Lamu Archipelago Hosts First Traditional Dhow Racing Festival in 30 Years

The Lamu Dhow Regatta Revival, held on December 3, 2024, marked the first traditional sailboat race in Kenya’s coastal heritage site in over three decades. Twenty hand-carved *jahazi* dhows—some over 80 years old—raced 22km from Shela to Manda Island, crewed by multigenerational teams using only wind and Swahili navigational chants (*mashairi ya bahari*). Sponsored by UNESCO and the Aga Khan Trust, the event revived endangered shipbuilding skills and boosted eco-tourism. Winner: * Bahari Yetu * (Our Ocean), skippered by 72-year-old Salim Ali. Youth apprentices trained for 6 months in traditional caulking and sail-weaving. Lamu County declared the regatta an annual event and integrated dhow studies into maritime heritage curriculum. This isn’t nostalgia—it’s living culture, said elder Fatuma Ahmed.