New Caledonia and Team Commercial Bank. Image copyright Mark Lloyd/Lloyd Images/Oman Sail.
by Ingmar Jense
A delayed start due to light winds, strong currents and fog delayed the start of the second leg of Sailing Arabia-The Tour but it did nothing to deter the competitors from making the best start. After circling the committee boat for an hour waiting for the race officer to signal the countdown to the start the race got off to a slow start soon after 5pm. All six boats were determined to be the first out of the Pearl Marina bay but it was the visiting French team from New Caledonia that took that honour. They were closely followed by Team Commercialbank Group representing Qatar and crewed by a mostly Omani crew. All four other boats were tightly grouped as they headed out to the horizon, and the first scoring gate, at the southern end of the Qatari peninsula.
In an unfortunate turn of events the GAC Team Pindar boat, representing Bahrain, had to turn back to port due to some minor gear failure. They will not get a scoring position for this leg but certainly hope to be back in the race at a later stage. This will also mark the return of Layla Mohsin, the first GCC national female to take part in an offshore yacht race.
As night fell the wind increased slightly and gave the crews more of a chance to test their skills against each other. The fleet spread out over several miles as they tried to find the best wind and the best line into the first scoring gate. At 22.51pm the committee boat sighted New Caledonia bearing down to the scoring gate. They were in good spirits as they crossed the line and immediately set off for the next scoring gate nearer Abu Dhabi. Three minutes later Commercialbank Group followed them across the line. There was an almost ten minute wait before Renaissance arrived and just over twenty minutes before Ras Al Khaimah crossed.
Through the night the teams faced light winds and currents as well as some shallow waters but in the early hours of the morning New Caledonia was spoted coming towards the third scoring gate. Commercialbank crossed an hour later with Ras Al khaimah, ahead of Renaissance by a minute, crossing fourty minutes later. Saleh Al Jabri, skipper of Renaissance, and his 100% Omani crew were happy with their position but put their heads down to catch Team Ras Al Khaimah.
By the time New Caledonia crossed the third and final gate at 16:42 the second place boat was already visible but it was a very pleasant surprise to see that it was Renaissance who had overtaken both Ras Al Khaimah and Commercialbank Group to take second place and were only thirty minutes behind. Commercialbank Group crossed just over a quarter of an hour later with Ras Al Khaimah hot on their heels. The Royal Navy of Oman team was following the pack further behind.
Soon after 8pm, under the brightly lit skyline of the UAE capital, Abu Dhabi, New Caledonie crossed the finish line, 27 hours after they started in Qatar. Half an hour later a jubilant Renaissance crossed the line with Commercialbank Group seven minutes afterwards. Ras Al Khaimah slipped across the line ten minutes later with a very relieved Royal Navy of Oman 25 minutes after them.
Overall Renaissance leads the first edition of Sailing Arabia-The Tour with New Caledonia second one point behind them. Commercialbank Group lies in third another point behind.
First Gate:
New Caledonia 22:51:08
Commercialbank Group 22:54:45
Renaissance 23:03:47
Ras Al Khaimah 23:26:20
Royal Navy of Oman 23:37:00
GAC Team Pindar DNF (Did not finish)
Second Gate
New Caledonia 07:48:02
Commercialbank Group 08:45:30
Ras Al Khaimah 10:21:14
Renaissance 10:22:51
Royal Navy of Oman TBC
GAC Team Pindar DNF (Did not finish)
Third Gate
New Caledonia 16:42:25
Renaissance 17:11:08
Commercialbank Group 17:28:30
Ras Al Khaimah 17:36:27
Royal Navy of Oman TBC
GAC Team Pindar DNF (Did not finish)
Provisional Results Overall
Renaissance 8pts
New Caledonia 9pts
Commercialbank Group 13pts
Ras Al Khaimah 22pts
Royal Navy of Oman 27pts
GAC Team Pindar 29pts
Sailing Arabia
