March 19, 2024

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Oman Air - Musandam (Photo by Lloyd Images)

La Route des Princes. Valencia. Spain. Oman Air – Musandam MOD70 skippered by Sidney Gavignet (FRA) at the start of the first offshore leg from Valencia – Lisbon

Oman Air-Musandam MOD70 gains two points on first offshore leg from Valencia, Spain to Lisbon, Portugal after a good start on Sunday and a fast race to the Benicarlo turning mark and scoring gate.  According to skipper Sidney Gavignet who leads a mixed crew of seasoned professionals and trainee Omani crew, the team has settled in to their watch system and is enjoying the conditions off the coast of Spain.

Sidney Gavignet at start of Route des Princes onboard Oman Sail - Musandam (Photo by Lloyd Images)

“We had a great race from Valencia to Benicarlo,” he wrote from the boat last night as the sun was setting over Valencia. “Then the wind dropped and our lead dropped with it, but we just managed to get our nose out in front a mile from the buoy and won the points! We needed to!

“Then we raced back towards the south again in the setting sun and at moments like this you feel privileged to have such a job!

Oman Air - Musandam Crew Underway (Photo by Lloyd Images)

“All the guys are in good shape, we are into our watch system. Damian [Foxall] and Fahad [Al Hasni] are recovering and Neal [McDonald] is driving with Gilles [Favennec] and Thomas [Le Breton] is trimming the boat. I am writing but I keep an eye on the instruments. I am obsessed with the percentage polar right now and with keeping our performance optimal.

At noon today, the time of writing, the Oman Air MOD70 is sailing at 18knots off Cartagena in the south of Spain and in approx 15 knots of breeze. The six-man team has a 21nm lead on the rest of the highly competitive MOD70 fleet and hopes to hang on to it to gain another bonus point through the Gibralter gate.

Oman Air - Musandam (Photo by Lloyd Images)

 

To stay posted on Oman Sail and Oman Air-Musandam, please go to www.omansail.com

To watch the latest Oman Air-Musandam web clip, click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d3khSeoMl-8

 

Oman Air-Musandam MOD70 2013 racing calendar

6-30 June: La Route des Princes (Valencia-Spain, Lisbon-Portugal, Dun Laoghaire-Ireland, Plymouth-UK, Roscoff-France)
8 August: Cowes Week Artemis Challenge
11-13 August: The Rolex Fastnet Race
3 November: Transat Jacques Vabre

 

Start of the Route des Princes (Photo by Lloyd Images)

Oman Air-Musandam MOD70 2013 race squad

Sidney Gavignet (FRA) – offshore
Thomas Le Breton (FRA) – offshore
Fahad Al Hasni (OMA) – offshore
Mohsin Al Busaidi (OMA)
Neal McDonald (GBR) – offshore
Damian Foxall (IRE) – offshore
Ahmed Al Hassani (OMA)
Gilles Favennec (FRA) – offshore

Oman Air -Musandam Crew 2013 (Photo by Lloyd Images)
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