The Wave, Muscat, training off Cowes. Image copyright Mark Lloyd/LLoyd Images/Oman Sail.
by Nicky Moore
Oman Sail will be out in force for Cowes Week with their two Extreme 40’s racing, their 105ft Arabian 100 trimaran making a dash over from France and an Oman Experience to enjoy at the Extreme Race Village where you can win a fifth man spot on an Extreme 40 and a holiday to Oman.
Back again in Cowes are the two Oman Sail Extreme 40’s, Masirah and The Wave, Muscat. The duo finished second and third in the first event in France and will be looking to improve their positions over the six days of racing in round two of the European Extreme Sailing Series.
A total of nine teams have signed up to compete in the Extreme Sailing Series in Cowes. The Wave, Muscat’s crew remains unchanged for the week, and Masirah welcomes Fred Le Maistre (FRA), former bowman on Extreme 40 Groupama, for the event, in place of America’s Cup sailor David ‘Freddie’ Carr, who is sailing with the British America’s Cup team during the week.
Volvo Ocean Race winning French yachtsman Sidney Gavignet will be making the crossing from Lorient, France to Cowes onboard Majan Oman Air, the giant 105ft Arabian 100 trimaran.Sidney is preparing to compete in the prestigious Route du Rhum, the single-handed transatlantic 4,000-mile race starting in Loriet, France in October. Majan will be displaying the colours of her newly announced sponsor, Oman Air. The sponsorship aligns Oman Air, Oman Sail and the Ministry of Tourism’s marketing strategies in Europe, with all three taking an active role in the Route du Rhum project and this will mark the first time the new branding has been revealed in public.
During the week, spectators can get a real flavour of Oman for themselves, learn more about the Oman Sail project and win some amazing prizes in the Oman Experience, located in the Extreme Racing Village. Oman Sail is an exciting initiative whose aim is to rekindle Oman's long and glorious maritime heritage.
Oman Sail have also teamed up with Oman World Tourism to offer a unique holiday to Oman, including accommodation and flights. To be in with a chance of winning, spectators can enter through the Oman Sail Facebook page in the Oman Experience. Oman Sail are also inviting spectators to sign up to win a unique fifth man spot during the racing on board either Masirah or The Wave, Muscat, where they can actually join the team on the race course on the final days racing, (Thursday 5th). All you need to do is sign up via the Facebook page to be with a chance of winning. www.facebook.com/omansail
Khamis Al Anbouri, who sails on The Wave, Muscat, and recently won the Extreme 40 class in the J.P.Morgan Asset Management Round the Island Race, explains why Cowes Week is so significant to Oman Sail. “Cowes is a really important event, not just for the Extreme 40’s but for Oman Sail. Majan being here adds a really exciting element to the week and it will be brilliant to reveal its branding at such a prestigious event. Sailing in Cowes is always a great experience and to have so many members of our team here makes it really special”.
Joining Khamis is fellow Omani National Squad member Nasser Al Mashari, fresh from finishing the Tour de France à la Voile, where he finished an impressive fifth place onboard Oman Sail’s Renaissance. Nasser was part of the winning Masirah team in the Extreme Asian Series.
The Crew - Masirah
Loick Peyron – Helm (FRA)
Mark Bulkeley – Tactician (GBR)
Pete Cumming – Trimmer (GBR)
Fred Le Maistre – Bowman (FRA)
The Crew - The Wave, Muscat
Paul Campbell-James – Helm (GBR)
Alister Richardson – Tactician (GBR)
Nick Hutton – Trimmer (GBR)
Khamis Al Anbouri – Bowman (OMA)
Oman Sail
Extreme Sailing Series Europe
