Indian Ocean 5 Capes Race STARTED 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) with stopovers in the Maldives, Cape Town (South Africa), Fremantle (Australia) and Singapore before crossing the finish line off Muscat. Majan completed the course in 97 days finishing in Muscat on 12th May 2010.
The Indian Ocean 5 Capes Race passes the Capes of Ras Al Hadd (Oman), down to Cape Agulhas (South Africa), across the frozen wastes of the Southern Ocean to Cape Leeuwin (SW Australia), past Cape Piai on the tip of the Malaysian peninsula (the southernmost point of mainland Asia, just to the west of Singapore), and back underneath Cape Comorin (southern tip of India) to Oman on the Arabian Peninsula. As the class of large ocean going trimarans like Majan (sistership to Thomas Coville’s Sodebo) grows, it is planned for this to develop as a recurring event on the ocean racing calendar and the first official edition of the race is planned for spring 2010,.
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A heroes welcome 2 months, 2 weeks, 3 days, 48 minutes ago
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…
They did it ! 2 months, 2 weeks, 4 days, 3 hours, 24 minutes ago
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.
In on One 2 months, 2 weeks, 5 days, 1 hour, 36 minutes ago
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.
Are we there yet? 2 months, 2 weeks, 6 days, 3 hours, 31 minutes ago
“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 cruising 2 months, 3 weeks, 3 days, 2 hours, 38 minutes ago
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.
Like a fly in a sticky web 2 months, 3 weeks, 4 days, 20 hours, 15 minutes ago
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! 3 months, 14 hours, 52 minutes ago
“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 April 3 months, 2 days, 14 hours, 57 minutes ago
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.
Last day of Majan in Singapore 3 months, 3 days, 11 hours, 13 minutes ago
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 Gym 3 months, 1 week, 1 day, 13 hours, 5 minutes ago
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”.
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Oman Sail’s A100 Majan completes the first Indian Ocean 5 Capes Race!12th May 2010
Just 97 days after Oman Sail’s A100 multihull Majan left her mooring in Muscat, the crew has completed tracing out the course of the Indian…
Read moreFinal Leg, Final Cape and ‘Home’ Beckons…29th April 2010
For the crew on board Oman Sail’s A100 trimaran ‘Majan’ the departure from the penultimate stopover in Singapore, proved a poignant…
Read moreLeg 4 Fremantle-Singapore: A Warm Welcome19th April 2010
The international crew on board Oman Sail’s A100 trimaran ‘Majan’ have celebrated their arrival in Singapore on the penultimate leg…
Read moreLeg 4 Fremantle-Singapore: Majan is on her way09th April 2010
After a busy and very successful Australian stopover, Oman Sail's A100 trimaran ‘Majan’ left the dock this morning, en route to Cape…
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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)…
Read more
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