No one knew, but BMW ORACLE Racing’s new yacht for the 34th America’s Cup arrived in Dubai today. Looking strikingly similar to a Dubai dhow, crewmembers were seen inspecting the sleek wooden craft, which is built of teak and may only be coated in varnish.
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| Team members Joe Newton and Dirk de Ridder inspect the dhow |
In truth, the dhows are in Dubai for tomorrow’s Heritage Day regatta. Dhow owners for the first time have invited non-Arab sailors – crews competing in the Louis Vuitton Trophy Dubai – to race aboard the 60-foot yachts. There are no motors aboard these vessels; all power comes from human muscle, which burns when hoisting the nearly 90-foot boom fore boom to the top of the masthead.
