Posts tagged team oman

OMAN SAIL’S M34 FINISHES FORTH AT IROISE CUP

Tuesday
May 14
2013 Leave a Comment

Written by XS Editor

TEAM OMAN – Oman Sail was racing three boats in the North of France last week as part of the national initiative to use the power of sport to contribute to the development of young Omanis: the M34 team competed in the Iroise Cup while the MOD70 raced the Ar Men race finishing second in class and the pioneering all-women team on the J80 Al Thuraya Bank Muscat raced the GP Ecole Navale de Brest, their second ever competition in Europe.

Consistency was the name of the game onboard the M34, Team Oman Sail, skippered by Frenchman Cedric Pouligny during the nine-day event between Douarnenez and Lanveoc that grouped together the Grand Prix Guyader and the Grand Prix Ecole Navale.

Over 15 legs, Team Oman Sail won one, finished on the podium five times and ranked in the top five eleven times. With Groupama and Sodeb’O competing on the circuit, the bar has been significantly raised and the crew-training team onboard the Oman Sail M34 has raised its game to punch well above its weight. The team, which is made up of international offshore professionals and Omani trainee sailors, has shown that it can compete with the very best.

Conditions were tough for the fleet, particularly during the 35nm coastal race from Douarnenez to Camaret-sur-Mer, which saw the Oman Sail crew snatch a second place just minutes from the line.

“The crew progressed consistently throughout the week,” said skipper Cedric Pouligny. “Our whole purpose is to train our Omani team mates and they are coming along well. As a team we have managed to achieve some good results during this event which shows that we are on the right track towards the event of the year, the Tour de France a la Voile.”

Team Oman Sail tactician, Aymeric Chappellier was similarly positive about the progress of the group: “Our Omani team mates are doing a very good job, they work hard, they are very focussed. As a rule we explain each manoeuvre and talk them through each race step by step so that there is constant knowledge transfer. This result is very encouraging,” he said.

One of the Omani crew members, Abdulaziz Al Obaidani, pitman onboard, sailed for the first time in February of this year during EFG Bank Sailing Arabia-The Tour, an event organised by Oman Sail largely based on France’s Tour de France a la Voile that has become Arabia’s no.1 offshore race.

He admitted that the Iroise Cup was tough but super motivating. “It was amazing to be able to do battle against some of France’s greatest sailors during this event, an incredible experience! And even better to discover that we can also be competitive.”

His teammate Mohammed Al Mageini is racing his second season on the M34 and has made good progress in his chosen career. His ability is a source of inspiration for the newcomers onboard. “Compared to Spi Ouest France [the team’s first event of the season] we have really improved as a crew, we are in the game and properly competing with boats like Sodeb’O. We won a leg as well which means anything is possible!”

Normandy Race Week from 2-9 June is the next event for Team Oman Sail on the M34. They will be joined by the pioneering all-women crew from Oman, Team Al Thuraya Bank Muscat who will be racing their J80.

The girls have very humble ambitions, as they are racing their first ever European season, but Oman Sail’s young apprentices were delighted with their progress at the Grand Prix Ecole Navale, their second competitive event in Europe in the J80 class.

Eight races in blustery conditions in Brest, Northern France, saw the girls led by Rajaa Al Owaisi achieve more than one middle fleet position in a strong class of more than 60 boats including a 23rd place, their best result.

There were marked improvements in boat handling skills and their confidence was growing said Al Owaisi. “It was really good. I’m so proud of our team. We were more comfortable with the boat and the weather and got over that fear of going fast and using the spinnaker in winds of 15-20 knots. We are very happy and can’t wait for the next event, Normandy Week in June.

“We were thanked for participating and the organisers said they felt that having a women’s team from Oman made it a special event.”

Rendezvous at Normandy Week from 6-9 June for Team Oman Sail and Team Al Thuraya Bank Muscat, while Oman Sail’s MOD70 Oman Air-Musandam will be limbering up in Valencia, Spain for the start of the Route des Princes.

OMAN AIR-MUSANDAM FINISHES SECOND IN CLASS

Tuesday
May 14
2013 1 Comment

Written by XS Editor

TEAM OMAN – Oman Air-Musandam brought the latest phase of their training programme to a close with a fast and furious dash across Quiberon Bay off Brittany in France to claim second place among the MOD70s in the 2013 Ar Men Race.

It took Oman’s elite multihull crew just 14 hours to complete the 320nm course, which was shortened by race organisers due to the rough weather conditions.

Some intense battles were played out among the 130 strong fleet, which included some of the biggest names in French sailing, not least between the three MOD70s: Oman Air-Musandam, Seb Josse’s Groupe Edmond de Rothschild (Gitana) and Virbac Paprec skippered by Jean-Pierre Dick.

Just five minutes separated the winner Gitana from French skipper Sidney Gavignet’s young crew on Oman Air-Musandam after an especially close fought race.

“We finished five minutes behind Gitana which was a good result though we would have much preferred to have finished one minute ahead,” said Gavignet.

“It was a very fast race – we saw our speed reach 39 knots at one stage – so it was a good test and I’m happy with our performance. The team worked well – we showed good fight, good concentration and good preparation. I am very happy.

“We felt by the end that we really understood the boat so much better than we did in this event one year ago, which was our very first race.”

The Oman Air-Musandam crew features a mix of highly experienced internationals in Sidney Gavignet, Neal McDonald, Damian Foxall and Thomas Le Breton who are teaching three talented Omani sailors: Mohsin Al Busaidi, the first Arab to race non-stop around the world, Fahad Al Hasni, one of Oman Sail’s most promising young sailors, and newcomer to the MOD70 from the F18 fleet, Ahmed Al Hassani – all three are gathering pace as offshore professionals.

For Ahmed, this was his first offshore experience and according to his skipper, it was a useful introduction to big boat racing in big sea states.

“He was a bit seasick during the night but for most of the trip he was smiling and happy. It was a good start for him to be on the boat at night in those conditions,” said Gavignet.

“I was a bit nervous before we left because they said the weather conditions were not good so I wasn’t surprised when I was sick. Most new sailors get ill in those conditions,” said Ahmed.

“We were racing for just a few hours and it was good to have the experience and learn so much from it. I can now concentrate on preparing for the Route des Princes. It will be a challenge and one I am looking forward to.”

The crew, physically exhausted by the demands of their Ar Men Race success, will now have a two week break before returning to Lorient for more sailing and preparation. They will then set out on the delivery sail to Valencia where the ultimate month long test, the Route des Princes starts on June 9.

“I think the Ar Men race is a good indicator of what will happen in the Route des Prince,” said Gavignet.

“It will be tight between all the MODs because Virbac will have time to learn a bit more. They were a bit behind in this race. Every two hours we had to change course and change sails and it would have been hard for them to keep up with the pace.

“But we are very excited. We have a good picture of how it should be. If all the boats are well prepared it will be very tight and a really good contest.”

Posted in Article - Tagged MOD70, sailing, sailing news

THE WAVE, MUSCAT DUEL IT OUT WITH ALINGHI

Saturday
May 04
2013 Leave a Comment

Written by XS Editor

EXTREME SAILING SERIES – Plotting a course for the podium with only 11 points separating third to eighth place and all teams eyeing a top three finish
- Collision between the Swiss teams Alinghi & Realteam leaves Alinghi with a night of repairs ahead

The skippers and crews competing at Act 3 of the Extreme Sailing Series™ in Qingdao (China) could have woken up in a different city today, after a thick fog descended overnight masking the buildings around Fushan Bay. The fleet waited patiently on shore for the fog to clear and they thought it was all over for the day, but at 1630 local time it finally abated, the roof tops reemerged and four leaderboard changing races were sailed. Leigh McMillan certainly seemed to have his mojo back today, winning two of the four races to overhaul Alinghi’s 14 race reign at the top of the leaderboard and setting his team The Wave, Muscat up with a 12 point advantage for tomorrow’s final day. If possible, the battle on the rest of the leaderboard was even more tense and after another testing light wind day, only 11 points separate positions three to eight at close of play– the difference of tomorrow’s final double points race with everything to play for.

