentally conscious, and keep to self-regulated quotas.

The searing heat in the summer months make diving a little more difficult, and find-ing fish more challenging. Most local divers agree that April, May and June are the best time of the year for spearfishing. Visibility is usually good around these months, some divers reporting up to 15m on a perfect day.

For a good day of spearfishing, you have two options: enjoy exploring the natural reefs, found all along the mostly shallow coastline, making it very accessible. But beware, strong natural currents can be de-ceiving. The alternative option is to find your

way to some of the man-made wrecks, pro-viding some structure in the otherwise even ocean floor. This bit of structure provides an artificial habitat for fish, almost always promising a good catch!

A popular spot for all diving activities is near Sealine Beach Resort in the south of Qatar called The Old Reef. An assortment of sunken buses, vehicles (and even the odd porcelain toilet!) is now home to wide variety of different species. Access via shore entry and the deep water starting not far from the shore makes this a fun and easy place to go.

In the north of the country lies some spec-tacular off-shore spots for spearfishing, but you will need a speedboat and local diver with the GPS coordinates to get there.

An incredible variety of fish species are found here. Expect to catch some barracuda, Spanish mackerel (also known as kingfish), amberjacks, groupers (which is locally known as hamour), sea pike, rabbitfish and trevally. And these are just to name a few! Most divers are caught by surprise by the abun-dance of fish found off the local shoreline.

One of the local shops provide freediving courses and according to Khalid Al Ham-madi, owner of State of Qatar, he has trained and accredited about 400 freedivers from Qatar and the GCC over the past five years.

The two main shops where you can buy spearfishing equipment and source more local advise are both located close to each other at Souq Waqif:

Al Kashat, Fishing and Hunting EquipmentContact details: [email protected]; +974 667 24828 or +974 700 57489

State of Qatar (also known as QatarSub), free diving and spearfishing one stop shopContact details: www.stateofqatar.com; [email protected], +974 443 1234

Most people expect only sand (and more sand) when they come to stay or visit in the Middle East. It is therefore a pleasant surprise when you experience the inviting waters of the Arabian Gulf, and start to unravel the secrets hidden beneath.

Spearfishing off the shore of Qatar is a unique experience that leaves all divers that have had this pleasure breathless (pun intended).

29OUTDOORUAE

Stephen Turner takes a break before the ascent

Lou, two Robs and John Young relax at the end

John Young cools down

Winners Gareth Gregory, DieterSticht and Brian Rowlings

Keith Kennetz pleased to finish.

Alf repairs Manons AAA surf ski


This year eight teams took to the waters and mountains of the Musandam Peninsula ready to complete the 35km sea kayak, 21km mountain run and the 65km mountain bike route, either as a relay or doing the Full Monty. All the teams assembled in remark-ably good time in Khor Najd on the Thursday evening despite the inevitable rush hour traf-fic going north, the chaos of the road works in RAK city and the immigration procedures at Ad Darah.

The kayaking conditions were sublime; very light winds, a favourable tide and the most stunning phosphorescence as the kayakers and surf skiers left Khor Najd in the dark. With the arrival of daylight, the scenery really opens up and the seascape is inspirational. Two incidents of note were the loss off a surf ski foot pedal by team Manons AAA, which was repaired with help from Alf Wild and the dhow team in a perfect Heath Robinson man-ner, and the accompaniment of Lou and Rob Willingss double kayak by an enormous ray.

The running route proved to be, arguably, the most arduous because of the heat in the confined canyon and the lack of a cooling breeze; everyone suffered and water supplies were running low (there is no re-supply en route, though John Young took advantage of a plunge into a goat water trough early on). This year the route up the rock faces was

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#42 March 2014