Tuesday 03 / June / 2025
Muscat: Eight teams of sailors took to the water in their 30-foot yachts to compete for the title of Arabia’s best sailing team as they began the first leg of the seventh edition of the Sailing Arabia ocean race at the Al Mouj Marina in Muscat on Tuesday afternoon.
While these mariners may have been drawn from all walks of life and from different countries across the world, all of them are united in their love for the thrill of racing.They will spend the next fortnight navigating some of the busiest sea routes to their destination.
Spanning a total of 763 nautical miles – a shade above 1,400 kilometres, the first leg of the race saw the sailors depart in their 30-foot yachts from Al Mouj Marina for Sohar, from where they will sail to Khasab in Oman’s northern outpost of Musandam.
From there, the sailors have to make it to Abu Dhabi across choppy waters and unpredictable seas, in record time, before travelling to Doha. Their stay in the Qatari capital will see them preparing for the final leg of their journey, which culminates in Dubai.
“Over the next couple of weeks, these sailors will face some very testing conditions as they travel from Muscat to Dubai,” said David Graham, CEO of Oman Sail. “It’s not just that they will be sailing on the open sea, but also that they will be undertaking many challenging events, such as in-shore races and night-time sailing as well.
“The trip from Khasab to Abu Dhabi will be particularly challenging as the tired sailors will need to make it there in the shortest possible time,” he added. “This trip is not just going to test them physically, but mentally as well, and the sailors will need to endure many sleepless nights in order to win.
“Sports tourism is a big part of the Ministry of Tourism’s efforts to boost Oman’s profile, and over the next few days, the world will get to see Oman’s stunning coastline, its beautiful beaches and its amazing natural beauty,” continued Graham.
Although it is an event that is sure to excite, the competitors know what must be done in order to win.
“We finished second and third when we competed in the Sailing Arabia tour previously, so we know what has to be done if we need to win,” said Andrew Baker, captain of Team Averda. “The only way we can win the race is if we repeatedly finish in the top two or three slots throughout the entire race and that’s not an easy thing to do.
“We know we need perform consistently during the race, and we need to be ready for the challenges we will face out there because this is one of the busiest sea routes in the world.We need to navigate past cruise liners, cargo ships and other boats, as well as oil rigs, which you could see as you go further out to sea,” added Baker. “It’s going to be not just a test of physical endurance but a mental one as well."