The Wave, Muscat strengthened their hand with each race and had their strategy sorted, executing the starts with precision as a clearly relieved McMillan explained: “The strategy to start with was trying to be out of phase with the other boats, because with such a narrow course and lots of tacking there weren’t many opportunities for overtaking. If you are in phase with the other boats you just slow each other down, so we tried to avoid that as much as we could, and that seemed to work well for us. We are just happy to be racing well and actually working well as a team, and generally everyone sailing well on the boat, so that is the bonus”.

Where The Wave, Muscat triumphed today Alinghi faltered with the biggest blow coming in the final race when a collision with their Swiss counterparts Realteam resulted not only in a penalty for helmsman Morgan Larson for a simple port-starboard incident, but damage to Alinghi’s port stern. Back on shore, the umpires reassessed and after concluding that Realteam could have avoided the collision Jerome Clerc will be penalized with a starting penalty tomorrow. But for Alinghi that will give little solace with a night of repairs ahead and the team will have to regroup and dig deep tonight to come back fighting tomorrow, as Larson explained: “It just didn’t click from the word go, I can’t really pin-point one area. You just have to get the little things right, get a good start, maintain good speed and not over-think it and not get yourself into a sticky predicament. We let a lot of points slip but tomorrow’s another day, there’s going to be a lot of races and there will be chances to get a comeback. I’d be really unhappy if we didn’t push The Wave, Muscat right to the finish line.”

Qingdao continued to test the teams today in light winds of only five knots on short courses that lasted less than 15 minutes. In the final short one lap windward-leeward race, three teams, SAP Extreme Sailing Team, GAC Pindar and the local boat China Team, were all fighting each other hard with the high stakes of a podium position up for grabs to set them up for tomorrow’s finale. GAC Pindar’s Will Tiller, who only made the switch from match racing to Extreme 40 stadium racing this year, did well to hold his nerve and maintain the third place he came into going into today, explain after racing: “We are so happy to still be in third and still to be going well. It’s interesting to see Alinghi were not so untouchable today so there’s always the chance that if we sail well to catch up to them.”

The local contingent, China Team have been spurred on by the support of a home crowd this week and upgraded their position from seventh to fifth at the end of today after a string of finishes in the top half of the fleet, and well within touching distance of the overall podium. Skipper Mitch Booth, who is leading the team of some of China’s finest young sailors, was aware of the challenges tomorrow will bring, but couldn’t help having an eye on what could be his first ever podium finish in the Extreme Sailing Series. “We didn’t expect to be so close to the podium, that’s for sure! I think to be realistic we’ve been quite lucky with this regatta so far, it’s been light so we’ve covered a few of our mistakes, but we’re pretty happy with where we’re doing on the boat. I have never finished on a podium in any Extreme Sailing Series event, it would mean a lot to be on the podium for a change!”

Red Bull Sailing Team had another mixed bag of results today, including a win in the first race but wavered in the second finishing last, which ultimately cost them one place on the overall leaderboard. SAP Extreme Sailing Team are hungry for their second consecutive podium place after finishing third in Singapore only three weeks ago, while Team Korea and Realteam are in pursuit of their first top three finishes in both of the teams’ debut year.

All of the teams will be heading into tomorrow’s final day plotting their course for the podium, with so little separation on the leaderboard and a final double points race to come, tomorrow really is anyone’s game. The fleet will race in two sessions in the morning and afternoon to make the most of the conditions in Qingdao, which are set to be another testing day of light winds on the 2008 Olympic waters.

Extreme Sailing Series 2013 Act 3, Qingdao standings after Day 3, 17 races (4.5.13)
Position / Team / Points
1st The Wave, Muscat (OMA) Leigh McMillan, Ed Smyth, Pete Greenhalgh, Musab Al Hadi, Will Howden 132 points.
2nd Alinghi (SUI) Morgan Larson, Stuart Pollard, Pierre Yves Jorand, Nils Frei, Yves Detrey 120 points.
3rd GAC Pindar (NZL) Will Tiller, Shaun Mason, Stewart Dodson, Harry Thurston, Matt Steven 111 points.
4th SAP Extreme Sailing Team (DEN) Jes Gram-Hansen, Rasmus Kostner, Pete Cumming, Mikkel Røssberg, Nicolai Sehested 110 points.
5th China Team (CHN) Mitch Booth, Wen Zijin, Yingkit Cheng, Liu Xue, Zhang Yiran 106 points.
6th Red Bull Sailing Team (AUT) Roman Hagara, Hans Peter Steinacher, Matthew Adams, Simon Cook, Graeme Spence 105 points.
7th Team Korea (KOR) Peter Burling, Matt Vincent, Mark Bulkeley, Tom Johnson, Sungwok Kim 103 points.
8th Realteam (SUI) Jerome Clerc, Bryan Mettraux, Arnaud Psarofaghis, Cédric Schmidt, Thiery Wassem 97 points.

Posted in Article, Racing - Tagged Alinghi team, extreme sailing series, sailing, sailing news

THE WAVE, MUSCAT BACK ON TOP

Saturday
May 04
2013 Leave a Comment

Written by XS Editor

TEA OMAN – A tricky fog bound day ended in a stunning success for The Wave, Muscat who posted two outright wins to climb to the top of the leaderboard of the Extreme Sailing Series in China with an emphatic 12 point lead.

Teams were forced to wait in the race village for three hours when thick fog enveloped Qingdao’s Fushan Bay but just as officials were preparing to abandon racing for day, it lifted, leaving enough time for four races before it fell dark.

A slow start in the first race set the Oman Sail team back but they were able to turn things around dramatically in the second, to record their first win which they followed up with a second victory in the next.

“It was boring having to wait for three hours but it turned out to be a very good day for us because we were able to stay focused,” said Musab Al Hadi, one of the crop of talented young Omani sailors coming through Oman Sail’s unique sailing programme.

“We had some good starts and were able to get into clear air. We messed up the first one in a major way but decided on a less risky approach in the second and waited for the opportunity to apply some pressure and it worked out well for us.

“It feels good to be back in the game though it is too early to start thinking about winning because there are a lot of races tomorrow including a double points final race but we will relax and try our best.”

Delighted skipper Leigh McMillan whose plans were thrown into chaos earlier this week when one of his crewmembers, the Omani multihull star Hashim Al Rashdi was forced to withdraw with appendicitis, cautioned against raising expectations over winning in Qingdao when there was still so much to do.

“There are still 120 points up for grabs so there is a lot of work to do,” he said.

“We have a morning and an afternoon session tomorrow which means a lot races so if we are remotely off our form, a 12 point lead can be turned around in a couple of races so we have to keep on sailing well.

“At the moment it is probably between us and Alinghi but 12 points is only two bad races. If we sail well we have every chance of defending well here in Qingdao.

“Everyone is in good shape and we have things working well on the boat so tonight we will recap on things like communication and decision making to see how we can improve and tonight we will relax.

