2nd Quarter Newsletter 2010

36
SECOND QUARTER

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Welcome to Oman Sail's 2nd querter newsletter which covers the events over the months of April, May and June 2010. These include Majan completing the Indian Ocean 5 Capes Race, the Extreme 40s being rebranded and competing in France, the Tour de France a la Voile, the Clipper Race and much, much more.

Transcript of 2nd Quarter Newsletter 2010

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S E C O N D Q U A R T E R

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02. EXTREME 40SMasirah is relaunched in her new colours, both oman Sail teams took to the podium at the first Extreme Sailing Series event and Loick Peyron rejoins the fold as skipper of Masirah.

08. OMAN SAILING SCHOOLthe inaugural Sailing School’s regatta took place with 5 schoolscompeting, oman’s forces also came to the Marina to do sailingcourses and the Laser team performed well in Singapore.

14. DISCOVER OMANoman is a beautiful and picturesque country and who knows better than the omanis themselves? Five staff choose five places and tell you why they are their personal favourites.

18. RENAISSANCEan introduction to the latest edition to the oman Sail fleet and how she has already been successful in the lead up to the all-important tour de France à la Voile.

24. MAJANafter successfully completing the Indian ocean 5 Capes race Majan was received home to a rapturous welcome. She is now starting her summer programme in Europe in the colours of oman air.

28. CLIPPER RACE ahmed and abdullah continue their odyssey around the world and are enjoying coming closer to oman but have mixed emotions on finishing this life-changing race.

30. JEWEL OF MUSCATthe journey so far…

32. LOOKING AHEAD

PhotograPhy by:

Mark Lloyd, Mark Covell, Steve Graham, Bruno Bouvry, Oman Sail

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I have just come off the phone with Saleh al Jabri, Captain of Jewel of Muscat,and the excitement in his voice wascontagious as it’s only a few days beforeJewel of Muscat arrives in Singapore. I spent a moment reflecting on thisincredible project, completed under theauspices of The Ministry of Foreign Affairs,and using completely traditional methods.Tom Vosmer led the build of this faithfullyreplicated 9th century ship on the beach in the unspoilt and spectacular villageof Qantab, close to Muscat. On completionhe handed her over to Captain Saleh, oneof Oman Sail’s Chief Instructors, who ledthe voyage from Muscat to Cochin, Sri Lanka and Malacca before Singapore.Jewel of Muscat is a gift from His Majestyto the people of Singapore, fantastic on so many levels, just fantastic.

In Europe the Extreme 40s, in their newlivery for the 2010 season, have got off to an awesome start. Khamis Al Anbouri on The Wave, Muscat has surprised thesailing fraternity. Sailing in a veryexperienced, completely professionalseries, the boat may be considered theunderdog but is achieving staggeringresults – read more inside.

Our sponsors Renaissance Services LLCcontinue their support for the 2010 season;they are now title sponsors of our newboat, the Farr 30 Renaissance.

The crew is 50% Omani and in the twowarm-up regattas for The Tour de France àla Voile they have done exceptionally well. They are being careful that this doesn’t give them a false sense of confidencethough. Rob Greenhalgh is the skipper and Nasser Al Mashari is leading the Omani team, both ensuring complacencydoesn’t set in amongst them. The Tour deFrance à la Voile is a brutal, demandingand highly competitive race and this is thefirst time Oman Sail has done it and we area mixed professional/ amateur crew. Good luck team!

Oman Air is pressing forward quickly in the market place. I admire the clarity oftheir strategy; not only do they have agrowing list of direct flights to major hubsand a fleet of brand new planes, but from a passengers point of view it is a significantstep-up on the competition with regards to service, comfort, technology andenjoyment on board. If you haven’t tried them you should, you won’t bedisappointed. I am delighted that we areworking together, particularly in France,and our flagship trimaran is going to have a face lift – watch this space…

Our community programme is deliveringcompetent sailors even at this early stage.In March Ali Ambusaidi, the Centre Managerof our school at Marina Bander al Rowdha,organised a competition between theschools – the Sailing School’s Regatta.

Inspired by Oman’s professional sailors these children are passionate,determined and competitive sailors whoare demonstrating that we are indeed reigniting Oman’s rich maritime heritage.

