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A heroes welcome13th May 2010
As Majan slowly motored into The Wave marina in Muscat, the 200+ strong crowd rose their flags into the air to welcome the crew home. Family, friends, press, VIPs and Oman Sail staff gathered on the dock to see Majan and her crew for the first time since the 6 February, 97 days ago. The families and close friends got the first attention from the crew. Mohsin got to see and hold his baby girl, Thura, for the first time. Slowly all the greeting embraces were over and the media interviews and questions started in earnest. Over 100 school children had come down to see the festivities and were hugely excited. “This chapter of the Indian Ocean 5 Capes Race is now over, we look forward to the next. Majan and crew are home safely, and we are satisfied we have given our all. Majan has stood the test superbly, as can be witnessed by the condition she was in when we arrived. After the home coming we have just witnessed, we can safely say that Oman has given the crew a heroes welcome,” reported Mark Covell. Watch the videos about the end of the Indian Ocean 5 Capes Race and visit the photo gallery for new pictures…
Read moreThey did it !12th May 2010
Majan and her crew crossed the finish line off Cape Ras Al Hadd at 23:29:30 last night : “As is the same with so many ocean voyages, we’re happy to have finished safely, but sad that it’s all over. By the time we get to the dock 140 nm from here (Muscat, Oman) we will have logged 20,419 nm sailed. The sun is rising over us and more poignantly it’s rising over Oman. We are home! We left Muscat on the 6th February; 96 days ago, by the time we get to Muscat we will have been away 97 days - a lot has happened since then.” reported this morning Mark Covell onboard Majan. Check out pictures of their arrival in the Photo Gallery. Full story online soon.
Read moreIn on One11th May 2010
The A100 Trimaran Majan and her crew have put in their last tack and their last gybe, as well as seen their last racing sunrise. “After a long starboard tack out from the coast of India we are now in the Arabian Gulf and 300 miles from Cape Ras Al Hadd.” Reported Mark Covell, media crew onboard Majan. He added: “‘In on one’, was the last call from the navigator. That means no more manoeuvres and into the mark on one tack. At present the wind is blowing a cooling 11 knots true from 305º. That puts us a good 30º under the lay line for the finish. The forecast is for it to lift us and get stronger. If it does it will put us back on target and send Majan galloping across the finish like a home sick horse!” After crossing the line at Cape Ras Al Hadd, the Oman Sail trimaran will still have a further 140 nm to sail before docking in the Wave Muscat.
Read moreAre we there yet?10th May 2010
“Estimated time of arrival (ETA), but what does that mean?” said Mohammed on the last Leg of the Indian ocean 5 Capes Race ahead Muscat, Oman. “So with all the information at out disposal right now, we estimate a time we will be there. If this was a quiet road with not much traffic and we were driving a car I would be happy to give an ETA. However, we are in the fickle Indian Ocean bobbing about in ever decreasing winds. We’re racing as fast as we can to the line - but with the weather patterns changing almost hourly, and the current against us, pushing us away from the finish line, trying to predict the correct ETA is a bit like threading a sailmaker’s needle with your eyes shut. The wind is now only 4.5 knots and we have slowed to 4 knots upwind. The temperature has soared to 40º by day and 35º by night. I think we can safely say we are all being tested on this final leg – mentally more than physically,” he reported. As Paul Standbridge, the skipper, said: “At least we don’t have kids sat on the back seat of the car asking “Are we there yet?” But if there were we would be saying, “We are doing our best! We’ll be there when we get there – not long to go now!” According to the last estimate Majan and her crew are hoping this will be on Wednesday May 12, with less than 580 nm to go, but they are in the hands of the weather gods, for the last time on the Indian Oceans 5 Capes Race!