“Then tomorrow we will go out and reproduce the team work and performances we have produced so far but so far this has been a good event for us and I am really happy.”

“Alinghi had a couple of difficult starts and it made things difficult for them. Two races like that and they were locked in which gave us the opportunity to get clear.

“It was very tight with lots of tacks and lots happening but we were able to sail through and it paid off, massively.”

Posted in Article, Races, Racing Teams - Tagged extreme sailing series, sailing, sailing news, THE WAVE MUSCAT

THE WAVE, MUSCAT MOVES UP THE LEADERBOARD

Friday
May 03
2013 Leave a Comment

Written by XS Editor

TEAM OMAN – Oman Sail’s The Wave, Muscat made a welcome return to winning ways on the second day in Act 3 of the Extreme Sailing Series in Qingdao moving into second place on the leaderboard to sit just three points behind rivals Alinghi with two days still to go.

On another damp and chilly day in Fushan Bay, the 2012 Extreme Sailing champions relished the stronger breeze, sweeping to victory in three of the eight races completed with podium places in two others. Their success lifted them one place on the leaderboard and closed the gap on the Swiss team.

“It is a good feeling to be winning again because it feels like it’s been a while since we last won,” said Musab Al Hadi, The Wave, Muscat’s makeshift bowman in the absence of Hashim Al Rashdi who was taken ill with appendicitis earlier this week.

“But we are only half way through and anything can happen. Our battle with Alinghi is really good and we will fight to the end, pushing harder and harder but we will take it day by day.

“Our communication is getting better and better on board. We came back well today and we hope that will continue tomorrow and the day after.”

Hashim Al Rashdi’s place on The Wave, Muscat was taken by British sailor Will Howden who was recruited at the last minute by skipper Leigh McMillan. The pair campaigned a Tornado together in two Olympic Games including Beijing 2008 when the multihull class made its last appearance in an Olympics.

Howden, one of the top multihull sailors in Britain, is no stranger to Extreme 40 racing having been a member of the Oman Air crew last season.

“It was great to have Will on board because he has as much experience in the Extreme 40 class as me so was able to give good input which is really important in our mission to pass on our experience and skills to the younger guys,” said McMillan, who was more than happy to be back in familiar territory on the leaderboard.

“It is a relief to be sailing well again. We had a solid day sailing as we normally do and all the guys helped me turn things around so we had a good day. We had a little bit of wind but it never really stayed in. It was mostly around five knots though we did see eight a couple of times.

“We had really good starts which gave us a good base to make decisions on the course and our communications were better having had a chat about it last night. We all want to sail well and push hard and we were able to do that today.”

The battle with Alinghi has seen The Wave, Muscat raise their game with the intensity of the contest between the two team set to increase over the final two days.

“It was good to take a chunk of points out of them today so hopefully we can keep pushing them really hard.

“Alinghi won in Singapore and got off to a flying start here and it is nice to see them not dominating for a change. We see them as the team to beat so that is our aim.” Said McMillan.

Posted in Article - Tagged extreme sailing series, sailing, sailing news

OMAN SAIL’S THE WAVE MUSCAT TARGETS RETURN

Monday
Apr 29
2013 Leave a Comment

Written by XS Editor

TEAM OMAN – Time for reflection following their windless and frustrating visit to Singapore has strengthened the resolve of Oman’s The Wave Muscat to return to the top of the table at the Extreme Sailing Series Act 3 in Qingdao, China, 2nd-5th May 2013.

Oman Sail’s Extreme 40 crew admitted the conditions over four days in the still and steamy Asian venue took their toll on their patience and performance leaving them short of the required podium points for the first time in ten Extreme Sailing Series regattas.

But after some frank discussions over how they might have fared better, watching hours of video footage and scrutinizing tactics with their coach Rob Wilson, the 2012 Champions have emerged in a positive frame of mind, thankful the setback occurred early in the series.

After winning Act 1 in Muscat and finishing fifth in Singapore, the Omani-flagged boat is lying in third place overall, just two points behind joint leaders Alinghi and Red Bull with another six Acts remaining in the 2013 season.

“We just had an off event and maybe it was the little kick we needed to get us back on track for this year, to put some fire in our bellies and claw our way back up to the top,” said skipper Leigh McMillan, who helmed The Wave Muscat to the Extreme Sailing Series Championship victory in 2012.

It was in China that The Wave Muscat moved into the overall lead of the Extreme Sailing Series last year after winning Act 2 with a full day to spare, a rare feat in this type of racing. A year later, competing in front of more than 60,000 spectators, the race is on to repeat their triumph and take the Qingdao Doublestar Cup for the second time.

“We learned a lot in Singapore and know we can do it better. We are a strong team and do not need to start panicking – so we are now looking forward to the rest of the season starting with a solid performance in Qingdao.”

McMillan is looking forward to stronger breezes in China though is fully prepared for similar conditions to Singapore and is confident he and his crew of Pete Greenhalgh and Ed Smyth plus the two Omani stars Hashim Al Rashdi and Musab Al Hadi will react well to whatever they find.

Hashim was part of the winning crew last year but for Musab, this will be only his third Extreme event and his first visit to China.

“I am really looking forward to it – a different culture and sailing conditions that will be very different to Singapore,” he said. “As a team we think it will be better than Singapore but the challenge will still be difficult especially from Alinghi who won last time round.

“Their skipper Morgan Larsen wants to win it almost as much as we do so it will be interesting. There should be more breeze and hopefully it will be a little cooler which will be better.”

Hashim Al Rashdi has more idea what to expect having completed 29 races in Fushan Bay last year.

“We had to contend with fog and it was quite hard picking the shifts but it could be the same this year. We have already moved on from Singapore and are concentrating on what it will take to get back into winning form in Qingdao.

“Our aim is to get back on to the podium in China. Our plans are very different from Singapore but it will depend on the conditions and the breeze.”

Fushan Bay, where racing will take place from 2nd-5th May 2013, was the home of the Olympics in 2008. It is known as China’s premier sailing destination and is surrounded on three sides by the Yellow Sea.

Posted in Article - Tagged extreme sailing series, sailing, sailing news

THE WAVE TAKES 2nd

Monday
Apr 15
2013 Leave a Comment

Written by XS Editor

TEAM OMAN - The Wave Muscat were full of praise for Swiss team Alinghi who stole the show in Singapore with a final race victory to take honours in Act 2 of the Extreme Sailing Series.

Only one race was possible on the last day due to lack of wind which meant 2012 Champions The Wave, Muscat were left with too much to do to claw their way back onto the podium.

They finished in 5th place which summed up the event for the Omani team. It was the first time the team has not managed to finish on the podium since racing in Almeria, Spain back in October 2011 where they finished in 7th place.

In the ten regattas between then and Act 2 of the 2013 series in Singapore, they have never finished lower than second which has represented a remarkable run of success for the team.

While skipper Leigh McMillan offered his heartfelt congratulations to Singapore champions Alinghi, skippered by his erstwhile team-mate Morgan Larsen who helmed sister ship Oman Air in 2012, he was adamant The Wave, Muscat will be back to winning ways at the next event in China next month.

“I was pretty confident that Morgan would be a huge threat because these conditions suit Alinghi and he has a very talented crew behind him,” said McMillan.

“From the beginning, they were tough to beat but as always in sport, you learn a lot from defeat and we have taken plenty of lessons away from us here that we will be able to use in Qingdao.

“We know we are good enough in any conditions to win and we will be keener than ever to maintain our winning record in China.”

All eight crews spent more than two hours on the water in Marina Bay completing exhibition races before a large weekend crowd of spectators before the last point scoring finale.

