Air Arabia pilot prepares for charity sailing challenge

The aim of this ocean voyage, which will last up to three days and nights, is to raise funds for local charities in both the UAE and Bahrain, including the Bahrain Palm Association, which helps needy families in Bahrain, and the charitable arm of Welcare Hospital in Dubai, a leading health care provider.

If successful, Sami Al Kooheji, 23, will set a new world record for Laser Endurance Sailing, and this accomplishment will be submitted to the Guinness Book of World Records for inclusion in the next edition. The 2007 Air Arabia World Endurance Challenge is being sponsored by Air Arabia, the first low-cost carrier in the Middle East and North Africa, and ART Marine, the leading marine hospitality company in the Middle East, which will provide the support boat for the duration of the journey.

This will mark the first time that anyone has attempted such a long voyage in a Laser sailboat, a 4.3-metre, one-sail craft. Facing strong offshore currents and waves in the open sea, Kooheji will have no shelter from the sun, no place to sleep, no engine to rely upon, and no opportunity to rest for longer than a few minutes at a time.

"It will be just me and the sea," said Kooheji, a second officer pilot with Air Arabia who sailed non-stop around Bahrain's coastline in 2004 as a lead up to his participation in the Athens Olympic Games. "To sleep, I will have to turn the boat directly into the wind and take 15-minute catnaps. It will be very tough - especially under the hot sun and in the pitch darkness of night - but this is something I have wanted to do for years. I'm extremely grateful to Air Arabia and ART Marine for giving me the opportunity to realise this dream, and to help raise much-needed funds for worthy charities."

The event will be held under the patronage of Sheikh Khalifa Bin Abdulla Al Khalifa, President of the Bahrain Maritime Sports Association, who said: "This event is taking place between the shores of two great nations for the benefit of charity. We are extremely pleased that Sami Al Kooheji will represent Bahrain in this challenge and look forward to extending all the support that is required."

Kyle Haywood, Commercial Director, Air Arabia, said: "Sami Al Kooheji is an extremely talented pilot and an equally skilled sailor. Just as important, he shares the mission of Air Arabia of giving back to our local communities. We are very pleased, then, to sponsor his voyage and this effort to raise funds for those most in need."

The 2007 Air Arabia World Endurance Challenge will begin on May 15, 2007. Kooheji will begin his voyage at the Al Bander Resort in Sitra, Bahrain, and complete it at the Jumeirah Beach Hotel in Dubai, UAE.

The main sponsor of the event is Air Arabia, and the co-sponsor is ART Marine. Other sponsors include Radio 2, a UAE-based radio station. The event is being organised by Chill Out Productions in association with Sports Marketing Arabia.