Jounieh, July 15, 2015 – The fourth edition of the Lebanon Water Festival (#lebWF) will
kick off on July 26, with the International Jet Ski Race at the Four Stars Resort in Ghazir Bay.
25 Lebanese jet ski racers including Tony Angelil, winner of the lebWF 2012 and 2014 jet
ski competitions, Eddy Kheirallah, Lebanese jet ski Champion from 1999 to 2002 (1000
cc category), Elie Kanaan, Richard Bou Aoun, Rabih Hammam, Raffi Der Hagopian, Roudy
Saleh, will take part in the competition, which will consist of 2 rounds with an 8 gate
circuit. For the first time in Lebanon, a women’s division will be competing: Tina Angelil,
Jessy Abdo and Nesrine Zouein have already registered and will take part in the race.
Professional surfer and blogger for Eurosport, Lee-Ann Curren will also be on site
to cover the event. She will be in Lebanon from July 25 to August 2 to participate in
the surfing competition in Jiyyeh and blog about the festival and Lebanon’s culture.
In addition to its competitive edge, the race’s mission is to raise
awareness and educate people on safety measures when riding Jet Ski.
The Race is organized in collaboration with the Lebanese Motorboat Club.
“There are a lot of accidents involving jet skis. Fortunately, in the past 8 years,
we have seen an evolution thanks to the Lebanese authorities. People must
now wear their vest and a helmet or they will get a fine”, said Tino Angelil,
owner of the Lebanese Motorboat Club and former Lebanese Jet Ski champion.
“Riding a jet ski is one of the most thrilling things you can do on the water, but it can
also be one of the most dangerous. The race is the perfect occasion to remind people
of the importance of following safety precautions; people must wear a fitted lifejacket
and a helmet. They must slow down when they reach 100 meters from the coast. The
race, with its carefully designed circuit, also forces racers to use their technique instead
of speed to win”, explained Annette Khoury, Co-Founder of the Lebanon Water Festival.
As part of the partnership between “Exit to Nature” the paragliding
leading school and Lebanon Water Festival, which started in 2014,
paragliders will fly over the Four Stars Resort in Ghazir Bay during the race.
“We created this partnership because of the joint affinities: leisure, sport
and safety! Just like jet skiing, paragliders need to follow strict safety rules
in order for paragliding to remain a leisure sport”, said Annette Khoury.
The Lebanon Water 2015 Festival Kick off on July 26th, 2015, with the International Jet Ski Race
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