Adil Khalid, the Emirati sailing champion and a Red Bull athlete, clinched the first Saudi Sailing Championship crown, held at Half Moon Bay, near Khobar, recently. Twenty-eight participants from different countries gathered in the Kingdom to compete in the week-long challenge. “I am more than proud. The race was extremely challenging and the competition was tough due to the strong wind and high waves. But thanks to Allah I was able to win,” commented Adil. The 20-year-old Adil has been training full time since 2007 at the Emirates Sailing School in Abu Dhabi. In 2003 he won the European Championship and in 2007 the Laser Class at the Pan-Arab Games in Egypt and was recently ranked second at the Bahrain Sailing Championship. In terms of sailing, Adil is a battle-hardened veteran and was the only Arab athlete to compete in the Laser Class at the Olympic Games in Beijing.
