Dubai is the Middle East venue selected to host the Louis Vuitton Trophy, a two-week carnival of sailing which will put the global spotlight on the UAE.

Four spectacular 85-foot long America’s Cup Class yachts sailed by world champions, Olympic medallists and round-the-world sailors will be the focal point of the event. The prestigious Louis Vuitton Trophy serves as a true test of the crews’ ability with teams racing identical yachts and has been established as one of the most coveted events in sailing.

The trophy will be held at Mina Seyahi, the home of Dubai International Marine Club (DIMC). Emirates Airlines, a leading sponsor, will be flying in many of the teams and their armies of support staff, as well as race officials and spectators from around the globe.

HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, Chairman DIMC, and Chairman and Chief Executive, Emirates Airline and Group, said: “We are looking forward to welcoming our very own Emirates Team New Zealand back to these shores and, having won the Louis Vuitton Pacific Series in Auckland last year, confidence will be high coming into this event.

Emirates Team New Zealand features sailing great Dean Barker and Artemis (Sweden) with the legendary Paul Cayard pulling the strings. The line-up is expected to include BMW Oracle Racing (USA); Azzurra (Italy), Teamorigin (Great Britain); Mascalzone Latino (Italy); Synergy (Russia); All4One (France/Germany); and Aleph Sailing Team (France).

The event – which gets under way on 13th November and will feature on-shore entertainment and a host of other activities – is also expected to put wind in the sails of the UAE tourism industry.

The Louis Vuitton Trophy is split into two five-day rounds, followed by semi-finals and the finals run over two days each. For more information on the Louis Vuitton Trophy visit www.louisvuittontrophy.com

Emirates operates a daily schedule from Malta to Dubai via Larnaca, Cyprus.