Despite the lack of breeze and the compact courses, the stadium venue proved popular among the sailors, especially The Wave, Muscat’s two Omani stars Hashim Al Rashdi and Musab al Hadi; who during the exhibition races, pounced on an invitation from his skipper to helm the boat.

“This regatta was all about cleverness, patience, and extreme competitiveness. We are pleased for Morgan and Alinghi. He is one of the best sailors with experience that no one can match. He played a very good game right from the start and really deserved the win so congratulations to him and the other guys.

Our focus is on Qingdao where we are determined to get back onto the podium,” commented Musab Al Hadi.

Both he and Hashim have been soaking up the Singapore experience over the past week.

“This was the hardest event we have done but we learned so much and if you carry on learning, you carry on improving,” said Hashim.

“Singapore has been a great venue with Marina Bay in the heart of the city surrounded by the towers and building but it’s been a challenging leg, with very unpredictable wind. We were hoping to get some more races and it is a shame the race committee only decided to give us one race.

But this is sport which involves winning and losing. The most important thing is to learn from the mistakes so we will use this as a starting point and hope we can achieve more in the next venues.”

Musab and Hashim were not the only Omani sailors competing in the fleet in Singapore. A member of their shore crew Hilal Al Zidjali, one of Oman Sail’s most experinced technical crew for the Extreme 40s, was asked on Saturday to join Team Korea to fill a last minute vacancy after one of the crew members fell in sick.

A talented bowman, Hilal jumped at the chance and under the tutellage of 2012 Olympic silver medallist Peter Burling, he found himself at the forefront of the action, not just for a single race but for a series of seven, the highlight of which was winning the second place in the first race.

Hilal’s easy switch to racing as a competitor in one of the most keenly contested sailing circuits in the world is testament to Oman Sail’s selection processes and training programmes which encourage fast progress for local Omani talent.

Act 3 of the 2013 Extreme Sailing Series takes place between 2-5 May 2013 at Qingdao in China where the 2008 Olympics were held. It was also the scene of The Wave, Muscat’s first victory of 2012, a win that was followed up by three further outright wins in Istanbul, Portugal and Rio. Morgan Larsen, in sister ship Oman Air, posted two outright wins in Muscat and Cardiff that year which if Singapore is anything to by, was a clear sign of things to come.

Posted in Article - Tagged EXTEREM SAILING SERIES, sailing, sailing news, THE WAVE MUSCAT

PROGRAM 1 – MUSCAT, OMAN

Tuesday
Apr 09
2013 Leave a Comment

Written by XS Editor

EXTREME SAILING SERIES – Episode one of the 2013 official Extreme Sailing Series TV Series come to you from Muscat, the capital of the Sultanate of Oman.

In the world of high-performance sailing, one Series brings the sailing right to the crowds, and in Oman, eight high-performance Extreme 40 catamarans went head to head over four days of intense competition. Fresh talent met the old guard for the first time and the four new skippers on the start line each showed moments of brilliance — a sign of things to come in what is shaping up to be the closest Series to date.

Watch how the action unfolded and go behind the scenes with exclusive interviews with some of the best sailors in the sport.

Posted in Moving Pictures - Tagged extreme sailing series, sailing, sailing news

OMAN SAIL ATTEMPTS TO BREAK IRELAND RECORD

Friday
Mar 22
2013 Leave a Comment

Written by XS Editor

TEAM OMAN – Sidney Gavignet’s new look crew on Oman’s flagship Multi One Design 70 Musandam-Oman Sail have brought with them new expectations for the 2013 season as their preparations start in earnest this week with an attempt on the long-standing Round Ireland record.

As part of an intensive three week training programme, the Oman Sail crew, featuring three new faces from last season, will make a bid on the 20 year-old record as a practice run for the team’s busy racing schedule later this summer.

The 700-mile sprint through the lumpy Irish Seas and the Atlantic Ocean is sure to be a baptism of fire for one of the new crew, Omani sailor Ahmed Al Maamari who only recently stepped aboard the MOD70.

Ahmed was one of the original recruits to Oman Sail in 2008 when the national initiative was first set up to provide sail training, life-long learning and development opportunities for the youth of Oman.

Since then he has competed in the Extreme 40s, Clipper Round the World Race and the Tour de France a la Voile having previously served as a member of the Sultan’s Special Forces in Oman.

He is a fast learner said Gavignet, who as skipper of Musandam-Oman Sail is responsible for developing the elite sailors coming through Oman Sail’s growing ranks of talented professionals.

“Ahmed is starting from scratch so the goal is to bring him up to standard as quickly as possible but from what I’ve seen so far, he is a good sailor and picks things up quickly so we are confident he will contribute to our performance this summer,” said Gavignet.

“It is a great honour to be selected for the MOD70 crew this summer and I am really looking forward to learning as much as I can and contributing as much as possible,” added Ahmed.

“Oman Sail has given me a superb opportunity to grow within this sport and I have worked hard to get to this place. I hope the young Omanis aspiring to sail at our sailing schools back home will see this as encouragement.”

He will not be short of opportunities for fast track learning since Gavignet has retained the services of both Frenchman Thomas Le Breton and Oman’s Fahad Al Hasni, who was one of the stars of Oman Sail’s 2012 campaign despite having vision problems. These happily have been corrected and Al Hasni’s rapid progress is set to continue apace.

Oman Sail has also snapped up two of the world’s most complete sailors in Britain’s Neal McDonald and Ireland’s Damian Foxall to complete their impressive line up for 2013.

A number of the crew raced together in the recent EFG Bank Sailing Arabia – The Tour and according to their skipper, are shaping up as a team capable of putting in consistently strong performances and posting victories.

“We did well to be close to the podium on the European Tour last year, competing against teams that were very experienced,” said Gavignet.

“I think on the basis of what we learned in 2012 and the progress we made, we can start winning this year. Last season we had less training and less experience than anyone else but this year we have done more training and we have a bit more experience so it is all going the right way. I expect the improvements to continue and we will be trying to win.”

The attempt on the Round Ireland record, due to start from Dun Laoghaire in Ireland, will be followed by more training at Port la Foret in France before their first two events, the Grand Prix Guyader and the AR Men Race, both in France in May.

But their main focus in 2013 will be the Route des Princes, starting from Valencia, Spain, in June in which they will be pitted against some old MOD70 adversaries from last year’s MOD70 European Tour.

The Rolex Fastnet Race, one of the classic yacht races on the biennial calendar, is in their sights in August with other commitments due to be confirmed in coming weeks.

Posted in Article - Tagged Mod 70, sailing, sailing news

LEARN FROM THE BEST

Tuesday
Mar 12
2013 Leave a Comment

Written by XS Editor

MUSSANAH RACE WEEK – Oman Sail’s Mussanah Race Week offers a unique approach to sailing events, with 2 days of bespoke training sessions, allowing participants to develop and improve their sailing skills in the lead up to the event, gaining top tips from the masters themselves. Experts, Olympians and professional coaches in Laser Standard, Radial, 4.7, F18, Optimist and RSX Windsurfing, from all around the world are on site to provide the sailors with specifically tailored training.

Issa Al Ismaili, Oman Sail Event Director comments: “We are very grateful to the coaches for agreeing to give their time to the competitors of this event; it provides a unique platform for participants to develop and improve their sailing skills which has always been one of the main objectives for Mussanah Race Week: to develop skills, increase awareness to the sport and eventually create new heroes and world champions.”

