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Colourful National Day Dubai boat parade makes a splash

Dubai - Khaleej Times joined the parade on board the Athena, a 43-foot luxury yacht owned by the DMYC and piloted by the DMYC's general manager, Jonathan Hind.

Cheered by crowds lining the walkways along the Dubai Marina, a colourful boat parade added a maritime element to the celebrations of the UAE's National Day on Wednesday.
The event - organised by the Dubai Marina Yacht Club (DMYC) - featured a diverse set of yachts, each decorated for National Day. The vessels included a party boat full of dancing occupants that blasted music; a small vessel crewed by staff of Anantara The Palm Resort with two cartoon characters on board; a packed cruise dhow; a yacht whose occupants performed traditional Emirati dances; and a massive, ultra-luxurious yacht decorated with images of falcons and the UAE's founding fathers.
The boats competed for prizes of up to Dh500,000 for the best decoration.
Khaleej Times joined the parade on board the Athena, a 43-foot luxury yacht owned by the DMYC and piloted by the DMYC's general manager, Jonathan Hind.
"We had approximately 20 yachts participating. There were a couple of cancellations because a few went to Abu Dhabi for Formula 1 over the weekend and didn't make it back in time," Hind said. "They are to be judged in a number of different categories ranging from elements (of decoration) to execution, the fun they are having on board and the design concept.
"For example, some of the yachts used the buildings that you see in the Dubai skyline, or the natural environment, like the desert of the ocean. We gave them lots of motivation and ideas."
Looking to the future, Hind said he hoped the yacht parade continues to expand and become an integral part of National Day celebrations in Dubai.
"We want this to be bigger and better every year. We'll keep pumping time and effort into it to make sure it's a success," he said. "We think it's a fantastic event, not just for the boaters, but everyone around the Marina. There are so many balconies and hotels around, and we'd like those balconies to be completely full and for this to be one of the number one attractions for National Day."
reporters@khaleejtimes.com