The warm waters of the Arabian Gulf shimmered, the wooden dhows creaked gently and for a moment, it seemed they were suspended in time, barely moving on the surface of the sea.
Then, like synchronised swimmers, their white sails magically unfurled as one and they began gliding swiftly on the water; the race was on.
Their swan-like grace, viewed from luxury yachts at a safe distance, belied the frenzy of activity on board, as a combination of skill to hoist the mainsail to its 30-metre extension and sheer brute force kept the boats on course.
While dhow racing is an intrinsic part of the UAE's heritage, this was no ordinary competition. For the one-day race, held as part of this year's Louis Vuitton Trophy, was the first time foreign crews had been allowed to work the historical boats.
The traditional Arab sailing vessels are usually manned by Emiratis but on this occasion, six teams from the America's Cup, the premier international sailing regatta, were on board to steer the boats 15 nautical miles to the finishing line near the Burj al Arab in Dubai.
On each 18m dhow, 11 international crew members were joined by four Emirati sailors and the boat's owner.
Unlike sailing boats, dhows are built without a weighted keel, making them as unsteady as racing dinghies. A similar-sized yacht would typically have up to 2,500kg of lead or iron in its keel. Racing dhows balance by using sandbags on board and shifting the weight of crew members - who perch precariously on the sides for ballast - and the boats have been known to capsize.
Traditionally, dhows were used to trade commodities between the Middle East, India and East Africa, with crews on board singing sea shanties as they hauled on the ropes.
They plied their way along the Gulf with cargoes of dates, fish, timber and spices. In more recent times, centuries-old methods of boat-making have been replaced with modern conveniences such as engines and GPS systems.
While dhow racing relies on old-fashioned skill rather than modern techniques, the sport is taken seriously.
The Dubai International Marine Club (DIMC) began organising races in 1986. There has been a nod to modern times - the spar supporting the sail is now made of aluminium or carbon fibre, while cotton sails have been replaced with polyester - but as in ancient times, the hull, the mast and the bowsprit are still made of wood.
"A dhow can sail at 20km an hour, twice as fast as other sailing boats," says Saeed Harab, chief executive of DIMC.
"This was about giving the world a taste of our culture and history. There are now as many towers in Dubai as there were once masts on the sea.
"While we make our mark now on the land, we used to make it on the water. The international teams were keen to bring their experience to us.
"There was a wobbly start as they found it difficult to handle all the ropes but they had big smiles on their faces by the end."
Milestones on the road to union
1970
October 26: Bahrain withdraws from a proposal to create a federation of nine with the seven Trucial States and Qatar.
December: Ahmed Al Suwaidi visits New York to discuss potential UN membership.
1971
March 1: Alex Douglas Hume, Conservative foreign secretary confirms that Britain will leave the Gulf and “strongly supports” the creation of a Union of Arab Emirates.
July 12: Historic meeting at which Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid make a binding agreement to create what will become the UAE.
July 18: It is announced that the UAE will be formed from six emirates, with a proposed constitution signed. RAK is not yet part of the agreement.
August 6: The fifth anniversary of Sheikh Zayed becoming Ruler of Abu Dhabi, with official celebrations deferred until later in the year.
August 15: Bahrain becomes independent.
September 3: Qatar becomes independent.
November 23-25: Meeting with Sheikh Zayed and Sheikh Rashid and senior British officials to fix December 2 as date of creation of the UAE.
November 29: At 5.30pm Iranian forces seize the Greater and Lesser Tunbs by force.
November 30: Despite a power sharing agreement, Tehran takes full control of Abu Musa.
November 31: UK officials visit all six participating Emirates to formally end the Trucial States treaties
December 2: 11am, Dubai. New Supreme Council formally elects Sheikh Zayed as President. Treaty of Friendship signed with the UK. 11.30am. Flag raising ceremony at Union House and Al Manhal Palace in Abu Dhabi witnessed by Sheikh Khalifa, then Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi.
December 6: Arab League formally admits the UAE. The first British Ambassador presents his credentials to Sheikh Zayed.
December 9: UAE joins the United Nations.
The biog
Simon Nadim has completed 7,000 dives.
The hardest dive in the UAE is the German U-boat 110m down off the Fujairah coast.
As a child, he loved the documentaries of Jacques Cousteau
He also led a team that discovered the long-lost portion of the Ines oil tanker.
If you are interested in diving, he runs the XR Hub Dive Centre in Fujairah
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The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
Results
2.15pm: Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 1,200m
Winner: Maqam, Fabrice Veron (jockey), Eric Lemartinel (trainer).
2.45pm: Maiden (PA) Dh40,000 1,200m
Winner: Mamia Al Reef, Szczepan Mazur, Ibrahim Al Hadhrami.
3.15pm: Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 2,000m
Winner: Jaahiz, Fabrice Veron, Eric Lemartinel.
3.45pm: Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 1,000m
Winner: Qanoon, Szczepan Mazur, Irfan Ellahi.
4.15pm: Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Cup Handicap (TB) Dh200,000 1,700m.
Winner: Philosopher, Tadhg O’Shea, Salem bin Ghadayer.
54.45pm: Handicap (PA) Dh40,000 1,700m
Winner: Jap Al Yassoob, Fernando Jara, Irfan Ellahi.
The Birkin bag is made by Hermès.
It is named after actress and singer Jane Birkin
Noone from Hermès will go on record to say how much a new Birkin costs, how long one would have to wait to get one, and how many bags are actually made each year.
Vidaamuyarchi
Director: Magizh Thirumeni
Stars: Ajith Kumar, Arjun Sarja, Trisha Krishnan, Regina Cassandra
Rating: 4/5
PROFILE OF SWVL
Started: April 2017
Founders: Mostafa Kandil, Ahmed Sabbah and Mahmoud Nouh
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport
Size: 450 employees
Investment: approximately $80 million
Investors include: Dubai’s Beco Capital, US’s Endeavor Catalyst, China’s MSA, Egypt’s Sawari Ventures, Sweden’s Vostok New Ventures, Property Finder CEO Michael Lahyani
One in nine do not have enough to eat
Created in 1961, the World Food Programme is pledged to fight hunger worldwide as well as providing emergency food assistance in a crisis.
One of the organisation’s goals is the Zero Hunger Pledge, adopted by the international community in 2015 as one of the 17 Sustainable Goals for Sustainable Development, to end world hunger by 2030.
The WFP, a branch of the United Nations, is funded by voluntary donations from governments, businesses and private donations.
Almost two thirds of its operations currently take place in conflict zones, where it is calculated that people are more than three times likely to suffer from malnutrition than in peaceful countries.
It is currently estimated that one in nine people globally do not have enough to eat.
On any one day, the WFP estimates that it has 5,000 lorries, 20 ships and 70 aircraft on the move.
Outside emergencies, the WFP provides school meals to up to 25 million children in 63 countries, while working with communities to improve nutrition. Where possible, it buys supplies from developing countries to cut down transport cost and boost local economies.
If you go
The flights Etihad (www.etihad.com) and Spice Jet (www.spicejet.com) fly direct from Abu Dhabi and Dubai to Pune respectively from Dh1,000 return including taxes. Pune airport is 90 minutes away by road.
The hotels A stay at Atmantan Wellness Resort (www.atmantan.com) costs from Rs24,000 (Dh1,235) per night, including taxes, consultations, meals and a treatment package.
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