Germans aim to score Dubai match race victory

DUBAI — With Germany firmly in the grip of World Cup soccer fever, some of the country’s rising stars in the international sailing arena are hoping to score a big win when they follow Bundeslegia champions Bayern Munich to Dubai next week.

Following closely on the heels of Bayern’s recent winter training break in the UAE’s sporting capital, the German match racing team is aiming for victory in the Dubai Match Race on their competitive debut in the Middle East.

This open international match racing series for challengers of all ages is giving a new dimension to the Dubai Junior Regatta, which is sponsored by Emirates Airline and takes place from January 22-29.

And the German team of Sven-Erik Horsch, Felix Simmendinger, Mirko Masek, Alexander Nibbe, and Jörg Mueller-Arnecke have high hopes as they prepare to take on challengers from New Zealand, Italy, India, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain and the host nation.

“The event in Dubai is really important event for us,” said Horsch, who skippers the team. “For the last four months we have not been able to sail because of the cold weather and have only been able to do fitness training, so this is our first test of 2006.”

“We’ve been doing match racing since 2002 and our best position in the ISAF world rankings so far has been 49th, but we’re working to get into the top 30.”

The Germans have already won several ISAF Grade 3 events in Europe and competed in Australia, USA and Japan where they finished runners-up in the 2004 national championships.

Added Horsch “We could be among the favorites to win in Dubai because we’re one of the most experienced teams, although at this stage we don’t know much about the other teams. We’re really happy to be competing in the event and are excited to have the chance to learn more about the country and the people of the United Arab Emirates.”

Each of the teams contesting the new Dubai Match Race will sail the newly-designed V1/Lutra-30 Sport Boat, a high performance racing boat built in Dubai especially for the event and for April’s ISAF Nations Cup qualifier in the emirate. Built by V1 Advanced Composite Technologies at Jebel Ali Freezone in Dubai, the V1/Lutra-30 is being given its first trials at sea off Dubai International Marine Club this week.

“The new boat is a very exciting development for match racing in the UAE,” said Sid Bensalah, the regatta chairman and sailing manager at DIMC. “The manufacturers have invested a great deal in its design and construction and the boat has created a great deal of extra interest in match racing which has a big future here.” Taking place under the patronage of Shaikh Ahmed bn Saeed Al Maktoum, Chairman of Emirates, the Dubai Junior Regatta is attracting 143 competitors from 18 nations for the junior Laser 4.7 and Optimist race series.

The teams begin arriving in Dubai at the weekend and official practice starts at DIMC on Sunday before the opening ceremony the following day sets the scene for a highly competitive race series starting on Tuesday morning.