Majan heads south

Oman Sail's A100 tri set sail from Cape Twon on leg two of her Indian Ocean 5 Capes Race route tracing

Oman Sail's A100 Trimaran Majan shot across the Cape Town start line on what will be the third leg of the Indian Ocean 5 Capes Race just off Table Bay harbour’s breakwater at exactly midday (local time) today to track a course down south to the Southern Ocean towards her next stop in Fremantle, Australia.

With skipper Paul Standbridge, former manager of South Africa’s Team Shosholoza, at the helm, the start was timed perfectly to coincide with the daily firing of the noon day gun from Cape Town’s landmark Signal Hill. The A100 trimaran quickly built pace to over 23 knots in a brisk 14 knot southwesterly breeze and dark, rain-threatening skies.

On the crew is French round the world sailor Sidney Gavignet, French America’s Cup sailor Thierry Douillard, former Team Shosholoza sailor Michael Giles from Port Elizabeth, along with Omani sailor Mohsin Al Busaidi who became the first Arab to sail non-stop around the world last year, Mohammed Al Ghailani a young Omani trainee sailor and Olympic silver medallist Mark Covell who is the media crew on board.

Earlier the crew of Majan were given a rousing dockside farewell from family, newly made local friends and young sailors from the Izivunguvungu Foundation for Youth in Simonstown, who were thrilled to tour the yacht and meet the crew just minutes before they cast off.

Cape Town is a designated as the first stopover for the Indian Ocean 5 Capes Race which will take place in 2012. Conceived by OC Events and campaigned by Oman Sail, it will be the first ever yacht race to link the Middle East, Africa, Australia and Asia and the first ever race of its kind in the Indian Ocean.