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Zain Sailing Team (Kuwait), headed by seasoned tour competitor Cédric Pouligny, won the final leg of the Oman Sail-organised EFG Sailing Arabia – The Tour 2015.
Even more commendable is the fact that the crew consists of enthusiastic novices, formed mainly from employees of the telecom operator.
They managed to take the lead during the night on the windy, 90nm leg from Doha, and engage in a tough battle with Team Averda in the closing stages. Team Averda took the lead for a while, but some smart moves by Zain Sailing Team put them ahead and they crossed the finish line off Bahrain in first place, completing the course in 18 hours, 31 minutes.
After the challenging race, the organisers held a closing ceremony and prize giving at The Dragon Hotel & Resort, under the patronage of Shaikh Khalifa bin Abdullah Al Khalifa, president of the Arab Sailing Federation and president of Bahrain Maritime Sports Association, and Abdullah Rashid Al-Medailwi, Oman’s ambassador to Bahrain.
Zain’s win on this leg also moved them up the rankings to a podium position at third place overall. A third place on this leg, however, was enough to confirm Sidney Gavignet and his mixed Omani team as the overall winners of the EFG Sailing Arabia – The Tour for the second year in a row.
