Oman Sail's latest weapon formally launched

The new MOD70 Musandam to undertake her first race tomorrow

Oman Sail unveiled its new MOD70 trimaran Musandam-Oman Sail at a traditional naming ceremony today in St Nazaire, France, ahead of the yacht’s maiden race on Sunday at the Record Société Nationale de Sauvetage en Mer (SNSM).

“I feel very privileged to be here in St Nazaire for the launch and naming ceremony of Musandam-Oman Sail and to see this amazing MOD70 at the start of its career, carrying Omani colours and with Omani crew members onboard,” said His Highness Sayyid Tarik bin Shabib Al Said, adding: “They are in great company as Oman has some legendary sailing personalities, Sinbad for example dates back to the 9th century, they were people who were completely unafraid of going out on the high seas and putting their lives in danger to discover new places so in a way this team is a modern version of these people creating new Omani seafaring legends.

"The MOD70 is a high profile and beautiful looking yacht, it’s fast, it’s cutting edge, it’s Oman Sail’s flagship and I think that it’s the star of the Oman Sail fleet and is worthy of that. Fair winds.”

The trimaran, skippered by French round the world race sailor Sidney Gavignet, is due to compete in its first race on Sunday ahead of a trans-Atlantic delivery trip to the start of the Krys Ocean Race running from New York to Brest and starting on the 7 July.

“Preparations are going well," said Gavignet. "Sunday will be our first race and our 20th day on the water. We have done some practice racing with other teams and we are quite happy with our performance so far. What’s very important for us is the mix between Omanis and non-Omanis onboard. I selected our non-Omani offshore sailors based on their experience, of course, but also for their spirit. They are very calm people, very performance oriented, but they also have the ability to communicate their experience to the Omani sailors very well."

The eight-man crew is multinational with sailors from France, Oman and Great Britain and is part of the overall Oman Sail project that aims to rekindle the country’s maritime heritage through the sport of sailing. The three Omani sailors racing onboard have progressed through Oman Sail’s national sailing programme to the elite offshore team where they will represent their country on the international stage.

“This is a proud moment for Oman and for Oman Sail," said Oman Sail CEO, David Graham. "This crew is part of our elite offshore team and we are particularly proud of Fahed Al Hasni, Mohsin Al Busaidi and Khamis Al Anbouri who have worked hard to earn their place alongside these French and British offshore veterans. Musandam-Oman Sail will race to the four corners of the world and in doing so will raise awareness of Oman as a tourist and investment destination while also inspiring young Omanis to follow in their footsteps."

Musandam-Oman Sail is sponsored by the Ministry of Tourism and undersecretary, Her Excellency Maitha Al Mahrouqi, also Chairperson of Oman Sail, sees the Multi One Design circuit as an ideal fit for promoting the sultanate: “We see the MOD70 series as an innovative platform to boost awareness of Oman as a world-class tourism destination. Projections that the Krys Ocean Race and European Tour will attract a TV audience of 350 million, with 75% from Europe, is a perfect fit for our global brand strategy. Our yacht Musandam-Oman Sail will showcase our tourism brand attributes in a vibrant and exciting way. We want people to see Oman as an authentic Arabian destination where visitors will discover that beauty has an address.”

Musandam-Oman Sail MOD70 crew list

Sidney Gavignet (FRA)
Ryan Breymaier (USA) (stand-in for Loik Gallon (FRA), who is injured)
Fahad Al Hasni (OMA)
Mohsin Al Busaidi (OMA)
Khamis Al Anbouri (OMA)
Jeff Cuzon (FRA)
Brian Thompson (GBR)
Thomas Le Breton (FRA)

Shore team
Phil Rivett (AUS)
Suleiman Al Manji (OMA)
Mohamed Al Wahaibi (OMA)