JEDDAH: The Saudi Sailing Federation and its partner the Jeddah Yacht Club and Marina have announced three major events and a new sporting team initiative to continue the growth of sailing in the Kingdom.
In addition to increasing development and participation in the sport, the partnerships will look to position Jeddah as a major global sailing destination.
The 2024 Women’s Match Racing World Championship, the 2024 Youth Match Racing World Championship and the Red Sea 600 will all take place from the Jeddah Yacht Club and Marina in November and December 2024.
The inaugural Red Sea 600 was created through the partnership between the Saudi Sailing Federation and the Jeddah Yacht Club and Marina as the first offshore race on the Red Sea. It starts on Nov. 23 and is open to yachts of up to 100 feet in length overall and catamarans up to 70 feet.
The World Sailing Youth Match Racing World Championship will be from Nov. 29 to Dec. 2 and is open to competitors who will be under the age of 23 on Dec. 31, 2024. Crews consist of four or five members and include at least one female and one male sailor, with a total weight limit of 350 kg.
The Women’s Match Racing World Championship will be from Dec. 5-8.
Samia Bagdady, CEO of the Saudi Sailing Federation said: “We are growing on the successes we saw from the America’s Cup Pre-Regatta last year. These three new events and the collaboration with the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron will take place in the second half of 2024 and will again shine a spotlight on the sport of sailing in Saudi Arabia.
“We are committed to the continued rise of Saudi Arabia as a positive force in international sailing,” she added. “Notably, Saudi women will compete in the Women’s Match Racing World Championship, which is a historic milestone. Our young Saudi sailors will compete against the world’s best young sailors in the Youth Match Racing World Championship and will learn a tremendous amount from the experience. Furthermore, an exciting new offshore race, the Red Sea 600, will be open to all sailors, both local and international.”
A performance partnership with the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron will fast-track the development of a Saudi women’s team and a Saudi youth team, both of which will compete against the best in the world at the World Championships.
These new initiatives come on the back of the America’s Cup Pre-Regatta, which took place in Jeddah in December 2023 and saw 48,000 people gather at Jeddah Yacht Club and Marina and on the Corniche to witness the action.
Grant Dalton, CEO of America’s Cup Events, said: “The Pre-Regatta in Jeddah last year was an amazing event. We had fantastic racing on the Red Sea, the wind blew, the sun shone, the crowds were great, and we had a fantastic welcome from the Ministry of Sport and the Saudi Sailing Federation. Our plan was always to leave a positive sailing footprint in Saudi. Our aim was to use the Cup to inspire Saudis to get out on the water and to show the global sailing community what a great place it is to go sailing. These latest initiatives by the Saudi Sailing Federation and Jeddah Yacht Club and Marina are a clear demonstration of the positive impact the America's Cup has had on the region.”
Meanwhile, Alrayan Gadouri, head of venues at Sela, the organization behind Jeddah Yacht Club and Marina, commented on the collaboration with the Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron: “The fabulous facilities and great sailing conditions available at Jeddah Yacht Club and Marina are an obvious attraction to world-class event organizers. We will continue to show the world of sailing that Jeddah is a great place to host major regattas or hold high-performance training camps. The JYC Academy has world-class sailing facilities, and with mentoring and coaching through our new collaboration with the Royal New Zealand Yacht Club, we are confident that Saudi women and youth sailors will rapidly progress and compete at international level. Furthermore, we have created the Red Sea 600 race to allow local and international sailors to compete offshore along the stunning Red Sea coastline.”
David Graham, CEO of World Sailing, added: “World Sailing is responsible for the development of the sport around the world, and increasing participation and skill levels in new regions like Saudi is fundamental to our strategy.”
