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Practicing for the largest traditional sailboat race in the world near Dubai

Really interesting sailboat.

From the Dubai International Marine club's website:

The Al Gaffal race was created because His Highness Sheikh Hamdan Bin Rashid Al Maktoum and other leading officials of Dubai's ruling family became increasingly concerned that the once active traditional dhow was being left to die out. It was no longer needed for the pearl trade and His Highness was worried that a huge part of the local history would be lost along with the dhow. The boats littered the roadsides and fishing villages and it was a sad sight in a region that was quickly moving forward. In an attempt to bring life back in to the fleet of traditional boats His Highness commissioned a race which was to become one of the most important turning points in the history of the Traditional Dhow in the Gulf Region. The race, which was designed to commemorate the pearl divers who were integral to the early trading port of Dubai, started at the small uninhabited island of Sur Bu Na'air, 50 nautical miles west of the UAE. It was the island where the pearl fleets used to stop on their long journey home after months at sea looking for pearls. The crews were made up of free divers and sailors who had their own seafaring culture and language; words for different types of weather conditions, sails and parts of the boat and songs about journeys and chants to get them through grueling times.