Young UAE sailors find Olympic Gold in Abu Dhabi

Some of the UAE’s youngest competing sailors now know what it’s like to hold an Olympic gold medal – and how hard it is to win two.

They were excited to meet double Olympic champion Malcolm Page in the countdown to the 2015 ISAF Sailing World Cup Final starting tomorrow at Abu Dhabi Sailing and Yacht Club (ADSYC).

After a mini regatta staged at ADSYC on Tuesday Australian Page, who struck gold at the
Olympics in Beijing in 2008 and London four years later, presented trophies to youngsters from ADSYC, Dubai Offshore Sailing Club, Emirates Heritage Club and Abu Dhabi Sailing Club.

“I brought my two medals along to show the kids what you can achieve in sailing if you work hard at it,” said Page, now a senior official of ISAF, the International Sailing Federation. “We hope to see an Emirati on the medal podium in the near future.”

The young UAE optimist sailors all compete in the National Sailing Championships which will enter a new season on 5th November.

More event details can be found at http://www.sailing.org/worldcup/home.php

ISAF Sailing World Cup
The ISAF Sailing World Cup is a world-class annual series for Olympic sailing. It is open to the sailing events chosen for the 2016 Olympic Sailing Competition. Its centre piece is the ISAF Sailing World Cup Final in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

The 2015 ISAF Sailing World Cup will consist of five regattas for all ten Olympic events and where possible, Formula Kite Racing. Qualification places for the ISAF Sailing World Cup final are up for grabs at each event. The final will bring together the top 20 boats in each Olympic event and an Open Kiteboarding event where the World Cup Champions will be crowned

2015 ISAF Sailing World Cup
Melbourne – 7-14 December 2014
Miami – 25-31 January 2015
Hyères – 20-26 April 2015
Weymouth and Portland – 8-14 June 2015
Qingdao – 14-20 September 2015
2015 Final Abu Dhabi – 27 October to 1 November 2015

http://www.sailing.org/worldcup