Welcome

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David grahamChief Executive Officer

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Brand Oman Management Unit and

Oman Sail have joined forces in order to

promote a unified brand of the Sultanate

internationally. Through the 2010 Extreme

Sailing Series Europe, one of the world’s

premier international sailing competitions,

it will raise the awareness of Oman as a

tourist and business destination.

The new, bold and exciting national

identity for Oman has given Masirah an

even greater reason to pull out the stops

for the Extreme Series. The reigning

champion and her crew are inspired by the

new look whose spirit matches Masi rah’s

determination to once again take the

trophy back home to Oman.

Masirah shines in her new colours

Extreme40s

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This important partnership will help usreposition the Sultanate. We’re on anevolving journey and our partnershipwith Oman Sail is a milestone in that,not the final destination.His Highness Sayyid Faisal bin Turki Al Said, COO,

Brand Oman Management Unit

he

‘‘‘‘

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Round 1: Extreme Sailing Series Europe

On the 27th May in the picturesque Mediterranean town of Sète,

France, the 2010 Extreme Sailing Series got off to a flyer with

both Omani boats confident that their winning ways from the

Asian series will continue in Europe. The eight identical Extreme

40s lined up for the starts just metres away from the excitable

French crowd. For four days the competition was fast and tight

and the lead was ever-changing. In the end the racing resulted

in a double podium finish for the Oman Sail boats. Masirah took

2nd and The Wave, Muscat close behind in 3rd showed the rest

of the fleet that Oman Sail won’t give up their dominance easily.

Groupe Edmond De Rothschild won on home waters but the Oman

Sail crews are determined to knock them off the top spot in Cowes,

the next venue.

Extremely Strong Team

To compete at the highest level, the Oman teams must be at the

top of their game and both Oman Sail boats are crewed by some

of the best in the business. This season Khamis Al Anbouri joins

full-time on The Wave, Muscat. Khamis commands the bowman

position - the powerhouse of the boat - and his agility,

concentration and stamina must be second to none for the

crew to drive the boat home.

Legendary offshore sailor Loick Peyron returns to the Oman fleet,

this time as helmsman and skipper of Masirah. His calm demeanor

hides his passion to win but after this first event it is clear that

Masirah is once again the boat to watch.

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JP Morgan Round The Island RaceOnce again, Khamis Al Anbouri tookhonours in this iconic annual race. As bowman onboard The Wave,Muscat, and in a fleet of almost 1,800boats, he and his team won their classwith Masirah seconds behind them.

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Masirah:Loick Peyron (Helmsman and skipper)

Pete Cumming (Mainsail trimmer)

Mark Bulkeley (Tactician and trimmer)

David ‘Freddie’ Carr (Bowman)

Nasser Al Mashari (5th Man)

The Wave, Muscat:Paul Campbell-James (Helmsman and skipper)

Alister Richardson (Mainsail trimmer and Tactician)

Nick Hutton (Trimmer)

Khamis Al Anbouri (Bowman)

Fahad Al Hasani (5th Man)

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Oman Sailing SchoolNew Kids On The BlockThe last weekend of March was a turning point for the Oman Sailing School as it hosted the inaugural Sailing School’s Regatta. Twenty Omani school children rigged their boats and put all their weeks of sailing experience together to compete for the overall title. As well as the sailors from five Muscat schools, there were scores of cheering classmates on support boats lining the racecourse.

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Sailed in moderate winds, the regatta

was competed over four races. The course

tested the students' skills in balancing

their boats, steering towards a turning

mark and adjusting sails to go as fast as

possible without capsizing. In the end,

16 year old Hamza Al Jabri dominated the

other sailors to win overall for his school,

Rashid bin Nadhar. Talent obviously runs

deep in the Al Jabri family as Hamza’s

father, Saleh, is one of Oman Sail’s Senior

Instructors and Captain of Jewel of Muscat.

Hamza Al Jabri could well be a name to

look out for in Oman’s sailing future.

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1. Al Bustan School

2. Al Zahra School

3. Sultan’s School

The schools that took part in the regatta were:

4. Al Saidiya School

5. Rashid bin Nadhar School

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I am very proud to be here and win first place.Sailing has always interested me and this is justthe beginning. I am willing to continue sailing in the future and get more titles, insha’allah.Hamza Al Jabri, winner, Sailing School’s Regatta 2010 (above)

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His Excellency Rashad bin Ahmed Al Hinai, Undersecretary at the Ministry of Sports Affairs, presented

a trophy to each of the participating schools before the top three podium positions were announced

and Ohood Al Hasani from Al Zahra S chool was presented with the best female sailor award.