Visit the photo gallery below with new pictures of the end of Leg 5…
Coastal cruising06th May 2010
The A100 Trimaran Majan is coming back home at full speed off the Indian coast. The boat passed Cape Comorin yesterday, 5th and final landmark of the Indian Ocean 5 Capes Race at the southern tip of India : “Like a steam train crossing the Indian continent, we powered up the coast of Kerala, eventually coming close to land just off the town of Kolachel. The Indian Ocean 5 Capes Race course just keeps coming up with pleasant surprises, and the team on board keep saying it’s so different on each ocean leg. Very soon we could hardly see the land and you had to pinch yourself and think, “did we really see all that?” But we definitely smelt the curry and saw some landmarks, and then we vanished into the night, to get on with our watches and race, and wonder what the people on shore are doing?” reported Mohammed al Ghailani onboard Majan. The Arabian Peninsula is now less than 1230 nautical miles away.
Read moreLike a fly in a sticky web04th May 2010
Majan has already experienced difficult times during this inaugural Indian Ocean 5 Capes Race, but in recent days, the situation has been hard to bear: “There is so little wind and the sea lies so still and lifeless. It’s 40º on deck and 33º in the water. Eating a hot meal is the last thing you want and sleep is harder to achieve in your roasting bunk. Will we ever get to Muscat? The attitude on Majan is a little more positive. All of the above still exists, it is hot and the sea does look like oil. We stay more positive, why? Because we have to! As we all know Mother Nature can play games with us all, cooking up all manner of combinations. I know most cruising boats would be very pleased with that. However we’re not cruising, we’re racing! Mohsin is dealing with the slow pace extremely well as he wants to get home to see his new baby girl for the first time” reported Mark Covell onboard Majan. Fortunately, Majan and her crew are now heading towards the Sri Lanka coastline at a good 20-knot and about 1,700 nautical miles are yet to be covered before reaching the final destination of Muscat, in Oman. “ It’s great to feel Majan moving again in the wind and waves.” added Mohsin this morning.
Visit the Photo Gallery to discover new pictures about the 5th Leg…
A new Dad aboard Majan!29th April 2010
“Today is a very special day, as our very own Mohsin Al Busaidi has become a father,” reported Mark Covell this morning. Mohsin rang home and spoke to his wife Sarah back in Oman who broke the news to him that he was a father to a beautiful baby girl, called Thura. “Mother and baby are doing well,” says Mohsin. “As soon as he got off the satellite phone he humbly apologized to all the crew for being a little anxious and pre-occupied over the last few days. “I am happy now and you have the old Mohsin back. I am a father, I am so happy, I don’t need to worry any more.” They now need fair winds and good weather to deliver them home to Oman, still more than 2,700 miles to go, and unite the new dad with mother and baby!
Read below the race news about the start of the Leg 5, and visit the photo gallery…
The Last Start: 27th of April27th April 2010
The fifth and final leg of the Indian Oceans 5 Capes Race from Singapore to Oman started today… On a beautiful day with 6 knots from the a westerly direction Majan and her crew crossed the line to the south of Cape Piai at 04:00 (GMT), midday local time. “Our host for the week, the Keppel Bay Marina had looked after us admirably. A big thank you to all the staff for helping us with our various boat works and projects. Now, as we now pick our way northwards up the course, we enter the Malacca Straits. After passing Sri Lanka, we will carve around the bottom of Cape Comorin, the southern most tip of India, the final cape on this 5 Capes Race course, which will be the last sight of land before seeing Oman. We will then race as fast as we can to the finish line off Cape Ras Al Hadd to enter the Gulf of Oman and home to Muscat. By then we will have raced over 16,000 sailing miles,” wrote Mark Covell this morning before the off.
Read moreLast day of Majan in Singapore26th April 2010
Majan and her crew arrived in Singapore on the 19th of April. During her stopover, Majan was able to “stretch her hulls” with many guests onboard: “It was very light airs for our guest sailing today. Only 5 knots of wind. Most dinghies and dhow’s would be barely drifting in such light breezes, but Majan is so powerful she is still able to impress out guests, gliding along smoothly and gracefully. We had two groups of guests all who seemed to really enjoy themselves” reported Mohammed al Ghailani from Singapore.
