Dubai Marine Sports Day, organized by the Dubai International Marine Club, concluded successfully with the participation of 221 athletes from 34 nationalities, including 34 Emiratis, 187 residents, and 5 participants from outside the UAE. The event witnessed strong participation from UAE clubs and featured competitors aged 9 to 62 years old. Athletes competed in four main competitions held at Jebel Ali Beach, Dubai, amid a festive atmosphere that reflected the spirit of this vibrant, community-based marine sports festival.
Sheikh Ahmed bin Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE Sailing and Rowing Federation, attended part of the competitions and presented awards to the winners. Also in attendance were Mohammed Abdullah Harib, Board Member and CEO of Dubai International Marine Club; Mansour Al Fahim, Board Member of the UAE Sailing and Rowing Federation; Mohammed Saif Al Marri, Director of Sports Affairs at Dubai International Marine Club; and Colonel Ali Al Naqbi from Dubai Police.
In the UAE Modern Sailing Championship, fierce competition was witnessed among participating clubs. In the Optimist class, sailors from Dubai Offshore Sailing Club claimed the top three positions: Jean-Luc Hervé, Alexander Wallentin, and Kornelia Pajak. In the ILCA4 Women’s class, Marwa Al Hammadi of Abu Dhabi Marine Sports Club secured first place, followed by her teammate Alyazya Al Hammadi in second, and Miya Giot of Dubai Offshore Sailing Club in third. In the ILCA4 Open class, Abdullah Al Zubaidi of Abu Dhabi Marine Sports Club claimed first place, followed by his teammate Marwan Al Hammadi in second, and Dominic West of Dubai Offshore Sailing Club in third. In the ILCA6 Women’s class, Duha Albeshr of Abu Dhabi Marine Sports Club took first place, with her teammate Camelia Al Qubaisi finishing second.
In the ILCA6 Open category, Mohammed Abdullah of Abu Dhabi Marine Sports Club secured first place, followed by his teammate Othman Al Hammadi in second, and Alex Montanari of Dubai Offshore Sailing Club in third. In the ILCA7 Open category, Adil Khalid of Al Hamriya Club claimed first place, followed by Hamza Al Ali of Abu Dhabi Marine Sports Club in second.
In the Dubai Stand Up Paddling and Kayak Competition, Thailand’s Levi Chard claimed first place in the stand-up paddle boarding category, followed by AlMukhtar Aborebea of Syria in second and Alison Cook of Great Britain in third. In the women’s Stand up Paddling category, Alison Cook took first place, Marta Morlo of Poland came in second, and Jemma Florence Sulivan of Russia finished third. In the junior category, the UAE’s Rashid Al Askar secured first place, followed by Mia Istatkov of Bulgaria in second and Mia Majzoup of Turkey in third.
In the Kayak category, Moroccan athletes dominated the men’s competition, with Younes Cherar taking first place, Imad Ben Abdellah second, and Ayouch Regragui third. In the women’s competition, Marta Morlo of Poland finished first, followed by Alison Cook of Great Britain in second and Marta Fidalgo of Portugal in third.
In the kitesurfing competition, the men’s freestyle category saw François Pierre of France claim first place, followed by Mohammed Obaid of the UAE in second and Al Mukhtar Al Majaini of Oman in third. In the women’s freestyle category, Marta Morlo of Poland secured first place, while Marta Fidalgo of Portugal finished second. In the junior freestyle category, Pablo Halvorson of the USA took first place, with his brother Lucas Halvorson finishing second.
In the men’s wingfoil category, Pierre Courson of France claimed first place, followed by his compatriot Gregory Bertrand in second and Levi Chard of Thailand in third. In the men’s hydrofoil category, French athletes swept the top three positions, with Christophe Vernet finishing first, Renaud Barbier second, and François Pierre third.
In the men’s twin-tip category, Ahmed Hassan of Egypt claimed first place, followed by Anishka Denil of Sri Lanka in second and Rajeev Tiffany of France in third. In the women’s twin-tip category, Marta Morlo of Poland secured first place, followed by Madalina Carpe of Romania. The award for Best Junior Competitor was presented to Jacques Courson of France.
The results of the UAE Modern Olympic Rowing Championship will be announced in the coming days following approval by the technical and refereeing committees.
Mohammed Abdullah Harib, Board Member and Executive Director of Dubai International Marine Club, praised the cooperation among local institutions, which contributes to the promotion of marine sports within the community. He expressed his appreciation to the event’s partners, including the UAE Sailing and Rowing Federation, Dubai Offshore Sailing Club, Dubai Municipality, and Dubai Police General Headquarters. He emphasized the importance of Dubai Marine Sports Day in attracting younger generations, highlighting the strong participation of youth athletes, which supports the long-term objectives of nurturing and developing talent.
Harib also affirmed that the wide participation of clubs from across the UAE played a key role in showcasing promising Emirati male and female athletes, reinforcing ongoing efforts to support and empower the nation’s youth to achieve excellence in marine sports.
