Prize Money at Stake at ISAF Sailing World Cup Final

Abu Dhabi is stepping back into the limelight as a top international sailing venue later this month when more than 150 competitors from 39 countries descend on the UAE capital for the ISAF Sailing World Cup Final.

The five-day regatta, taking place from October 28 to November 1, marks the climax of the 2015 World Cup season which began in Melbourne, Australia last December before continuing with other qualifying events in Miami, USA; Hyères, France; Weymouth and Portland, Great Britain; and finally Qingdao, China last month.

The prestigious annual series of Olympic sailing for elite and professional sailors returns to Abu Dhabi following a highly successful first visit last November organised by ISAF and Abu Dhabi Sailing & Yacht Club (ADSYC), with the support of the UAE Sailing & Rowing Federation (UAE SARF), Abu Dhabi Sports Council and Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi).

“This is an event which underlines Abu Dhabi’s growing status as an international sailing hub and, at the same time, provides the entire UAE sailing community with a wonderful opportunity to learn from the best sailors in the world,” said H.E. Ahmed Thani Al Romaithi, Chairman, ADSYC and Vice-President, UAE SARF.

The ISAF Sailing World Cup is open to the sailing classes chosen for the 2016 Olympic and Paralympic Sailing Competitions in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and has attracted more than 2,000 of the world’s leading sailors from over 75 nations over its seven year history.

Those who go into action in Abu Dhabi will be competing for World Cup titles in eight of the ten Olympic classes (49erFX Women and Nacra 17 Mixed will not be competing), as well as kiteboards, and the top three finishers in each class will earn a share of a $220,000 USD prize fund. No more than 20 entrants are permitted in each class for this invitation-only event.

ISAF’s top sailing regatta takes place in the waters around Lulu Island off the UAE capital’s stunning Corniche, providing a great spectacle both for crowds of local spectators as well as an ISAF television audience of millions spread across more than 100 countries.

The emirate’s rising status in the international sailing world was reinforced by the first World Cup installment last year, and again soon afterwards when it served as a stopover in the dramatic Volvo Ocean Race, which in June culminated in victory for the Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing crew of Azzam.

Taking part will be leading competitors from Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belarus, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgari, Canada, China, Croatia, Cyprus, Denmark, Egypt, Spain, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Guatemala, Britain, Honk Kong, Hungary, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korea, Lithuania, Mexico, Holland, Norway, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, South Africa, Russia, Slovenia, Switzerland, Sweden, Tunisia, Turkey, Ukraine and USA

ISAF Sailing World Cup
The ISAF Sailing World Cup is a world-class annual series for Olympic sailing. It is open to the sailing events chosen for the 2016 Olympic Sailing Competition. Its centre piece is the ISAF Sailing World Cup Final in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

The 2015 ISAF Sailing World Cup will consist of five regattas for all ten Olympic events and where possible, Formula Kite Racing. Qualification places for the ISAF Sailing World Cup final are up for grabs at each event. The final will bring together the top 20 boats in each Olympic event and an Open Kiteboarding event where the World Cup Champions will be crowned

2015 ISAF Sailing World Cup
Melbourne – 7-14 December 2014
Miami – 25-31 January 2015
Hyères – 20-26 April 2015
Weymouth and Portland – 8-14 June 2015
Qingdao – 14-20 September 2015
2015 Final Abu Dhabi – 27 October to 1 November 2015

ISAF Sailing World Cup – Abu Dhabi Final

Report by ISAF media.