The shore crew had a long job list to go through before leaving the dock on the 27th of April, undertaking the final Leg 5 of the Indian Ocean 5 Capes Race and heading back to Oman. “We are all looking forward to the next leg and sailing with our new crew member, Ali Ambusaidi who joins us from the Oman Sail Academy” added Mohsin al Busaidi.
Visit the photo Gallery to see new pictures of the stopover in Singapore…
Singapore: Job Lists and Gym21st April 2010
It’s hot and humid here in Singapore, but no rest for the crew or shore crew as they get trapped by a new job list. Mohsin al Busaidi commented: “By now you must wonder what we still find to do to Majan at each stop over? Surely the jobs list must be pretty short by now, and Majan must be totally sorted? The reality is that a racing boat is never completely finished. There is always something that can be perfected. Just like a Forumla 1 car wears through tyres, we wear through sails, sheets and halyards. On this last leg the G1 halyard strop and halyard broke, and we had to improvise a fix for that. The third gear cog in the port pit winch sheared off three teeth and we also managed to snap three vanes off the wind generator. All these problems, you work around at sea”.
He added: “The sailing crew must also find time to get to the gym as it’s important to maintain general fitness, while on the stopovers. Lots to do and fit into our short stay here. And once again, thanks to our hard working shore crew led by Murray Goodsell, it means Mohammed and I can get a day or two off, before we set sail again on the 27 April”.
Majan Now in Singapore until 27th April19th April 2010
Majan, after having passed the fourth Cape, Cape Piai, yesterday at 14.47 GMT, arrived in Singapore the same evening. Mark Covell, onboard Majan, reported a moment that none of the crew will forget: “When we were blasting through a narrow channel at 18 knots under full sail, a lone fisherman was crossing the channel well ahead of us in a thin dug out wooden canoe. Within seconds we were barrelling towards the unsuspecting sailor, he had obviously not seen us. To see his face as we shot by in a 105 ft ball of power was unforgettable. He looked up at us calmly, like he was witnessing a UFO landing in his back yard!”. On arrival in Singapore, Mark added: “We will all look back on this leg as a leg of contrasts compared to the open ocean. Walking the course of the Indian Oceans 5 Capes Race has been interesting. Running this leg as a fleet race with as little restriction on the course as possible will be intriguing.” The stopover in Singapore will last until the 27th of April before Leg 5, the final leg of the Indian Ocean 5 Capes Race course, passing the last cape of the race, Cape Comorin on the southern tip of India. Visit the photo gallery below with new pictures of the end of Leg 4.
Read moreMajan passed Cape Piai at 14:47 GMT!18th April 2010
Majan and her crew, after a hard windless day, finally crossed Cape Piai, the southern most point of the Malaysian peninsular at 14:47 GMT today, 18th of April.
Singapore is directly opposite Cape Piai - they are currently heading into dock. Like the cold of the Southern Ocean, or the high winds of a cyclone, the crew, as sailors, have to deal with all conditions :“Flat calm, a millpond, a desert oasis of tranquillity, bereft of wind, spent, the wind is resting; the means of propulsion has ceased to be. All statements to the effect that this boat is going forward are now inoperative, this wind is an ex-wind, it has snuffed it…..! We just need to find a way not to go a little mad in this heat. ” reported Mark Covell onboard Majan. Majan will leave singapore the 27th of April for her final Leg of the Indian Ocean 5 Capes Race, back to Oman.
Penultimate Cape On The Horizon as Temperature Soars Onboard Majan16th April 2010
Life on board has taken a twist now that the crew is racing in the Java Sea. “It’s the same but different,” told Mohammed al Ghailaini on board Majan. “Flat water is the biggest change. A multihull can handle very big waves but give Majan flat water and she purrs along like a happy cat stretched out in the sun. Our drinking water consumption has tripled and our freeze-dried food consumption has halved due to the rising temperatures. You just don’t feel like eating hot mince and mash or spaghetti bolognaise in 40 degrees. A fresh salad would be nice and maybe a cool glass of juice! Dream on…for a few more days. So far, we have made better progress than expected. The forecast has been for very little wind by day and a touch more by night. We did have a hot and painful 4 hour stretch of under 3 knots yesterday - but last night we fed off the updraft of a large thunderstorm about 10 miles away. As the hot are was sucked up into the system, it drew air past us giving us a solid 15 knots for most of the night,” he reported. Majan and her crew are hanging onto a nice 8 knots from 300 degrees, for now. They are only about 36nm from another waypoint - a light house called Karang Selatan that they must leave to port. After that they head north for 60nm to another island and then they can turn left and start their 450nm approach to Singapore and the finish line off Cape Piai, the fourth Cape of the Indian Ocean 5 Capes Race.
