Mohsin Al Busaidi is set to become the first Arab to circumnavigate the globe non-stop and his accomplishment to date is already inspiring school kids to take up sailing and young Omani adults to apply for the next Race Team selection process in April.
Through the Doldrums and finally back into the Northern Hemisphere for the first time in 63 days .
Spirits are high onboard but the wind remains light, boat speed averages have been low and no significant breeze is forecast before the finish.
At 11:39:10 GMT on 17 March 2009, Musandam and crew inched across the equator and into the welcoming breeze of the Northern Hemisphere. After 68 days at sea, 63 of them spent in the Southern Hemisphere, Mohsin Al Busaidi and the rest of the crew were elated at the prospect of having no more goals to reach before crossing the finish line off Muscat. “We are only making 7 knots of boat speed at the moment but it feels much faster after the unthinkably slow speeds of the last week. At this stage we just need to keep the boat together and continue the daily checks and get home safely. We are in the middle of the Indian Ocean, the sea is an awesome crystal clear blue colour, and very flat – it’s lovely. I asked Mohsin how happy he was to be at the equator, and he couldn’t stop smiling for a good 20 minutes – he feels like he is nearly home, and has two of the best eyes onboard – I can imagine him in a few days straining at the horizon for any hint of his home land.” Charles Darbyshire, Navigator and Communications.