The sail of the future (and present) speaks Arabic

By now it is official: Arabs have learned to sail. This is evidenced by the new world record for the Sevenstar Round Britain and Ireland Race set by the MOD70 Musandam Oman Sail.

50% OMANITES
Please note: this is not the usual “fuffa” crew that has only one “representative” member from the country it competes for. This time the Omani represented 50% of the team, consisting of six people; Fahad Al Hasni, Sami Al Shukaili, Yassir Al Rahbi raced together with French skipper Sidney Gavignet, Irishman Damian Foxall and South African Jan Dekker.

IT WAS NOT EASY.
Raced great, we might add: it took the Omani team 3 days, 3 hours 32 minutes and 36 seconds to complete the 1,956-mile course at an average of 23.8 knots, or 16 minutes and 38 seconds less than the previous record set by Loick Peyron’s trimaran Banque Populaire V. When one considers the MOD70’s 21 meters versus the trimaran’s 30 meters, the record takes on even greater significance.

SPEAKS ARABIC ALSO THE OVERALL RANKING
The race’s overall standings also speak Arabic: victory in the powerboat and Volvo 65 category went to Azzam of Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing. The emirate team, captained by Ian Walker took 4 days, 13 hours, 10 minutes, 28 seconds to complete the tour of the British Isles, a new record for speedboats at Sevenstar. But this news makes less of a stir, as the only UAE native is 25-year-old Adil Khalid, embarked as trimmer and helmsman.