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Dubai: Australian boat Ichi Ban, skippered by Matt Allen snatched the initiative at the end of the opening day in Division 1 of the fourth edition of the Maktoum Sailing Trophy off the Mina Seyahi waters at Dubai International Marine Club (DIMC) on Monday. Though it was the big boys dominating on a perfect day for sailing, it was Marcus Wieser and local lad Sultan Hareb hogging the limelight with some fantastic bit of action in their Westin Mina Seyahi boat.
Led by the inspirational and experienced Allen, the men from the Sydney Sailing Club were in a class of its own as they left the remaining 11 boats in their division to finish first and gain maximum points at the end of the first day.
After a rather dull morning, winds started picking up to between 10 and 12 knots early in the afternoon, as the boats braced themselves for some ideal sailing conditions as the day progressed. Allen and his hardy crew made their experience count to outwit the rest of the field. "I have seen so much sailing but this one definitely can be compared to a World Cup rugby final," blurted Sid Bensaleh, Race Department Director at DIMC.
"Racing was so close all the time throughout the two rounds," he added.
"This has been a truly fantastic day for sailing. We are headed in the right direction for this sport," said Saeed Hareb, Managing Director of DIMC.
Results
Division 1: Ichi Ban (Matt Allen)
Division 2: Westin Mina Seyahi (Marcus Wieser)
Division 3: North Star (Christophe Vanek)
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