MUSCAT, Feb. 7 (Xinhua) -- The director of the Arabian Sailing Championship (EFG) has canceled the second round which was scheduled for Wednesday and Thursday in the city of Sur Oman due to climate considerations.
A press release from the Oman Sailing Company said that "the Championship's organizer announced that the round was canceled because of the unstable climate in the Arabian Sea, so the results remain as in the previous stage."
"We were looking forward to the launch of the coastal race towards Ras Al Hadd in the second round, but due to poor climatic conditions, instability and the difficulty of sailing in the midst of strong winds and strong waves," said Gilles Kighi, race director.
"The wind speed reached more than 25 knots, which made me decide to cancel the round because of the danger to the safety of the sailors and their boats. Their safety is our top priorities. We hope that the climatic conditions are suitable for racing the rest of the rounds," Kighi added.
The race, which is now in its ninth edition, started on Sunday from the port of Bandar Al Rawdah in the Omani capital of Muscat, and will continue until February 16 with the participation of 10 international and local teams.