Dubai’s team ASIM sail to victory

A superb performance by Team AISM throughout the 15 days and 760 nautical miles of EFG Bank Sailing Arabia — The Tour has seen the Dubai based crew sail to victory in convincing fashion in the third edition of the region’s only long distance offshore race ahead of BAE Systems (second) and EFG Bank (third). Nine world-class crews including a host of elite sailors from the Middle East completed the unique sailing challenge and showcase endurance race around the coastline of four different countries, covering seven legs between Bahrain and Muscat. The culmination of three year’s development of offshore racing in the region, this season delivered on its promise of being the most competitive and successful yet involving some of the world’s and region’s most accomplished sailors all competing in the ideal sailing conditions of the Arabian Gulf. Today brisk downwind conditions, took the full fleet of nine Farr 30s home to The Wave, Muscat providing the perfect conclusion to this year’s EFG Bank Sailing Arabia — The Tour. The fleet leaving Mussanah Marina at dawn this morning was up to its full strength with the return of Adil Khaled and his Team Abu Dhabi, following their grounding and helicopter rescue on leg two. A fitting end to the event was that honours on the leg should go to French America’s Cup helmsman Bertrand Pacé and the crew of AISM who have constantly dominated EFG Bank Sailing Arabia The Tour 2013. Over the last two and a half weeks they have won five of the seven offshore legs and set the tone for the in-ports when they claimed three out of three races in Doha. AISM won 2013 EFG Bank Sailing Arabia — The Tour by 10.25 points. “We enjoyed this year’s event a lot,” said Pacé. “We have a good crew, everyone was very focussed on winning this race. “It is much easier when the guys are working like that because we have good speed, good navigation and tactics. “This tour was much easier than the previous years because there was less night sailing and more downwind. Conditions were similar to the Mediterranean this year with the thermal effect. But still it is two weeks of racing, so it is still hard.” GulfToday