The crew of the ship “Hashim 199”, owned by His Highness Sheikh Zayed bin Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, and led by Nokhatha Hassan Al Marzouqi, embraced the title of the 33rd edition of the Al-Gaffal long-distance race, dedicated to local 60-foot ships, which was held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. Crown Prince of Dubai, Chairman of the Executive Council.
Sheikh Rashid bin Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, President of Al Nasr Club, in the presence of Sheikh Mohammed bin Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, President of the Marine Sports Federation, and Ahmed bin Meshar, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Dubai International Marine Sports Club, crowned the champions, and also honored the partners in the success of the event.
The Gaffal Race, which was founded in 1991 by the late Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, may God have mercy on him, achieved great success with the participation of 123 ships, and the crew of the ship “Hashim 199” succeeded in recording an epic victory for the second time in its history, as it emerged as a strong competitor from the beginning among the five. The seniors in the standings, but in the last meters he pounced on the summit to reach the finish line first thanks to the skill of his crew and the experience of the young Nokhatha, engineer Hassan Al Marzouqi, who chose the appropriate path well.
The crew of the ship “Al-Shaqi 96”, owned by His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum and led by Nokhadha Butti Al Marri, came in second place, and the crew of the ship “Shaheen 57”, owned by Hamdan Saeed Jaber Al Harbi and led by Nokhadha Khalifa Al Marri, came in third place, while the crew of the ship “ Flood 21, owned by Hamad Rashid Mohammed Rashid Al Rumaithi and captained by Nokhatha Ahmed Al Marzouqi, came in fourth place, and the crew of the ship “Ghazi 103” owned by Nokhatha Ahmed Saeed Al Rumaithi came in fifth place.
Al Marzouqi: “Team cooperation” is the secret to victory
The crew commander of the ship “Hashim 199”, Al Nokhatha, Hassan Al Marzouqi, said in press statements: “The team’s cooperation was behind winning the title of the 33rd edition of the Al Gaffal Race, which achieved great success thanks to the skill of the organizing committee, which handled the weather situation well.”
Al Marzouqi explained: “I was certain of winning the race in the last 100 meters from the finish line due to the strong competition and long experience gained by the participants, which raised the level of excitement throughout the race.”
The crew commander of the ship “Hashim 199” praised the organizing committee’s decision to postpone the race from Friday to Saturday to ensure better conditions for holding the race, pointing out that his winning the title more than once was achieved thanks to the extensive experience he and his brothers gained from his father, the veteran Nokhatha Abdullah Mohammed Al Marzouqi, and he was the one who urged them. He encouraged them to love the sea and participate in races.
Honoring the first generation
As part of the closing ceremony of the 33rd edition, the organizing committee of the Al Qaffal Race was keen to honor the first generation and the outstanding achievers in the event’s journey since its founding in 1991.
Sheikh Rashid bin Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, in the presence of Sheikh Mohammed bin Sultan bin Khalifa Al Nahyan, handed over shields of honor to: Mohammed Saeed Al Tayer (the captain of the boat Al Aweer 47, champion of the first edition in 1991), and the captain Rashid Saeed Al Tayer (the captain of the ship Mansour). 36, which won the title of the first edition of the local 60-foot sailing ship races in 1993), and Obaid Saeed Al Tayer, who combined two titles in two different categories: the 43-foot boats via the “Faris 46” in 1992, and the 60-foot ships via the ship “Al-Qafai 4” in 2009. In addition to Ahmed Saeed Al Rumaithi, who appeared most frequently on the podium with the ship “Ghazi 103” on nine occasions: (five times in first place, three times in runner-up, and once in third place).
3 cars for the three heroes
The first three places in the race received three cars. The crew of the ship “Hashim 199”, which won first place, received a 2024 “Yukon Denali” from General Motors, while the crew of the ship “Al-Shaqi 96”, which won second place, won a car. Chevrolet Tahoe, model 2024, and the crew of the ship “Shaheen 57”, which won third place, won a GMC “Sierra” model 2024.
. 19 champions have held the Al Qaffal Race title since its founding.
. “Al Shaqi 96” runner-up and “Shaheen 57” third.
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