As the temperatures have increased, sometimes

up to 43C (110F), many of the schools have

decided to stay indoors. This doesn’t mean

the Sailing School has been idle; on the contrary,

groups from the Royal Army of Oman, Royal Air

Force of Oman, Royal Navy of Oman and the

Royal Oman Police have taken the opportunity

to learn how to sail. The orphanage has also

been continuing their course, with 12 orphans

aged between 8 and 14 years old coming down

and furthering their skills.

In April, the International Sailing Federation

(ISAF) ran their first Dinghy Instructors Course

in Muscat. It was a joint initiative by Oman Sail

and the Oman Olympic Committee. It was run

at the Oman Sailing School and as a result,

ten Omani sailors qualified as instructors.

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June 2nd – 6th saw eight young, bright hopefuls of the OmanNational Team venture to South-East Asia and the tricky waters offThe Lion City for the Singapore Laser Trophy. The setting lived up toexpectations with a range of different conditions not found in homewaters. With stiff international competition, including Olympic andWorld champions, in one of the most competitive classes in sailing,the team performed strongly.

Musa’ab Al Hadi came 7th in one of the races with Majid Al Mageniclose behind him in 13th. These results show excellent developmentfrom the Laser Team and with hard work and dedication they willcontinue to strive for wins in the Asian Beach Games.

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Singapore Laser Trophy

National Team

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Discover OmanWahiba Sands“Because I spend so much time sailing on the Laser, I like to go camping in the Wahiba Sands with friends. It is very peaceful and quiet and the nature aroundyou is beautiful, especially at sunset and sunrise.”

Ras Al Hadd“Without a doubt, my favourite place in Oman is Ras Al Hadd where the turtles come to lay theireggs. Seeing the mothers come to lay thousands of eggs and then watching those same eggs hatch is an incredible circle of life. It is also theEastern-most part of Arabia and where the sun’s rays first hit land.”

Nizwa“Going to Nizwa is like stepping into a different age. It is a historical place with the fort standing over itand date palms spreading across as far as the eye cansee. There are also natural springs for a cooling swimin the summer and a souq (market) which serves thearea around Nizwa and is always busy.”

Salalah“Going all the way south to Salalah at the end of Julyduring the Khareef festival is such a welcome relieffrom the heat of Muscat. The Khareef wind not onlycools the town, but also brings rains that change thescenery overnight to a green oasis. You see camelseverywhere and there is a real buzz to the place!”

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Jebel Shams

This is the roof of Oman, the highest point, and you really feel on top of the world! During the winter you sometimes see a little snow on the ground. During the summer it is very cool and good for long hikes with incredible views - it is like the Grand Canyon!

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Farr 30She has been prepared to the highest level to take part in the Tour de France à la Voile

and the stages leading up to it. The Farr 30 was picked to join the Oman Sail fleet

because it is a highly responsive boat that needs a range of skills to perform to

it’s best. It is also a perfect platform for Omani sailors to sail shoulder to shoulder

with experienced sailors and still be competitive.

The latest addition to the Oman Sail inshore racing fleet is Renaissance, a Farr 30 one design racing yacht.

A New Renaissance

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Raced along the rugged Western coast of France, this 4-day

event saw the crew of Renaissance line up against many highly

experienced teams. The Oman team had only taken delivery of

the boat three weeks prior and had trained on her for only two

weeks in the South of England in very cold and windy conditions.

They approached this event as a training platform giving everyone

the chance to work together and hone their skills as the sailing

season progressed. It therefore came as a very welcome surprise

that they found themselves consistently scoring in the top three

over the first three days and taking a second place overall by the

end of the event.

Stage1Grand Prix Atlantique (Pornichet) 29th April – 2nd May

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Raced in the rough conditions of the English Channel, Oman Sail’s

Renaissance had their work cut out for this famous week-long

regatta. With high expectations after their second place in Pornichet,

the crew doubled their concentration and put all of their training

into practice.

The first three days saw short-course racing in which crews

needed to act quickly and work hard. The third day saw an overnight

offshore racing that had the crews change gear as they looked at

long-term tactics and weather forecasts. A well-earned second

place in this race meant that the Renaissance crew had sealed

an overall victory with a race to spare.