Read more“Land and more land… Ahoy”15th April 2010
Seeing land again is always a good feeling for a sailor, and Mohammed saw it first. Mohsin, onboard Majan, tells: “The thing Mohammed and I notice the most is the amount of rubbish in the water. To be fair it’s not all man made. Clumps of grass and mangroves float about like mini islands, each with their very own eco system. The wind slowly dropped off from a light air beat to nothing. We persevered, working closer to the land feeling there may be some more wind due to compression along the shore. The contrast to the stark open ocean to having so much visual stimulation around us is almost too much to handle. Smoke, boats, people land and shipping are all new to us”. He added “Now we are having to navigate round obstacles, instead of sailing for days on one heading. So for Mohammed and I it is really good for practicing our navigation, and understanding more about what Marc and Paul are planning.” No more long and open ocean swells and weather systems for Majan and the crew. This is flat water coastal racing, island hopping with Jawa to starboard and Sumatra to port. Singapore is up ahead them and they have approx. 400 nm to go on this penultimate leg of the course and lots of twists and turns to come, with a mixed forecast of showers, squalls and light breezes.
Visit the photo gallery below with new pictures of the Leg 4 and watch the Video about the hoisting of the head sail, the G1…
Drama: G1 Down But Not Out13th April 2010
“At 9.00 UTC, (around 4am W Australia time) we had a big drama on deck. Mohsin was steering in around 15 knots of breeze and we were sailing downwind off the north west corner of Australia, under our huge cuban-fibre genniker, the G1. Suddenly, the halyard snapped about a foot below the top of the mast – sending the sail tumbling over the side in the dark,” reported Mark Covell onboard the A100 Majan this morning. “Mohsin, Marc and Sidney were on watch at the time,” he continues. “Quick thinking by Mohsin, meant little damage was done as he turned the boat down, slowing us right down, and shouted for Paul to come up on deck. This was quickly followed by a call for ‘all hands on deck’ – meaning we all had to jump out of their bunks and come and help. It took about twenty minutes to haul the sail back on board – it’s big, heavy and the cuban-fibre weave makes it very slippery too, so hard to get a grip on. Currently, it is half on the deck and half down below decks, as there’s not room to stow the whole sail on deck unfurled. We think it’s undamaged, and we have ‘moused’ a line in place to thread a new halyard when it gets light. The plan is to hoist the sail from the deck in the morning. Normally – when it’s not in use this sail all nicely furled up into a big roll. We unroll using a furling pulley system when we need it. So hoisting it unfurled and loose will be quite interesting”.