Faisal Al Qutaiti is one of Oman Sail’s up and coming windsurfers, he comments on his experience in the coaching sessions: “Today was great, the wind made it difficult, but it picked up towards the end; I managed to win some of the training races, it’s a good experience to be able sail against the other competitors from different countries, it was interesting to see their different techniques.”

Topics which the coaches have been addressing include: upwind and downwind speed runs, allowing the sailors time to see how their overall boat speed fares against one another, studying the local tides and currents and adapting to the wind strength so that they feel confident that they understand the waters in which they are racing, and starting practice; the start is one of the most important parts of the race, and it is key that the competitors are comfortable with the length of the start line and the size of the fleet. With the coaching sessions in place, the sailors will be able to begin the regatta feeling fully prepared and confident, as they remove the worry of sailing in unfamiliar waters.

Olympic sailor turned professional coach, Hugh Styles comments: “Fantastic to see the variety of people involved in the regatta. There was lots of enthusiasm from the sailors especially in such tricky light conditions. We have already seen big gains for the sailors in this light fickle wind and we hope we get more wind tomorrow.”

The Olympic Windsurf class, known as RSX is growing in popularity, and with competitors representing 4 different nations, Mussanah Race Week coaching sessions offer the windsurfers the rare opportunity to compare notes. Koray Ezer, Turkish National Champion and RSX Windsurf coach states: “The sessions act as a great arena to share ideas and techniques in this rapidly developing class. We’re also working on shaping the sailors on the water training and fitness strategies, the competitors are using this event as a warm up event to the European Championships, so it is a key learning time for all.”

As well as experiencing first class coaching, the competitors are also encouraged to make full use of the first class facilities on offer at the Musannah Sports City, a leading sports venue, which will host the Laser World Championships later this year, includes a fully equipped gym with two specialist fitness instructors on site, a large fleet of safety vessels, top class restaurant, and luxury accommodation, including three swimming pools for the sailors to relax in.

With all of these fantastic opportunities on offer, the sailors are guaranteed a great regatta, whilst improving their skills with top tips from the world’s best.

Posted in Article - Tagged Oman Sail, sailing, sailing news

A TENSE SERIES OPENER IN MUSCAT

Monday
Mar 11
2013 Leave a Comment

Written by XS Editor

EXTREME SAILING SERIES – There was a festival atmosphere in Muscat, Oman both on shore and on the water in what proved to be a thrilling opening Act for the 2013 Extreme Sailing Series. In classic Extreme Sailing Series style, it came down to the final race for the winner to be decided, with Leigh McMillan denying Roman Hagara his first ever Act win in the final minutes. For the new skippers on Realteam, GAC Pindar and Team Korea who joined the party in Oman, each has showed moments of brilliance, a sign of things to come this year in what is shaping up to be the closest Series to date.

Posted in Moving Pictures - Tagged extreme 40, extreme sailing series, redbull sailing, Team Korea

BACK TO THE DRAWING FOR THE WAVE, MUSCAT

Friday
Mar 08
2013 Leave a Comment

Written by XS Editor

TEAM OMAN - With the onset of the Omani weekend, thousands of spectators crammed the beach off The Wave, Muscat for the penultimate day of Extreme Sailing Series racing.

For a second day in a row the wind was light, never rising above seven knots before dying completely. However it was enough time for the Extreme 40s to sail eight races. Unfortunately for The Wave, Muscat team, the lake-like conditions favoured the teams from landlocked countries. The team started today level on points with Red Bull Sailing Team, but the Austrians had an immaculate day, and start tomorrow’s grand finale 15 points ahead.

“Today was a difficult day for us,” admitted The Wave, Muscat’s Omani bowman, Hashim Al Rashdi. “We made some unsuccessful decisions which affected our position and widened the gap between ourselves and Red Bull Sailing Team. Tomorrow we are looking to avoid making any mistakes and improve our tactics in order to win the last races.”

Added to their difficulties Ernesto Bertarelli and his Swiss crew aboard Alinghi are challenging The Wave, Muscat’s second position. Thankfully the Omani team ended the day on a high: after a slow to start in the final race, they pulled through the fleet finishing just ahead of their Swiss rivals, to maintain a three point lead going into tomorrow’s final races.

For the three Omani crew – bowman Hashim Al Rashdi and 5^th man Musab Al Hadi on The Wave, Muscat and Nasser Al Mashari aboard Team Duqm Oman – competing in front of their homecrowd, demonstrating their skill as elite yachtsmen to their family, friends and fans, is understandably a very special moment, the highlight of their season before the Extreme Sailing Series moves on to the Far East, back to Europe and ending up in Brazil.

“I’m very happy to sail in front of in a crowd of thousands of Omanis who attended the event today,” said Al Mashri. “Their presence encourages us to exert ourselves all the more. We are looking to see them all come back to support us tomorrow to help us make it to the podium.”

Al Mashri won this regatta last year competing with Morgan Larson on Oman Air. His ex-skipper is now on Alinghi, and Team Duqm Oman is gunning for tomorrow, in third place, 30 points ahead of them.

Team Duqm Oman managed to keep it together today to maintain fourth place despite the tough conditions. “It was very very light today,” confirmed skipper Rob Greenhalgh. “I guess it is about practice in those conditions, but it is the same for everyone – any little mistakes make a big difference. It was enjoyable, tense racing. We hung in there and had our ups and downs as did everyone.”

Nasser Al Mashari added: “We were lucky at some points today to gain us valuable points. On the other hand, the wind we came across on some areas of the race course was almost dead and this gave other boats the opportunity to move ahead of us.”

Considering that the three teams ahead of them come with considerably more experience in the Extreme Sailing Series, Greenhalgh is satisfied with their progress. “They’ve been doing this for years. We have been doing this for one event. I think we can learn a lot and take a lot forward to another event if we get to do one.”

Greenhalgh confirms that on board Team Duqm Oman, the new crew is gelling. Reflecting on bowman Al Mashari’s performance, the three time Volvo Ocean Race sailor and multiple world champion commented: “Nasser is awesome. He’s head down, does his job very very well.”

The Omani teams are keeping their fingers crossed that tomorrow Mother Nature will deliver more breeze, but more important is that as many fans as possible line the beach at The Wave, Muscat tomorrow to encourage them on.

Posted in Article, Racing Teams - Tagged extreme 40, extreme sailing series, sailing, sailing news

EXTREME 40s HAVE THEIR HANDS FULL

Tuesday
Mar 05
2013 Leave a Comment

Written by XS Editor

EXTREME 40 – Champagne sailing conditions kick-started a glamour first day for the 2013 Extreme Sailing Series at The Wave, Muscat, Oman today in a baptism of fire for the new teams who thrived on the Extreme 40 race course. After scoring first blood in the first race, Leigh McMillan and his crew on The Wave, Muscat start the 2013 Series where they left off in 2012 at the top of the leaderboard, but with new and existing teams stepping up to mark, the competition it set to be one of the closest and unpredictable in the history of the Series.

Sailing conditions were perfect; a building sea breeze that hit 17 knots for the final two races, and the open-water format with long downwind legs allowed the Extreme 40s to really stretch their legs meaning plenty of bow-down, hull flying and water-spraying action.

Roman Hagara and his men on the energy-fueled Red Bull Sailing Team certainly seemed to have wings today, scoring two bullets and getting their 2013 campaign off to a flying start, finishing the day just one point shy of The Wave, Muscat. Hagara, who in this morning’s press conference to the Omani national and international media made it clear this year nothing but the podium would suffice, said: “It was perfect today, I mean we had good conditions, we had good boat handling and the team were doing a really good job on the course. I will be taking it day by day now, the hardest thing will be staying in the top, I think tomorrow it will change because we’re inside and it’s a completely different game, but still we always try to be on the top.”

