Oman Sail’s 75-foot trimaran ‘Musandam’ is ready to depart on her circumnavigation of the globe under the new colours of Oman and with a 5-man crew, including Mohsin Ali Al Busaidi, who is to attempt to become the first ever Omani to sail around the world. Weather dependent, Musandam will depart Marina Bander Al Rowdha for the start line tomorrow, Thursday, 8th January 2009 at 1400hrs.
In their first attempt to sail Musandam non-stop from Muscat to Muscat, Mohsin and the international crew on Musandam are likely to sail over 40,000 kilometres via the Indian Ocean and the three great Capes of the Southern Ocean – Cape Leeuwin (south-west tip of Australia), via the Cook Straits (NZ) to the notorious Cape Horn (tip of South America) and Cape of Good Hope (southern tip of South Africa) before turning left and heading back towards Muscat. The five crew will endure the calms and heat of the tropics for only ten percent of the journey and will spend the majority of the trip in the freezing and hostile Southern Ocean where temperatures, with wind chill, will regularly be below -10oC.
To find out more about the trimaran Musandam, log on to the Oman Sail website at www.omansail.com Musandam crew:
Loik Gallon (FRA) – Skipper
Mohsin Ali Al Busaidi (Oman)
Thierry Duprey Du Vorsent (FRA)
Charles Darbyshire (GBR)
Nick Houchin (GBR)