Stage2Normandy Race Week (Le Havre) 3rd June – 6th June

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Robert Greenhalgh – SkipperAnthony Haines – Bow and Boat CaptainYassir Al Rahbi – CrewAbdullah Al Farsi – MastmanNawaf Al Gheedani – Second BowAli Al Balushi – CrewNasser Al Mashari – PitNat Ives – NavigatorCedric Pouligny – HelmsmanPhil Hamer – Trimmer

The full team is:

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This month long race is an annual race around the coast of

France and is one of the toughest challenges for any sailing team.

Inaugurated in 1978, it links the English Channel to the French

Riviera and consists of eight legs. Some legs see the crews at

sea for up to two days in the 30’ (9m) long boats that are aimed

at fast racing, not comfortable sleeping.

The crew of Renaissance consists of a total of ten sailors

but at any one time there will be as few as seven on board.

Due to the physical and mental challenges, crews are configured

to balance total concentration and sufficient rest. The team is led

by one of the world’s most skilled all-round sailors, Rob Greenhalgh.

He has hand picked his team for the tour that includes a previous

winner as well as five Omani sailors, including the experienced

Nasser Al Mashari who is splitting his time between the Extreme

40’s and Renaissance.

Stage3Tour de France à la Voile 26th June - 25th July

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On May 13th, after successfully logging up

an impressive 20,419 nautical miles and

passing the five capes of the Indian Ocean

5 Capes Race, Majan came home to Muscat

to a rapturous welcome. School children,

fans, well-wishers and plenty of family

lined the pontoon at The Wave, Muscat

waving flags, whistling and applauding

the feat of the sailors onboard.

A special moment for everyone was

Mohsin Al Busaidi stepping off Majan

and holding his daughter for the first time;

he was totally oblivious to the mayhem

around him. Mohsin commented later that

he could not take his eyes off her – and

could not see or hear anything else but

the baby in his arms.

MajanRapturous Welcome

Five Capes Passed

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On June 12th, Majan started heading

west for Europe’s summer where she

will compete in sailing events such as

Cowes Week and the Route du Rhum.

She was sailed, with a full crew, from Oman

to Cadiz where she was handed over to

Sidney Gavignet so he could sail 1,000 miles

solo as a qualifier for the Route du Rhum.

Majan will also attempt some world records

in the English Channel as well as the Round

Britain and Ireland. Look out for Majan on

her European tour, at 105ft long she will be

a natural ambassador as she flies the flag

for Oman and Oman Sail.

Cowes WeekA thousand sailboats, 8,500 competitors

and more than a hundred thousand

spectators ensures Cowes Week's position

as the world's largest sailing regatta.

The sailing festival, on the English South

coast will be an excellent chance to

showcase Majan and Oman Sail.

The two Oman Sail Extreme 40s will also

be racing in front of massive crowds.

Route du RhumThe European racing season culminates

in Sidney Gavignet skippering Majan in

the transatlantic single-handed race, the

Route du Rhum. The Route du Rhum 2010

will be Majan’s first participation in this

long-running epic race which starts in

St. Malo, France and ends in Guadeloupe.

Although a single-handed race, it

mobilises many forces within the team

to prepare boat and skipper. There will be

two Omani shore team apprentices as part

of the technical team in Lorient (Majan’s

training base from July to the beginning

of October), then in St. Malo.

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Summer in Europe

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Taking off with Oman AirBetween Cowes Week at the end of July

and the start of the Route du Rhum at

the end of October, a full activation

programme will take place. This will

involve a massive awareness programme

to position Oman Air as a world-class

airline offering direct routes from major

European cities to Oman’s capital, Muscat.

In the last week of June, a major partnershipbetween Oman Sail and Oman Air was signed.The Sultanate’s national carrier shares manygoals and objectives with Oman Sail and haschosen to use Majan as the platform and theRoute du Rhum as the event to achieve them.

Majan A100

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ClipperRace

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Homeward BoundContinuing their circumnavigation of the world as part of the Clipper Race,Ahmed Al Maamari and Abdullah Al Busaidihave encountered incredible weatherconditions but are becoming experiencedoffshore sailors with a wealth of knowledge. The last three months have seen themmoving east and closer to the finish inEngland on July 17th.

San Francisco to PanamaThis last leg of the western hemisphere was never going to be an exciting one, but itwas a tactical one as they encountered lightwinds, strong currents and intense heat.Abdullah’s team on Qingdao sweated it outand took a well-deserved second, their firstpodium finish and a fantastic result.

