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Saturday 07 November 2009 (UAE)
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Sailing in Dubai
Sailing is popular in Dubai and the UAE, and not just in the types of yachts people are familiar with from around the world. The traditional sailing boats or dhows in the UAE occasionally also gather en masse off the coast of Dubai for a race and this makes for quite a spectacular sight.
The sailing clubs in Dubai organise race days and each year race from Dubai to Muscat. Normally it's only 3 days each way but if you sail too close to Iran, you get Bed & Breakfast there for an extra few weeks as one group of expats found out early in 2006.
Dubai to Muscat sailing race
- Boat sizes 30 - 50 ft.
- First race in 1982. Fastest was 'Twister' with a time of 51h 52m in 2000. Slowest is a week or so (although many boats do not complete the race usually because not enough wind).
- Slow boats can use engines.
- Organised by DOSC in October each year. For 2006, sponsorship from i-mate.
- Curtainraiser i-mate "Round the World" race on Friday 20 October 2006 should take about 3-4 hours (that's around the Nakheel version of The World).
Other Sailing events in Dubai
- Lasers - Volvo Laser SB3 Middle East Grand Prix, 19-20 October 2007 at Dubai Offshore Sailing Club
UAE sailing clubs and marinas
ADIMSC - Abu Dhabi International Marine Sports Club
- ADIMSC established in 1993 as the home of Abu Dhabi powerboat racing but has expanded to other boat related activities
- ADIMSC supports kayaking, sailing, wakeboarding, jetskis, hosts boat races (sailing and motor), and has marina berths to park your gin palace
- Hosts the Emirates International Boat Show International (first exhibition 25-29 November 2008)
- As if water based activities weren't enough, ADIMSC also hosts the Red Bull Air Race among other air, road, and water based events.
- ADIMSC tel +971-2-6815566 main office, or tel marina +971-2-6818882, location Abu Dhabi Corniche near Marina Mall
Abu Dhabi Marina & Yacht Club
- Abu Dhabi Marina tel +971-2-6440300, location Al Mina / Tourist Club Area, near Abu Dhabi Mall
ADSC - Abu Dhabi Sailing Club
- ADSC is more of a "proper" sailing club, like DOSC and JASC in Dubai, rather than a posh restaurant, or marina for big motor yachts.
- Abu Dhabi Sailing Club founded in the 1960s, part of The Club Abu Dhabi (founded in 1962), location Mina Sadiyat.
- Boats and sailing courses available. Boats are owned by the club and syndicated out to members.
- The Round Abu Dhabi Race takes place at the beginning of the year
- ADSC commodore is Peter Tonkin, from 2006-present (December 2008)
- ADSC tel +971-2-6731111
ADSS - Abu Dhabi Sailing School
- Part of ADIMSC, tel +971-2-6813446
Ajman Marina
- Ajman Marina tel +971-6-7423344
Al Seef Marina, Dubai
- Al Seef Marina is on Dubai Creek, operated by Island Global Yachting (IGY)
- Berthing accommodation for 18 boats from 30 to 50 meters in length.
- Al Seef tel +971-4-3631500, email dubaisales@igymarinas.com, web www.igy-alseef.com, GPS 25°15'30.56"N 55°18'41.35"E
Anchor Marina, Dubai
- Anchor Marina is on the Palm Jumeirah, open in the first quarter of 2009 with 590 berths for yachts between 10m and 30m length.
- Two clubhouses, one on Anchor Marina East for families, and one on Anchor Marina West with fancy restaurants.
- Facilities and services include 24 hour berthing assistance, on-site security, water & electricity, Wi-Fi internet, global satellite TV
- Developer and manager is Island Global Yachting (IGY).
- Anchor Marina / IGY tel +971-4-3631500 or +971-4-3039801, web www.igy-anchormarina.com, email am@igymarinas.com
Arabian Sail Charters, Dubai
- Arabian Sail Charters tel +971-4-3329567
DIMC - Dubai International Marine Club
- Dubai International Marine Club / Mina Seyahi is a marina, beach club, restaurant / bar collection rather than a sailing club like DOSC/JASC, although JASC might be absorbed by DIMC.
- DIMC hosts the annual Dubai Boat Show
- DIMC tel +971-4-3994111
DOSC - Dubai Offshore Sailing Club
- Dubai Offshore Sailing Club (DOSC) is in Jumeirah / Umm Suqeim, behind Kentucky Fried Chicken on Jumeirah Beach Road. Pleasant beach facilities and clubhouse, outdoor area especially popular during the less sauna-like months of the year.
- Bar / restaurant has good value food and usual beer selection.