While Oman Air may not be back this year, their skipper Morgan Larson is and came out firing on all cylinders as tactician on Ernesto Bertarelli’s Alinghi. Despite problems furling the spinnaker in race three which quickly saw them fall from first to last, the Swiss-flagged entry didn’t let it break their stride, finishing the day in third. On sailing with a new team, Californian Larson commented: “Alinghi are a polished team, they’ve been doing it for a very long time so they don’t need to talk, they just sail the boat, so the hardest part for them is probably working me into the equation! I made a boat handling mistake that cost us, but as a team we sailed well and I think we should be happy with today’s performance. The level of racing was excellent – we have gained some new boat’s this year who are pushing hard so I think all and all its very competitive.”
Robert Greenhalgh showed he has lost none of his edge as skipper of Team Duqm Oman, the invitational team in Muscat. Winner of the inaugural Extreme Sailing Series, Greenhalgh turned it on today, finishing tied on points with Alinghi.

Realteam, a completely new entry for 2013, relished the breezy conditions, and skipper Jerome Clerc, a champion in the D35 class showed some of that winning multihull form today, sailing to victory in race two. “This is very different to all our training and it’s completely different to how it looks in the videos!” commented Clerc. “Considering it was our first day it was quite good for us and tomorrow will bring its own challenges in the stadium. There will definitely be more wins for our team this week – I hope!”

William Tiller also made his debut today as skipper of GAC Pindar and while he has come experience of big catamaran sailing from the Red Bull Youth America’s Cup, today was their first taste of real Extreme 40 racing. “It was pretty different out there, but a lot of fun though! These boats are awesome, and with that much breeze we had quite a bit on.”When asked what their focus is on tomorrow: “Pretty much everywhere! I mean I felt we were OK speed wise and we had a few races where we were in the mix. The last one we were second and then given a penalty which dropped us right back to last – so I am pretty gutted about that! Other than that, it’s feeling more comfortable around the boat, it’s been about a week sailing on these so just about improving as much as we can.” Team Korea, another new squad for 2013 and one of the pre-season form guide favourites with Olympic silver medallist Peter Burling at the helm found out just how challenging the Extreme 40 race course can be, finishing the day eighth.

It is far too early and the leaderboard far too close to make a call on who will come out swinging at the end of Act 1 and tomorrow the game changes as the eight boat Extreme 40 fleet move into stadium mode inside the breakwater. Fans online can watch all the racing live online from 1300 CET – you don’t want to miss it.

Extreme Sailing Series 2013 Act 1, Muscat, Oman standings after Day 1, 7 races (5.3.13)
Position / Team / Points
1st The Wave, Muscat (OMA) Leigh McMillan, Ed Smyth, Pete Greenhalgh, Musab Al Hadi, Hashim Al Rashdi 62 points.
2nd Red Bull Sailing Team (AUT) Roman Hagara, Hans Peter Steinacher, Matthew Adams, Pierre Le Clainche, Graeme Spence 61 points.
3rd Alinghi (SUI) Ernesto Bertarelli, Morgan Larson, Pierre Yves Jorand, Nils Frei, Yves Detrey 47 points.
4th Team Duqm Oman (OMA) Robert Greenhalgh, Bleddyn Mon, Will Howden, Andrew Walsh, Nasser Al Mashari 47 points.
5th Realteam (SUI) Jérome Clerc, Bryan Mettraux, Arnaud Psarofaghis, Cédric Schmidt, Thierry Wasem 43 points.
6th SAP Extreme Sailing Team (DEN) Jes Gram-Hansen, Rasmus Kostner, Pete Cumming, Mikkel Røssberg, Nicolai Sehested 40 points.
7th GAC Pindar (NZL) Will Tiller, Brad Farrand, Stewart Dodson, Harry Thurston, Shaun Mason 34 points.
8th Team Korea (KOR) Peter Burling, Blair Tuke, Mark Bulkeley, Sungwok Kim, Matt Cornwell 30 points.

Posted in Article - Tagged extreme 40, extreme sailing series, sailing, sailing news

OMAN SAIL’S HUSSAIL AL JABRI

Thursday
Feb 21
2013 Leave a Comment

Written by XS Editor

TEAM OMAN - After just a year with Oman Sail, 24-year-old Hussain Al Jabri is showing promise. In 2012 he won Gold at the Singapore Laser Trophy and has been training hard ahead of the 2013 dinghy season, which kicks off with Qatar’s Sail The Gulf regatta at the Doha Sailing Club during 20-23 Feb.

The young sailor is using this event to develop his ability against an international fleet and as training for upcoming national dinghy regatta Mussanah Race Week, which starts on 10 March. Mussanah is in turn being used by a large international fleet as a warm up on Omani waters ahead of the Laser World Championship that starts in November of this year.

Al Jabri will line up against a fleet of 14 sailors from Bahrain, the Czech Republic, Germany, India, Kazakhstan, Myanmar, the Netherlands and Russia during the five day event. The Laser class is one of nine and Al Jabri is one of 220 sailors from 21 countries competing in the regatta.

“His fitness level and determination are the main strengths that qualified him to be selected in the National squad,” said Rashid Al Kindi, Chairman of Oman’s Sailing Committee and National Team Manager at Oman Sail.

“Hussain has developed very fast and has shown promising skills to excel in the sport. There are some great sailing talents in the region, and competitions like Sail the Gulf and Mussanah Race Week showcase and develop these talents by pitting them against international experts.

“Our objective is to engage Hussain and our other National sailors in the Olympic classes at both regional and international training camps and regattas to intensify their development and raise their level to prepare them for major international competition, including the Laser World Championships at the end of the year in Oman. Our overriding goal is to see our sailors at the 2020 Olympics Games.”

Posted in Article - Tagged sailing, sailing news

EFG BANK SAILING ARABIA – THE TOUR

Monday
Feb 11
2013 Leave a Comment

Written by XS Editor

RACE NEWS - EFG Bank Sailing Arabia – The Tour, the region’s only long distance offshore sailing race started today with nine world-class crews including a host of elite sailors from the Middle East taking on the unique sailing challenge and endurance race between Bahrain and Muscat.

Inspired by organisers Oman Sail to encourage one of the region’s fastest growing sports and reignite the rich maritime heritage of the Gulf, the third edition of the showcase sailing event was officially launched at Amwaj Marina ahead of 15 days fierce competition around the coastline of four different countries covering 760 nautical miles.

The opening ceremony, held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Nasser Bin Hamad Al Khalifa, Supreme Council for Youth and Sports and the President of Bahrain Olympic Committee, was attended by Sailing Federation dignitaries from GCC nations, race officials, sponsors, skippers and crew of the boats competing for the EFG Bank Sailing Arabia – The Tour 2013 trophy.

Khalifa Abdulla Al Khalifa, Chairman of Bahrain Maritime Sports Association said: “Bahrain is extremely proud to host the opening ceremony and first leg of the EFG Bank Sailing Arabia – The Tour. Thanks to the inspiring vision of Oman Sail a world-class event has been established that unites the region through sailing while also promoting the sport to a new generation. As the crews set sail for Qatar on the first leg we wish all involved a thrilling race from start to finish.”

This season promises to be the best yet, with some of the world’s best sailors competing in the ideal sailing conditions of the Gulf. EFG Bank Sailing Arabia – The Tour 2013 represents the culmination of three years’ development in offshore racing in the region, and the roster of competitors reflects the adoption and recognition of this unique event by the international sailing community.

