Video: Traditional dhow boat race Al Gaffal was held in Dubai
2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55
On May 17, 2014, the annual dhow sailing boat race took place in Dubai - Al ghaffaldedicated to the memory of the pearl divers who played an important role in the life of the Dubai ports. The participants of the competition had to overcome a track 86.5 kilometers long. The finish of the race was scheduled at the hotel pier Burj Al Arab.
Numerous spectators could watch the competition from the ferry Dubai, who accompanied the participants at a minimum distance. The cost of ferry tickets for the gold class was 325 dirham ($ 90), for the silver one - 250 dirham ($ 70).
First races Al ghaffal took place in 1991. At that time, only 53 riders took part in the competition in small boats (43 feet long). Every year there were more and more participants. This 23rd race has registered 100 60-foot dhows and accommodates over 3,000 competitors.
Speaking of races, one cannot but tell about the original participating vessels. Dhow boats are distinguished by a recognizable silhouette: an elongated hull, a long sloping yard and a pointed nose. This design of the hull significantly reduces the degree of rolling and increases the maneuverability of the vessel. To participate in the race Al ghaffal only wooden boats built according to old blueprints are allowed. It is prohibited to paint the dhow body. Only varnish inside and outside.
As for the sail, it is sewn exclusively by hand from silk or nylon. Despite the fact that the boat has 4 oars, they cannot be used during the race. In the absence of wind, the entire crew patiently stands still on the ships, waiting for the weather to change. And although today the old "dhow" is more and more replacing maneuverable motor boats, sailors claim that it is much more pleasant to go out to sea on them than on the fastest boat. After all, the main thing is not the cost of the boat, but the professionalism of the crew. In order to be convinced of this, it is enough to remember the port doctor Alena Bombarawho is the first crossed the Atlantic Ocean in a rubber boat.
Recommended:
I blinded him from what was. Boat Project by Lone Twin
If you really want, you can create a floating vehicle from literally any material, even debris. This theory was proved by the workers of the British company Lone Twin, who carried out the Boat Project, within the framework of which a completely sailable yacht with a length of 9 meters was built
Speed and balance: bamboo boat racing in China
Bamboo Drift Racing is held annually in China, where participants demonstrate at speed their ability to drive boats made of … bamboo! Self-control, dexterity, the ability to keep balance and good physical fitness - these are the basic qualities that everyone who dares to ride the thinnest boat in the world should have
Boat in the steppe: art photography by Tom Chambers
Photo artist Tom Chambers loves everything that makes you look at reality from a different angle. Influenced by Mexican religious drawings, his art photographs are assembled piecemeal from photographs taken in the United States, Canada and Mexico. The author of creative collages does not expect absolute believability, but he is sure that the viewer will perfectly understand what's what
A lonely sail gleams on a square in Valencia: an unusual fountain-boat (Spain)
In Valencia, on the Playa de la Malvarrosa square, there is an amazing fountain, at first glance, resembling a boat with a snow-white sail. Looking closely, you can see that the hull of this ship is nothing more than jets of water playing in the sun
Family Race - 2011: Race with Wives at the ready
We are reminded every now and then that husband and wife are one Satan, or, politically correct, two halves. And in some cases, they are also one team. Every year, couples travel to Newry, Maine, USA to compete in the North American Championship and show what their tandem is capable of. 47 couples gathered for an unusual race in 2011