EFG Bank Sailing Arabia - The Tour: Fleet arrives in Bahrain

Identical except for the sponsors' logos, the nine boats arrived overnight at the Kingdom's premier yachting facility and preparations for the arduous challenge ahead started immediately.

As the mast of his boat slid into position and the boat was lowered into the water, world renowned single handed sailor and skipper of EFG Bank (Monaco) Sidney Gavignet looked forward to the challenges ahead.

"It will be two wonderful weeks of sailing, with intense competition on both the long legs between ports and the in-port racing. We've got a week to get the boat and crew in the best possible shape, before leaving for Doha on February 10th. We'll be arriving in Doha at the Pearl Qatar on February 11th and will be racing in port on the 12th, so there'll be a couple of days for the people of Qatar to see these amazing boats and their crews in action before we head out again," David Graham said.

CEO of event organizers Oman Sail David Graham added his view of the next three weeks: "It's exciting to know that the boats are in place, that the crews are getting ready and that on February 10th, EFG Bank Sailing Arabia - The Tour will be under way. We're looking forward to a close competition that will inspire the young people of all the GCC nations to get involved in sailing and learn the teamwork and skills they will need to compete on the world stage."

With just one week to go until the start, all the teams will be busy tweaking the boats for the last ounce of performance, and training hard to ensure they are in the peak of physical fitness.

The Farr 30, which first came to prominence in sailing competition in the late 1990s is still one of the most advanced boats of its size, balancing affordability with great design for an ideal offshore racing experience. Used every year in the Tour de France a la Voile, one of Europe's most famous sailing races, as well as in every edition of EFG Bank Sailing Arabia - The Tour so far, the Farr 30 is a platform that ensures the racing will be fair, and down to the teamwork, skills, talent and fitness of the teams.

Leaving Manama on February 10th, EFG Bank Sailing Arabia - The Tour calls at Doha, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Ras Al Khaimah, Dibba and Mussanah and ends February 25th in Muscat. The racing will include in-port racing at selected locations.