Al Dhafra Water Festival Once Again wet the Appetite for the Art of Traditional Boating
Tadweer (rowing), tfarees (stick) and regatta were the last races to conclude Al Dhafra Water Festival on Saturday night, April 29th. These previous 10 days, from the 20th till 30th April, Mirfa, the biggest seaside town in Al Dhafra region of Abu Dhabi emirate, was once more the host for the annual water sports festival, arranged by the Cultural Programmes and Heritage Festivals Committee - Abu Dhabi. This year, its partnership with the Abu Dhabi Cruising and Private yacht Club offered the festival the first long-distance Dalma sailing race for 60 feet standard dhows (wood watercrafts).
Completely, there were six modern (regatta) and five typical (dhow) races, in addition to kitesurfing and Stand Up Paddling competitors, swimming, beach volleyball and beach football competitions and awards for ideal Emirati heritage outfit and food preparation, drawing in some 4,000 individuals of a minimum of 20 various races. Prize money this year surpassed AED 25 million! " As in previous years, we had wonderful engagement and number of site visitors. Individuals came from all over the nation to watch the races and appreciate the beach, heritage souk and enjoyment," claimed Obaid Khalfan Al Mazrouei, Director of Al Dhafra Water Festival.
" Several of the festival's highlights consisted of the very first long distance Dalma to Mirfa sailing competitors, which is the highest treasured such race in the UAE with AED 25 million overall cash honors". " Also this year we arranged the first angling competitors for kingfish, among the biggest predators in the Arab Gulf that could be discovered primarily in Al Dhafra region waters. We had around 140 individuals in this competitors and they all had to utilize line and hook traditional angling method. The leading 10 areas for the largest fish, which was around 30 kgs, were awarded cash prizes totalling AED 140,000," added Mr. Mazrouei.
While the majority of the festival days appreciated terrific weather condition, the begin was rather up in the air, as windstorms were blowing desert sand over the sea with rates getting to 50 kilometres each hr. They calmed down just enough for loads of kite surfers to jump, spin and race atop shallow sea waves in the initial competitors to open Al Dhafra Water Festival on April 21st. The competitors was won by Sara Douglas (ladies freestyle group), Alessandro De Rubertis (males freestyle) and Salem Al Suwaidi (men local freestyle).
A rough sea and solid winds pushed most other water sports in the direction of completion of the week. The 2,600 seafarers based on Dalma island were the very first to be okayed for their 150 kilometres 60 feet dhow sailing race to Mirfa. " On the day, we had great weather condition and sea problems for the race. We had 104 sailing dhows getting involved, each boat with a staff of 25 seafarers led by a nokhada (a captain). The race was won by dhow number 99, Al Azba, whose nokhada was Omar Al Marzouqi from Abu Dhabi," stated Saeed Al Muhairi, accountable of sea racing at the Abu Dhabi Sailing and Private yacht Club.
The 60 feet Dalma race was complied with on Friday, April 28th, by another traditional dhow competition, the bawanish, a slim, canoe-like, 30 feet boat, scooped out of a normally mango tree. " Unlike the canoe, though, which is pushed with paddles, the bawanish makes use of a sail. In the old days it was used by coastal folk to capture fish in superficial waters," explained Mr. Muhairi, including:
" The exact same with tfarees, the dhow race finishing the water competitors on April 29th. These are likewise little wood watercrafts, however they use a stick called janaa that goes all the way to the sea flooring to removal the watercraft. Tfarees, which could stand up to 6 people, was utilized for fishing in superficial waters, but likewise for transport in between the islands, where the sea was not deep."
"The standard dhows people use in competitions today are very little different from the old boats and, while they are not utilised for angling and transport, the dhows protect Emirati seaside heritage with these competing competitors," he emphasized.
At sundown, after all water sporting activities mored than, the festival relocated into the general public beach of Mirfa, where across the 20,000 square meters sandy area, some 50 heritage shops and food terminals, amused countless daily site visitors, together with real-time programs, children's arts and crafts sessions or even coastline camel rides. The 2017 Al Dhafra water Festival finished well right into the night just as it started: with a three minutes magnificent fireworks show.