Competing aboard identical Farr 30 yachts, the EFG Bank Sailing Arabia – The Tour has attracted nine crews representing five different nations, led locally by Oman’s Team Renaissance, Royal Navy of Oman, Team BAE Systems and the all – female Team Al-Thuraya Bank Muscat. Two teams will compete on behalf of the UAE, Team Abu Dhabi and Team AISM representing the neighbouring Emirate of Dubai.

The growing stature of the event and its adoption by the international sailing community is reflected in the diverse range of teams entered from around the world this year with crews hailing from Monaco, Holland and the EU.

Speaking ahead of the first leg Issa Al Ismaili, Director of Events at the race’s organiser Oman Sail said; “The vision of Oman Sail is to develop the region sailing talent and reignite the rich maritime heritage. Through EFG Bank Sailing Arabia The Tour, Oman Sail is also providing and exciting platform to develop people and leave a lasting legacy.”

“The tour is bringing together the best sailing talent in the GCC and from elite sailors around the world and we believe that every leg of the race will encourage sailing across the GCC by showcasing local role models and motivating youngsters to try something new,” added Ismaili.

The 100 mile leg to Qatar is the first of seven that will see the fleet visit stopover ports first in Qatar, then along the UAE coastline to Abu Dhabi, Dubai (new to the course this year) and Ras Al Khaimah before passing through the Strait of Hormuz and on to Oman, visiting Dibba, Mussanah and the finish in Muscat.

Amongst the favourites is Dubai-based Team AISM, skippered by Bertrand Pacé. Aside from winning the 2011 event, Pacé is a former America’s Cup helmsman and, relevant to this event, has won the Tour de France a la Voile eight times in its 35 year history. However with a similar pedigree is Cedric Pouligny, skipper of Team BAE Systems, which has finished third in the past two races.

New to EFG Bank Sailing Arabia – The Tour is Oman Sail’s MOD70 skipper Sidney Gavignet, on this occasion helming EFG Bank (Monaco). Gavignet’s crew includes British round the world veteran Neal McDonald and Oman’s Fahad Al Hasni.

British yachtswoman Dee Caffari, the only woman to have sailed non-stop around the world singlehanded both eastabout and westabout, is returning as skipper of Al-Thuraya Bank Muscat, once again sailed exclusively by women. Caffari is joined by American round the world sailor Katie Pettibone, but also a squad of six up and coming Omani female sailors, four of whom will be on board at any one time. Because the girls are smaller, they will race with eight, while the boys teams will be sailed by six or seven crew.

This year Caffari says they have had more training time. “We did the Muscat Regatta and the Muscat–Kashab offshore race in November. We won the inshore regatta and came second in the offshore regatta. Caffari sailed two more weeks with the team in January but stresses that as they are part of Oman Sail’s keelboat training program and they sail regularly even when she isn’t there.

Racing in EFG Bank Sailing Arabia – The Tour is a unique experience, with the desert rolling into the sea for much of the course, punctuated by the metropolises the event visits en route, before the boats pass the rocky mountainous Omani coast around the Strait of Hormuz, exiting the Gulf in the Gulf of Oman. On the first leg the depth is rarely more than 4m, weather forecasts are typically unreliable and off Qatar and the UAE there are numerous oil fields to negotiate. “There’s never a dull moment,” says Caffari.

In addition to Bertrand Pacé’s team, UAE hopes are being placed on the Emirates most famous sailor Adil Khaled, who competed in the last Volvo Ocean Race aboard the Ian Walker-skippered Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing.

Khaled’s crew is a mix of sailors from Abu Dhabi and Dubai. “It is my first time with a fully Emirati crew. It is a great thing for my country and I am so proud, because it was my dream to have a full Emirati crew after the Volvo Ocean Race. We will try our best. I don’t know what will happen – we’ll see.”

Team Renaissance’s Omani skipper Mohsin Al Busaidi, was the first Arab to sail non-stop around the world and is competing in this event for a third time, the second time as skipper. His crew is mainly Omani new recruits alongside two French-speaking heavyweights sailmaker Bruno Dubois and navigator Thierry Douillard.

“Last year I finished seventh overall – not too bad for a new team,” says Al Busaidi. “We were on the podium three times and we finished the last leg second.” Typically Al Busaidi says the racing gets more competitive as the event progresses and hopefully they will be able to use their home waters advantage on the concluding two legs – however possibly not to the same degree as the Royal Navy of Oman team led by Qais Al Mamari.

International youth competition also comes to the race in the form of Team Messe Frankfurt, mainly British crew from the University of Plymouth, but with a German skipper in Marcel Herrera. They are joined by the Dutch team of Kay Heemskerk aboard Team Delft Challenge, previous competitors on the Tour de France a’ la Voice but making their competitive debut in the Middle East.

Taking in four countries and eight ports of call, EFG Bank Sailing Arabia – The Tour is a showcase of everything that the Gulf has to offer in terms of state-of-the-art facilities and idyllic sailing conditions

Leaving Manama on February 10th, EFG Bank Sailing Arabia – The Tour calls at Doha, Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Ras Al Khaimah, Dibba and Mussanah and ends February 25th in Muscat. The racing will include in-port racing at selected locations.

Posted in Article - Tagged EFG bank sailing arabia - the tour, Oman Sail, sailing, sailing news

MUSSANAH MARINA OFFICIAL OPENING

Monday
Jan 07
2013 Leave a Comment

Written by XS Editor

OMAN SAILING - After activating and promoting Mussanah Sports City as a hub of international sailing events, Oman Sail gears up to welcome the public next Thursday to celebrate the inauguration of Mussanah Marina and showcase its premium facilities on offer for recreational sailors and families at Mussanah Sports City.

The Marina will be fully run and operated by qualified Omanis

After activating and promoting Mussanah Sports City as a hub of international sailing events, Oman Sail gears up to welcome the public next Thursday to celebrate the inauguration of Mussanah Marina and showcase its premium facilities on offer for recreational sailors and families at Mussanah Sports City.

The ribbon cutting ceremony will be inaugurated by His Excellency Sheikh Saad bin Mohammed bin Said Al Mardhoof Al Saadi, Minister of Sports Affairs to mark the official opening of Mussanah Marina before the day’s activities get underway for public during 1000-1700 where children and families can experience a wide range of fun and entertaining activities including face painting, banana boat rides, try sailing sessions and other water activities.

During the event Oman Sail will also introduce its brand new launched Diving Centre which will be launched over the next few weeks for diving enthusiasts wanting to gain their PADI certificates and experience the gorgeous underwater marine life of the Sultanate.

Since its completion two years ago, the 54-berth marina, located 85km along the coast from Muscat, has grown into a busy marine complex, complete with boatyard and workshops, round the clock security and changing areas for boat owners and visiting crews.

“We are right on track” said David Graham, CEO of Oman Sail “over the past few years we have building the right structure and qualifying the right talent to activate a series of commercial activities that contribute to developing the maine tourism in Oman. Our operational commercial activities now include yacht charter, sailing school, diving classes, marina berthing and we are very proud to see that it is fully run and managed by qualified Omanis.”

Visitors to Mussanah Sports City will be offered free sailing and diving classes as part of the open day program and will be able to spend a fun day at the shore side while enjoy a day with a dazzling breeze of Mussanah.