Panama to JamaicaOnce they crossed the Panama Canal bothsailors felt like they were on their wayhome to Oman. A quick sprint across theCaribbean from Panama to Jamaica sawthe teams back in strong winds and in thecompany of dolphins and whales in thestrikingly clear waters.

Jamaica to New YorkAfter a few days in Jamaica the fleet set sail for New York, a leg which promised tobe a good physical and mental challenge.Ahmed was in such a hurry to get to thefinish line under the Statue of Liberty thathis team on Uniquely Singapore won therace with Abdullah very close behind in 3rd.

New York to Cape Breton, CanadaBefore they sail across the Atlantic to the welcoming arms of Cork, Ireland, theyraced to the beautiful island of Cape Breton,Canada where they will be feeling the coldafter the warmth of the Caribbean.

It was an incredible experiencebeing at the top of the mast in thePanama Canal and watching thewaters of the Pacific behind us andthe Caribbean ahead. There havebeen so many incredibleexperiences during this race.Abdullah Al Busaidi, S ailor, Clipper Yacht Qingdao

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SingaporeBeckons...

Jewel of Muscat:

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After a stopover in Cochin, India, that saw

some maintenance work and many visits

from school groups eager to learn about

the ship’s history, the crew were ready for

the short leg to Galle, Sri Lanka. Although

the distance was short, the conditions in

the area are notoriously rough and severe

rains and storm force winds hit Jewel of

Muscat, damaging the masts. The search

for teak trees of appropriate size began and

the master craftsmen replaced the masts

and made repairs so Jewel of Muscat was

ready for the open-sea crossing to

Georgetown, Penang. The wind blew and

sent Jewel speeding across the Bay of

Bengal where she reached a top speed of

11.2 knots (20km/h) in winds that were over

50 knots (90km/h). For Jewel of Muscat to

hold her own in such treacherous weather

pays testament to the team that built her.

From Penang Jewel of Muscat will

pick up fresh winds to take them down

the Malacca Straits to Singapore where

she will be given as a gift from Oman to

the people of Singapore.

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Stately Progress

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Oman Sailing SchoolThe Oman Sailing School has a full

programme of events including Try Sailing

sessions with the Royal Army of Oman,

Royal Air Force of Oman, Royal Navy of

Oman and the Royal Oman Police.

Their programme will finish with an Inter-

Forces Regatta later in the year that will

be a similar format to the School’s

Regatta. There is also a Summer Camp for

children and the Community Sailing Club

continues to further the skills of school

children that wish to keep sailing after

their -initial training.

National Sailing TeamThe Laser and Hobie 16 teams continue

training for the Asian Beach Games and

beyond. The Hobie 16’s will be competing

in Germany’s famous Kiel Race Week,

then the Polish Nationals and the Hobie

European Championships in Germany.

The Lasers will be based at the 2012

Olympic sailing venue in the UK for a

month. During this time they will compete

in local regattas that will give them

invaluable race practice leading up

to the Asian Beach Games. 

MajanAfter successfully sailing from Muscat

to the Mediterranean with a full crew,

Sidney Gavignet will sail her single-

handed from Cadiz to her French base

in Lorient. This gives him the opportunity

to prepare for the Route du Rhum before

leaving France on October 31st to race

to Guadeloupe. Majan will also make an

appearance at Cowes Week where she will

take VIP’s sailing and attempt to set some

new speed records in the area.

RenaissanceAfter the Tour de France à la Voile, the

crew will de-rig and leave Renaissance in

Marseilles, France, before taking a short

break. A period of training will follow

before the boat enters the Route Des îles.

Jewel of MuscatA welcome ceremony hosted by

Singapore’s President, SR Nathan,

is planned for Jewel of Muscat when

she arrives in Singapore on the 3rd July.

Once the ceremony is over Jewel of

Muscat will be lifted out of the water

and restored to perfect condition and

put on display as a constant reminder of

the close ties between the two nations.

Clipper RaceOn July 17th the Clipper Race will return

from where they started in September

2009 as they sail up the Humber River

and into the port of Hull. Once completed,

Ahmed Al Maamari and Abdullah Al

Busaidi will return home to take part in the

Renaissance Day festivities before taking

some well-earned rest with their families.

Looking ahead tothe next quarter

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