Abu Dhabi Challenge - High wind and heavy seas force cancellation of opening kayak

As the teams bivouacked on the beach at Al Mirfa, the night brought a lot more than counsel. The high winds that sprung up during the early hours of the morning and the subsequent heavy seas forced the race directors to cancel the first day of the 129km sea-kayaking section to Abu Dhabi, slated to start at 06:30.

The onshore wind is expected to reach gusts of over 42km/h but should subside slightly towards the end of the day. As things stand, the teams will eventually transfer to Abu Dhabi for a shorter sea-kayaking section, yet to be determined, starting tomorrow morning.

As the teams mingle and enjoy some serendipitous “rest and recreation”, the organization has all hands to the pumps, feverishly packing the kayaks onto the trucks for transportation to Abu Dhabi.