After another successful year of international achievements and recognitions, opening of Mussanah Marina marks the start of another busy calendar for Oman Sail this year. From hosting world championships to local community programs and events for the public Oman Sail plans to expand its commercial activities that help in developing a sustainable platform for marine tourism and help encourage the public to engage in fun water activities along the beautiful coastline of Oman.

Posted in Article - Tagged sailing

EXTREME SAILING DAY4

Monday
Oct 22
2012 Leave a Comment

Written by XS Editor

EXTREME SAILING SERIES – REPLAY Live coverage from day 4 of the Extreme Sailing Series™ – Act 7, Nice. Join us as we stream *live* from the race course. All the action from the last few hours of racing. Join us for the exciting conclusion to Act 7.

Posted in Moving Pictures - Tagged extreme sailing series, sailing

EXTREME SAILORS

Wednesday
Oct 17
2012 1 Comment

Written by XS Editor

EXTREME SAILING SERIES – Things you didn’t know about the American sailing legend, Morgan Larson, skipper of Oman Air

Posted in Moving Pictures - Tagged extreme sailing series, sailing

TEAM BUILDING

Thursday
Oct 04
2012 Leave a Comment

Written by XS Editor

TEAM OMAN – The crew of Musandam-Oman Sail came together just 30 days before the start of the Multi One Championship for MOD70s in July but after a learning curve scaling more than 13,000 racing miles, they have set out their stall for the future.

This was a job well done, said skipper Sidney Gavignet of their epic contest which started in New York with the KRYS Ocean Race across the Atlantic in July and finished in Genoa with a fourth place in the demanding MOD70 European Tour 2012.

“Our goal was to be in the mix, to be competitive and clearly we achieved that,” he said.

“We wanted to win one race here, one race there which we did. Some boats didn’t win either a race or a leg so we have played a big role in this event.”

The Musandam-Oman Sail crew, comprising a mix of inexperienced Omanis and more established sailors from across Europe, were up against the most accomplished offshore professionals in the world but at the same time, steeped in Oman Sail’s innovative development programme, one of the most ambitious training programmes in sailing.

They swept to victory in the Cascais City Races, part of a series of short but thrilling exhibition races staged at each venue, and took a resounding win in Leg 4 from Cascais to Marseille where tactics and concentration counted for everything.

Improvements made from the start had been solid and significant, Gavignet said.

“If ten out of ten is a strong winning team, we would have been a four at the start. At the end I think we are a six. To go from 0-5 is easy then from 5-6 is more difficult and it gets more and more difficult after that. Our aim of course is to be ten.

“I am very happy about the progress we made, technically and as a team. We wanted to be on the podium and we didn’t quite do that but maybe if we had, the goals we’d set might have been wrong.

Gavignet was full of praise for his Omani crew Fahad Al Hasni, Mohsin Al Busaidi and Khamis Al Anbouri who were quick to learn and happy to help.

“Fahad is not the complete article yet but his attitude is superb,” he said.

“He is very happy to be on board and has made big progress in helming and trimming. He has a lot to learn but he is someone who in a couple of years could win selection with any of these top-flight teams if he keeps on learning.

“Khamis has also shown great spirit – he has not been given the easiest time and has battled with sea sickness. I remember seeing his eyes when we first reached 30 knots – he was like a rabbit in the headlights. But when he did the leg with us, I could see he was giving his best and that is so important.

“It is important because these guys have been given an unbelievable opportunity and they realise that. These boats are amazing and the guys are getting to sail them very early in their careers.”

Al Anbouri has only been a professional sailor for three years but his MOD70 experience on top of his Extreme 40 successes have placed him at the forefront of Oman Sail’s campaign to develop young Omani men and women through the sport of sailing.

“We can see the amount of progress we have made over the past three months and how the other teams became wary of us,” he said.

“Next time, we will do much better because we can build on the progress we made in this event.

“I feel very proud and happy to be part of this programme. I’m so grateful to Oman Sail for giving us the opportunity to race on this amazing boat – I feel really lucky.

“We have showed that if you work hard you can win. In the end, we came fourth but the difference between us and third place was very small which makes us hopeful for the future.”

Posted in Article - Tagged MOD70, sailing

PRIDE AND PROGRESS

Wednesday
Oct 03
2012 Leave a Comment

Written by XS Editor

TEAM OMAN – Musandam-Oman Sail completed the last leg of the MOD70 European Tour 2012 in fourth place with rivals Race for Water crossing the finish line ahead of them by less than four minutes to claim the final podium place overall.

In a nail-biting close to the 651 nm leg from Marseilles to Genoa, Musandam-Oman Sail were just moments from the line and directly ahead of Race for Water, the boat they needed to beat for an overall podium place, when their wind changed direction allowing Steve Ravussin’s crew to edge over the line in front of them.

That’s yacht racing for you, said Brian Thompson, the British watch captain and helmsman who with more than 300,000 racing miles under his belt is accustomed to the highs and lows of top level competitive racing.

“We all know we have given it everything but it wasn’t to be. The team work among the crew was superb and even though we haven’t made it onto the podium, the progress we have made since the start has been outstanding. I think we can all be very happy and proud of our progress.”

The finish in the Bay of Genoa where the top four boats were all in sight of each other after another tight contest, saw the fleet presented with their last challenge in the form of a complex wind melange.

“It was a very hard night because the wind was so tricky,” explained Fahad Al Hasni, the Omani helmsman and trimmer.

“One minute stormy and squally, the next minute less wind then no wind. We were pushing hard but it was as if this wind did not like us and didn’t want to help us.

“It was all very confusing but I guess that is racing. All the boats were in sight of each other – we were all together for five hours – but then to find the best wind, we all diverged.

“Some went on port tack and some on starboard tack but ten miles from the finish, we came together again and we were very happy because it looked like we were the closest boat to the finish line.

“We thought we had done it but stopped very close to the finish. The wind came through again but from a different direction which favoured Race for Water.

“We were in second place ahead of them just two miles from the line but then we stopped. Everyone was disappointed but there was nothing we could do. Some you win and some you lose.”

The Oman flagship crossed the Genoa finish line at 7h 40m 03s local (GMT/UTC+2hrs) having spent 1d 15h 50m 25s at sea covering 676 miles averaging 16.97 kts.

They finished 29mins 03 secs behind the leader, Yann Guichard’s Spindrift but it was Michel Desjoyeaux’ Foncia that was crowned first ever MOD70 European 2012 champion after coming second in the final leg.

Posted in Article - Tagged Mod 70

Posts tagged team oman

OMAN SAIL’S M34 FINISHES FORTH AT IROISE CUP

OMAN AIR-MUSANDAM FINISHES SECOND IN CLASS

THE WAVE, MUSCAT DUEL IT OUT WITH ALINGHI

THE WAVE, MUSCAT BACK ON TOP

THE WAVE, MUSCAT MOVES UP THE LEADERBOARD

OMAN SAIL’S THE WAVE MUSCAT TARGETS RETURN

THE WAVE TAKES 2nd

PROGRAM 1 – MUSCAT, OMAN

OMAN SAIL ATTEMPTS TO BREAK IRELAND RECORD

LEARN FROM THE BEST

A TENSE SERIES OPENER IN MUSCAT

BACK TO THE DRAWING FOR THE WAVE, MUSCAT

EXTREME 40s HAVE THEIR HANDS FULL

OMAN SAIL’S HUSSAIL AL JABRI

EFG BANK SAILING ARABIA – THE TOUR

MUSSANAH MARINA OFFICIAL OPENING

EXTREME SAILING DAY4

EXTREME SAILORS

TEAM BUILDING

PRIDE AND PROGRESS

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