Dubai will be the Middle East venue to host the Louis Vuitton Trophy, a two-week carnival of elite sailing.

Four spectacular 85-foot long America’s Cup Class yachts – sailed by world champions, Olympic medallists and round-the-world sailors, will be the focal point of the event which will firmly establish Dubai on the sport’s map.

The prestigious Louis Vuitton Trophy, a true test of the crew’s ability with teams racing identical yachts, is one of the most coveted events in sailing and Dubai joins established premier regatta venues, including Auckland, Sardinia and Hong Kong, as 2010 hosts.

It will be held at Mina Seyahi, the home of Dubai International Marine Club, next to the Palm Jumeirah, while Emirates Airline – a leading sponsor – will be flying in many of teams and their armies of support staff, as well as race officials and spectators from around the world.
The event – which gets under way on 13th November and will feature on-shore entertainment and a host of other activities – is also expected to boost the UAE tourism industry.

Businesses throughout the UAE are expected to benefit after the organisers of the 2009 Louis Vuitton Pacific Series reported that the 14-day festival injected US$12 million (Dhs 44 million) into the Auckland economy.

Paul Cayard, Chairman of the World Sailing Team Association and skipper/strategist of Team Artemis, said: “I have been sailing in Dubai on several occasions. The conditions are ideal, the course is next to the shore and the atmosphere is exciting. DIMC is a fantastic host and I am sure our event here will open many eyes to this fantastic racing venue.”

The Louis Vuitton Trophy, which is split into two five-day rounds, followed by semi-finals and the finals run over two days each, will mark the start of the Sea Dubai Watersports Festival, under the patronage of HH Sheikh Majid bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

Dubai Shamaal

The festival, now in its third year, will feature the Dubai Shamaal World Surf Ski Championship, Oakley Riot World Wakeboard Tournament, UAE National Day Watersports Parade, Mina Mile Swimming Competition, Open Water Swim, Jet Ski Competition, Traditional 43ft Dhow Sailing Championship, and finishes on the 11th December with the final round of the Class One World and XCat Powerboat World Championships.

To experience these wonderful events, look for bargain holidays to Dubai which are available throughout the internet.