Dubai, UAE 04 October, 2006 - i-mate, the Dubai-based specialist in Microsoft Windows Mobile devices and software applications announces today it has agreed to take the title sponsorship of this year's Dubai to Muscat Offshore Sailing Race. This prestigious race is in its 14th year and is organized by the Dubai Offshore Sailing Club and the Ministry of Sports Affairs, Sultanate of Oman, in association with the UAE Marine Sports Federation and the UAE IRC Owners' Association.
This major regional sponsorship deal propels i-mate to the front row of the sporting world, and is in line with a series of i-mate sponsorships, all of which have been designed to maintain the excellent community relations i-mate enjoys with its hosts in the UAE.
Initiated by sailors from the Dubai Offshore Sailing Club and the Royal Navy of Oman14 years ago, the i-mate Dubai to Muscat Offshore Sailing Race has become a firm favourite of the region's sailing calendar. The race is a classic passage event covering 360 nautical miles and takes the boats through the famous Straits of Hormuz, from the relatively shallow waters of the Arabian Gulf to the deep waters of the Indian Ocean.
At the signing of the lead sponsorship deal, i-mate's Global Marketing Director, Robin Bowler said: "We are delighted to take part in this historic race and to support DOSC, an irreplaceable club for Dubai's and the GCC's sailing community."
Bowler added: "Sailing is becoming one of the world's most innovative and technology-intensive sports, and is therefore an ideal sport for i-mate, the region's leading mobile technology vendor, to be associated with."
The race will start on Monday 23rd October and will terminate in Muscat 3 to 4 days later. Winners will be honoured at a prize giving ceremony in Muscat and then at a celebration on their return to Dubai. The main event will be preceded by a curtain-raising "i-mate Round The World" race on Friday 20th October, a fun and spectacular day with up to 60 boats taking part.
Jehad Abdullah Al Sheikh, Director of Sport Activities at the Ministry of Sport Affairs, Sultanate of Oman said: "We are excited about welcoming i-mate on board and we hope that this race will be the first project in a longstanding relationship with the brand."
"We would like to thank our headline sponsor i-mate for all its support." concluded David May, Commodore of DOSC. "Sailing is gaining more and more attention here in the GCC and we believe that the support of a home-grown global brand will give us a tremendous boost for the years to come."
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About i-mate
i-mate (AIM: IMTE) specialises in Windows Mobile hardware and software solutions and services.
i-mate's cutting edge, customer-centric solutions offer the latest technology and device features. As a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner, i-mate provides customers with the best Windows Mobile experience for business, for pleasure, for life.
As part of its integrated solutions support, i-mate develops in-house leading-edge software solutions for Microsoft Windows Mobile platforms. Exclusive software products include interactive games from www.clubimate.com and i-mate Suite (www.imatesuite.com) an advanced management solution for mobile devices that gives you IT support in the field, safeguards data, and allows secure access and information transfers on the go.
Club i-mate - i-mate's device-owner dedicated portal - provides 24/7 multi-lingual technical support and value-added offerings such as subsidised software and systems updates to help customers take full advantage of their i-mate devices. Club i-mate is the world's largest online Windows Mobile user group.
The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.
© Press Release 2006