- Non-members entrance fee 10 dhs (need to be signed in by a member)
- Established in 1974, built on land donated by Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed al Maktoum.
- A Royal Yachting Association (RYA) Training Centre with qualified instructors so you can learn how to sail.
- Pongy in late 2008 due to sewage truck drivers having a dump, so to speak, in nearby drains which ran into DOSC harbour. E.Coli was reportedly available to those game enough to take a dip.
- DOSC tel +971-4-3941669
Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club
- Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club is a marina, golf club, and restaurant/bar collection but not really a sailing club.
- DCGYC tel +971-4-2956000, location Garhood side of the Dubai Creek between Garhoud and Maktoum bridges.
Dubai Marina Yacht Club
- Dubai Marina Yacht Club (DMYC) is a posh club in the Dubai Marina development where you'll be able to park your ocean going spa pool and BBQ deck, and pop in for a bit of grub and booze (might be alcohol free as it's an Emaar development). Open late 2008.
- Location is the western (Jebel Ali) end of Dubai Marina, near the Dubai Marina Mall. At the north-eastern (Dubai) end of the Dubai Marina is another marina and small yacht club with (non-alcoholic) wine and food.
Dubai Maritime City Marina
- Harbour Marina and Maritime Centre Marina pre-opening scheduled for September 2008
- Harbour Marina will have 600 in-water berths for boats 12m to 80m in length with maximum draft of 8m.
- Maritime Center Marina will have 80 wet berths and a 200 berth dry-stack facility for boats 12m to 35m.
- Developer is Island Global Yachting (IGY)
- Maritime City Marina tel +971-4-3631500, email dubaisales@igymarinas.com, web www.igy-dubaimaritimecity.com, GPS 25°16’31.26” N 55°16’02.82” E
Emirates Sailing School, Abu Dhabi
- Emirates Sailing School / Association (ESS) location is Al Raha Beach, Abu Dhabi.
- ESS established 1996 to promote sailing for UAE Nationals
- ESS tel +971-2-5632700
Festival Marina, Dubai
- Festival Marina is part of the Dubai Festival City shopping and entertainment complex in Garhoud, Dubai.
- Yacht accommodation is 74 permanent berths for 15m to 35m boats.
- Ocean access is tricky since the marina is upstream from the Dubai Floating Bridge which only opens for boat passage from 10pm to 6am.
- Operated by International Global Yachting (IGY)
- Restival Marina tel +971-4-2085100, email marina@dubaifestivalcity.com, web www.igy-festivalmarina.com, GPS 25°13.28' N 55°21.02' E
Fujairah International Marine Club
- Fujairah International Marine Club (FIMC), or Fujairah Marina, is on the corniche at the end of the main road through Fujairah. As it's on the East coast of the UAE, ocean going vessels wanting to avoid the Straits of Hormuz and the Iranian navy can stop in Fujairah. The climate in summer is also moderated slightly because the Gulf of Oman doesn't warm up quite as much as the Arabian Gulf (Persian Gulf). It's still hot though and you'll still need air-conditioning if staying onboard while parked.
- FIMC has berthing facilities (cheaper than Dubai), boat repair facilities, restaurants, and a basketball court for something different (are basketballs a common item to carry onboard a yacht?)
- Fujairah Marina hosts offshore powerboat races, sailing regattas, traditional dhow sailing, and other assorted events
- FIMC tel +971-9-2221166
JASC - Jebel Ali Sailing Club
- The Jebel Ali Sailing Club (JASC) is in Mina Seyahi, which is not as close to Jebel Ali as the name might indicate. The empty plots of land around JASC are disappearing gradually amongst all the construction going on in Dubai Marina. Some valuable real estate there so who knows what will happen to it in the next few years.
- JASC was founded in 1977, has Royal Yachting Association of Great Britain accreditation. Built on land donated by Sheikh Rashid Bin Saeed Al Maktoum.
- JASC is part of the Dubai International Marine Club (DIMC), and Mina Seyahi is also a division of DIMC. Mina Seyahi has been rebranded as the New Mina Seyahi Dubai, or something like that, so JASC might become the Mina Seyahi Yacht Club or Sailing Club or Sailing Department or ... Mina Seyahi Ship Yard has a nice ring to it, no?
- JASC tel +971-4-3995444, or try the Mina Seyahi Dubai Sailing Department tel +971-4-3181803
- JASC GPS co-ordinates N 25º05'14.65" E 55º08'28.81"
La Hoya Bay Yacht Club and Marina, Ras Al Khaimah
- La Hoya Bay Yacht Club and Marina is a posh new club under development in the Marjan Islands project in RAK. Completion maybe 2010-2011?