Visit the photo Gallery to see new pictures of the start and of the sail drama…
Already at the halfway point - Leg 412th April 2010
Three days after Majan left Fremantle, her crew are now sailing at 27 knots to their next destination – Singapore – on this penultimate leg of the Indian Ocean 5 Capes Race. More than 1,000 miles after the start at Cape Leeuwin, Mohammed al Ghailani confides: “I always find the first 48 hours at sea very hard. As soon as my body and sleep clock has become accustomed to the timing, I am happy again. I personally take about two days to get my sea legs. We had an upwind start again and, yes, I was very ill. Please can we have at least one slow start to a leg? These first nights that launch us right into the thick of it are becoming too common. It will get lighter and lighter and hotter and hotter as we sail up to Singapore. I also like that every mile we sail we are getting closer to Oman and home. It’s still a long way to go and I’m not wishing it away but I am missing home, friends and family. I have never been away this long before. Paul and Mohsin have taught me never to count the days. I love my time on Majan but think I’m only human to sometimes want to be with my family.” Majan is almost at the halfway point en route to Singapore with approx 1260 miles to go. Watch the Videos below about the start of Majan from Fremantle and Cape Leeuwin…
Read moreMajan on Leg 4, let’s go!09th April 2010
Majan cast off from the dock of Fremantle, Occidental Australia, at 10.00 hours (local time – 03.00 AM GMT), ready to restart at 12.00 hours (05.00 AM GMT). Their ‘start line’ is at 270° West at a navigation buoy called Hall Bank. They then have to sail south back to Cape Leeuwin, to pick up their Indian Oceans 5 Capes Race course, where they left off at the end of Leg 3, before they head up north to Singapore. “We hope to see some of our new local Fremantle friends out on the water to wave us off,” said Mark Covell, Media crew onboard Majan. “Fremantle has really embraced Majan and her crew. The two days of guest sailing was a great success. The groups that came out on Majan were grinning from ear to ear when they stepped off the boat. Today, we have all been putting the last preparations in place for Leg 4 and packing the boat.” Read more about the start of the Leg 4 in the Race News below…
Read moreMajan under the spotlight08th April 2010
Sailing reporter, Sebastian Destremau of DesTopNews, contacted Oman Sail about the possibility of coming down to Fremantle to film Majan, speak to Sidney Gavignet and find out more about the A100 and the Indian Ocean 5 Capes Race project. Last week he got on a plane to Perth and this is the first result of the filming he did. Watch the French version on You Tube now - English version will follow : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YTwCCg9rrxY&feature=player_embedded#
Majan ready for Leg 406th April 2010
Back in Fremantle after an Easter break for some of the crew, the shore and offshore teams have been very busy. Majan has had a makeover for its guests and is now ready for Leg 4. “My first impressions are that the boat has been tweaked and perfected taking Majan even closer to race spec,” reported Mark Covell, media crew, back from a break in Oman. “The next few days it’s all about the media,” he added, “we have invited an eclectic mix of Australia’s travel, yachting and consumer media to sample the dynamic sailing experience of Majan. From two scheduled sails we ended up with 3! 18 guests experienced a sail on an A100!”. Mona Tannous, Manager of Oman Tourism in Australia & New Zealand is one of the guest in Fremantle. “The first group of guests have just come off the boat, totally raving about the experience. I myself was dumbfounded yesterday when I finally saw her in ‘real life’ so to speak,” she said. The start for the next leg to Singapore is planned for the 9th of April.
Read moreMajan and Fremantle29th March 2010
Yesterday, the Australian public was invited to view Majan at the Fremantle Sailing Club. Crew member Mohammed Al Ghailani was there: “By 4pm groups of individuals and families started arriving; it was beyond our expectations. Over 150 people came to see Majan and were shown onboard! The amazing turn out of individuals, families, teenagers, children and professional sailors actually made our day. Every one was impressed not only with Majan, but with our beautiful country and the vision and mission of Oman Sail as a project. It made me so proud being part of this race and representing my country. It has also confirmed to me that the Indian Ocean 5 Capes Race is not just a race, it’s a unique race linking nations and humans from different races and cultures, making this world a better place.” Majan will continue her journey of tracing out the Indian Ocean 5 Capes Race when she leaves Fremantle on 6th April, heading for the fourth landmark: Cape Piai the southernmost point of mainland Asia, just to the west of Singapore.
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Tour of ArabiaNOVEMBER 2009
The Tour of Arabia linked together the GCC countries from Kuwait in the north to Oman in the south. The launch of the first of the new Arabian 100 (A100) Class trimarans, Oman Sail’s stunning Majan, was the catalyst for the creation of this new ground-breaking…
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Indian Ocean 5 Capes RaceSTARTED 6TH FEBRUARY 2010
Oman Sail’s 'Majan' (A100) completed tracing out this new race course taking the big dive south for a giant tour of the Indian Ocean Capes facing the challenges of all the combined might of the Southern and Indian Oceans. Starting from Muscat (Oman)…
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