TWO PIONEERING PROFESSIONAL SAILING EVENTS LAUNCHED IN THE ARABIAN GULF AND ASIA
Posted on Wednesday, November 04 @ 05:41:15 CST by Editors
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In Brief:
· Oman Sail's recently launch Arabian 100 (A100) trimaran, will
be tracing out the route of two future professional sailing
events in Asia over the coming months
· The Tour of Arabia will link together the GCC countries from
Kuwait in the north to Oman in the south
· This will lead in to the 'Indian Ocean 5 Capes Race', taking in
South Africa, Australia, Singapore, India, via all corners of
the Indian Ocean and the five great Capes of the region
In Detail:
The growth of competitive sailing in the Arabian Gulf and Indian
Ocean has today taken a further step forward as the sailing
events company, OC Events (Asia), launches two new premier
racing circuits.
The entire region is steeped in maritime heritage and legend, and
is criss-crossed by a multitude of ancient and historically
significant ocean trading routes. Professional and competitive
sailing is only just awakening, but development of pro circuits
will probably happen faster than the decades it has taken in
Europe.
Building on the foundations of the Asian Record Circuit
established by Dame Ellen MacArthur in 2007 onboard 'B&Q', and
the Extreme Sailing Series Asia to be staged this winter in Hong
Kong, Singapore and Muscat (Oman), OC Events (Asia) have now
launched two inaugural premier racing events – the 'Tour of
Arabia' and the 'Indian Ocean 5 Capes Race'.
The launch of the first of the new Arabian 100 (A100) Class
trimarans, Oman Sail's stunning Majan, is the catalyst for the
creation of these two new ground-breaking offshore racetracks.
On 10 November, Majan will set out from Kuwait City in the north
of the Arabian Gulf on a five-leg tour that will cover 1,700
nautical miles (3,150km), to trace out and test the route of the
future 'Tour of Arabia' race. Stopping in Bahrain, Qatar Abu
Dhabi and Dubai, Majan's voyage will finish in Muscat, Oman.
The 'Tour of Arabia' will lead directly into the premier edition
of the 'Indian Ocean 5 Capes Race'. Other than the recent
traverse of the Indian Ocean by the Volvo Ocean Race fleet,
current traditional oceanic courses only exploit the southern
part of the Indian Ocean and above 40 degrees South it remains
the most unchartered territory as far as professional racing is
concerned, yet it offers a wide variety of tactical challenges
and conditions.
As with the 'Tour of Arabia', Majan will trace out this new
course taking the big dive south for a giant tour of the Indian
Ocean Capes facing the challenges of all the combined might of
the Southern and Indian Oceans. From the heat of the tropics,
frustrations of the windless Doldrums at the Equator to the
towering waves of the Roaring Forties. Majan plans to set out on
the 6th February, 2010, on this 15,000 nautical miles (27,780km)
course, that should take between 35 and 40 days including
stopovers.
The Indian Ocean 5 Capes Race will pass the Capes of Ras Al Hadd
(Oman), down to Cape of Good Hope (South Africa), across the
frozen wastes of the Southern Ocean to Cape Leeuwin (SW
Australia), past Cape Piai on the tip of the Malaysian peninsula
(the southernmost point of mainland Asia, just to the west of
Singapore), and back underneath Cape Comorin (southern tip of
India) to Oman on the Arabian Peninsula. As the class of large
ocean going trimarans like Majan (sistership to Thomas Coville's
Sodebo) grows, it is planned for this to develop as a recurring
event on the ocean racing calendar.
Oman Sail's new A100 Majan, designed by Nigel Irens and Benoit
Cabaret, was built in Australia before being assembled locally
in Salalah (Oman). David Graham, CEO Oman Sail: "We built and
launched Majan, the first Arabian 100 with a plan. We believe
that the combination of exhilarating boats and challenging
conditions in this economically buoyant region has a real
potential for future growth. In conjunction with OC Events, we
look forward to racing around the Arabian Gulf, Indian and
Southern Oceans this winter and next spring." Internationally
renowned sailor, Paul Standbridge, will skipper Majan alongside
Mohsin Al Busaidi who became the first Arab to ever sail non
-stop around the world on board Majan's stablemate, the 75-ft
trimaran Musandam back in March this year, and they will be
joined by two professional crew and two Oman Sail trainees plus
a media crewman, Mark Covell.
Mark Turner, CEO, OC Events: "The launch of the new A100 class
with the first sea miles of Majan presents us with an
opportunity to develop these two new fascinating racetracks.
These courses have both historical and sporting credibility, and
equally commercial interest for sponsors of future competing
teams. Between the 'Tour of Arabia' and the 'Indian Ocean 5
Capes Race', we're visiting 10 key markets, passing through all
the corners of the Indian Ocean via five great Capes, and
linking the Middle East with Central Asia. Professional yacht
racing might have developed with an Atlantic flavour, but the
Arabian Gulf and Indian Ocean remain great unchartered territory
for future sailing events."
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