Ras Al Khaimah Sailing Club
- See Ras Al Khaimah Sailing Association (RAKSA) information
The Yacht Club Abu Dhabi
- Posh restaurant and bar, open late 2008, also called The Yacht Club Bar & Galley (not Gallery). Has very little to do with Hobie Cats and Salty Dogs.
- Tel Abu Dhabi Intercontinental Hotel +971-2-6666888
Umm Al Quwain (UAQ) Tourist Club
- The UAQ Tourist Club is at the Flamingo Beach Resort in Umm Al Quwain, tel +971-6-7670000 or +971-6-7651185
- More of a sailing club than the UAQ Marine Center but you can still go for a BBQ
- Non members entrance fee (of 20 dhs?)
- No website found but try email flaming1@emirates.net.ae (good luck) or www.flamingoresort.ae for the resort (tel +971-6-7650001).
Umm Al Quwain Marine Club and Riding Center
- Combination sailing and horse riding club (no seahorses though)
- Tel +971-6-7665446
- Boats for rent, beach, restaurant, swimming pool, tennis court. Not quite the same as one of the posh resorts in Dubai, but won't cost you a years salary to join either.
Learn to Sail
- JASC will provide sailing and windsurfing instruction for 300-500 dhs per session per person (usually around 2-4 hours).
- DOSC also has qualified instructors available for sailing lessons.
- Many of the beach hotels have water sports facilities but this doesn't usually include sailing craft except for windsurfers - with instruction.
Yacht berths / Marinas in Dubai and the UAE
A bit of a shortage during 2004-2008. There are more marinas under construction with several large facilities due for completion from 2008-2011. UAE marina locations include
- Abu Dhabi
- DOSC
- Dubai Creek Golf and Yacht Club in Al Garhoud near Festival City.
- Dubai Marina (both ends)
- Fujairah
- JASC
- Jumeirah Beach Hotel
- Jumeirah Palm Island
- Mina Seyahi / DIMC
- Port Rashid - only if you have a big boat (several thousand tons).
- Ras Al Khaimah Sailing Club
- Umm Al Quwain Marine Club and Riding Centre - cheaper but a bit of a drive from Dubai.
Related pages
- Abras - water taxis on Dubai Creek, no sails used
- Abu Dhabi Boat Show - 2009 event, from 12-14 March 2009, forum topic
- Dubai Boat Show - 2009 event from 03-07 March 2009, forum topic
- Ras Al Khaimah Sailing Clubs
- Things to do in Dubai
Related websites (open in new window)
- adimsc.iproduction.tv - Abu Dhabi International Marine Sports Club (ADIMSC) website. One of those tedious sites with splash pages, page loading indicators, and a long wait before you get to some real information.
- dosc.the-talk.net - DOSC forum for yacht crew searching for crewing postions or captains / boat owners searching for crew in Dubai
- www.abudhabimarina.com - some sources list it as the website for Abu Dhabi Marina but is spam when checked December 2008 (complete with lots of annoying popup windows). No alternative found.
- www.adsmf.com - some sources list it as the website for ADIMSC but is spam when checked December 2008.
- www.abudhabisailing.com - ADSC website, seems to have gone dormant since May 2007 (checked December 2008)
- www.angelfire.com/on/raksa/ - RAKSA website but seems to have gone dormant in 2002. No alternative found, nothing at www.raksa.ae.
- www.fimc.ae - Fujairah Marine Club website
- www.bluesailyachts.com - an organisation that offers RYA training courses in Dubai.
- www.dubaigolf.com/dcgyc/ - Dubai Creek Golf & Yacht Club website
- www.dubaimarinayachtclub.com - Dubai Marina Yacht Club website
- www.dosc.ae - website for Dubai Offshore Sailing Club (DOSC) (not available December 2008?).
- www.dubaimuscat.org.ae - website for the Dubai to Muscat Offshore Sailing Race
- www.ess.ae - website for the Emirates Sailing School
- www.jebelalisailingclub.com - Jebel Ali Sailing Club (JASC) website (taken over by spam when checked December 2008, no other JASC website found, nothing at www.jebelalisailingclub.ae or www.jasc.ae but try www.minaseyahidubai.com).
- www.igymarinas.com - International Global Yachting (IGY) website (Middle East), developer / operator of several yacht marinas in Dubai: Al Seef Marina, Anchor Marina, Dubai Maritime City marinas, Festival Marina.
- www.xclusiveyachts.com - sick of that big white thing flapping around your boat? Charter a motor yacht instead.
- Dubai directory - add your link free