New Round Ireland record

Musandam-Oman Sail MOD70 knocks almost four hours off Steve Fossett's 22-year-old time

The Ministry of Tourism of Oman’s MOD70 Musandam-Oman Sail this morning broke the 22-year-old Round Ireland record after completing the 700 mile course in just 40 hours, 51 minutes and 57 seconds, slashing almost four hours off the existing record.

The six-man crew comprising skipper Sidney Gavignet, plus Spain’s Alex Pella and French multihull veteran Jean-Baptiste Le Vaillant and Omani sailors Fahad Al Hasni, Yasser Al Rahbi and Sami Al Shukaili, crossed the finish line beneath the Kish Lighthouse off Dublin Bay just before 1000 UTC, from where they started their record attempt at 1704 UTC on Monday.

The 70ft Omani trimaran needed to be back no later than 13:46 UTC today to break the record, but their breakneck speeds down the west coast of Ireland, which at one point peaked at 38 knots, meant they finished three hours and 50 minutes faster than the 44 hours 42 minute record, set by the late Steve Fossett in what was his first ever sailing world record, set back in September 1993 aboard his ORMA 60 trimaran Lakota.

Fahad Al Hasni said this record attempt coming at the end of a European winter, had proved tough: “It was both scary and exciting because we saw 40 knots of wind and massive waves that we reckoned were around six metres but the main challenge was the cold. It is still winter here and my hands were so cold, I still can’t feel them but I’m really happy because there have been some very famous sailors who have made attempts on this record but we are the ones who now hold it. We have become a really good, tough team and it feels great to be part of it.”

It had been a challenging, but amazing experience for the Omani sailors, added Gavignet, who was full of praise for his crew: “This was a real test for them and they came through with flying colours – the whole crew put in a great effort. We had to be very careful in these conditions and had no choice but to slow down at times but to have achieved the record so early in our season is a great feeling. It had been a priority and now it is done.”

This was Musandam-Oman Sail’s second attempt on the Round Ireland record. Two years ago they set off from Dublin Bay, but were forced to abandon due to unsafe conditions. Today was a different story and everyone on board was delighted to add this one to their burgeoning collection.

“This is a great accomplishment for Oman and Oman Sail,” said David Graham, CEO of Oman Sail. “Attempting to break the Round Ireland record has been our goal for many years now and achieving the feat is a shining example of the hard work and dedication of our sailing squad. Racing against yourself to set a time is the hardest test of discipline. The team must remain focused and motivated at all times, and we have instilled these values since the start of the Oman Sail programme. With a 50% Omani crew, this record shows that the present and the future of sailing in Oman is on the right course.”