The UAE capital will host the third 2014/15 Volvo Ocean Race stopover in December next year. The Authority, which brought the ‘Everest of Sailing’ to the Arabian Gulf for the first time in 2012 and is behind its return, has also confirmed its Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing team will contest the 2014/15 campaign.

Abu Dhabi made waves on the global sailing scene with its hosting of the world’s premier offshore sailing race in January 2012. The event galvanised the emirate’s watersports industry with a wealth of sailing centres, yacht charter companies and state-of-the-art marina facilities coming online over the last 12 months, with more expected. Over 120,000 visitors joined in the celebrations at the stopover’s dedicated waterfront race village.

The Authority believes the return of the ‘Everest of Sailing’ and its Emirati development programme, which saw Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing’s UAE national crew member Adil Khalid become the first Arab to competitively circumnavigate the world, will re-energise the emirate’s credentials as a world-class watersports destination.