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MOD 70 – Musandam-Oman Sail was dressed up and paraded in Brest today as part of a series of exhibition races for the four (Race for Water did not sail) MOD70s that rounded off a dazzling opening event in the 2012 Multi One Design circuit.
Just three days after they completed the KRYS OCEAN RACE transatlantic race, the four trimarans regrouped on the start line of the 2012 Tonnerres de Brest City Race designed to showcase the magnificent boats in front of thousands of spectators at the international maritime festival.
There were no points on offer and for Musandam-Oman Sail skipper Sidney Gavignet (FRA), the three races were an opportunity to entertain guests from Oman and Dubai and give his young Omani crew, which included Khamis Al Anbouri, another chance to improve their skills.
“It was a very important and useful training exercise and although we finished last, I was really happy because I could see everyone had a much better idea of what it takes to make this boat go fast compared to a month ago,” Gavignet said.
The races took place in the harbour in the midst of around 1,000 old gaffers that were taking part in the four-yearly Brest Maritime Festival. Spectators had the best viewpoint from the Dutch Tall Ship Gulden Leeuw anchored in the middle of the race course.
“It was a spectacular juxtaposition of the old and the new,” explained Musandam-Oman Sail’s helmsman and trimmer Brian Thompson.
“We were careering along this afternoon at 38 knots in flat water and they were lucky if they reached eight knots so we had 100 years of maritime progress right in front of our eyes.”
For Khamis, the Brest races offered him a chance to get back on board after sitting out the KRYS OCEAN RACE. He gave up his place after suffering seasickness on the delivery from Lorient in France to Newport in Rhode Island, US. MORE STORY
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