The Jewel of Muscat has taken 12 months to build on the beach of Qantab, just outside of Muscat. This, in hindsight, was the easy part; launching a reconstruction 9th-century sewn-plank boat safely was a logistical operation that involved members of the Royal Navy of Oman, Oman Sail, local villagers from Qantab as well as the Jewel of Muscat team.

Masirah completed a six-month trail of glory with a double victory in Almeria as thousands watched. All crew members put in a performance which overshadowed all efforts from other teams to not only take the victory in the Almeria leg of the iShares Cup but the title of 2009 iShares Cup champions! Renaissance also battled hard until the last minute to take an admirable fourth overall in the Almeria leg ensuring a double Oman victory as they took third place in the 2009 iShares Cup series.

Musandam, ex-B&Q, is for sale - making way for a new Oman Sail flagship, the A100 to be launched officially in October. Musandam, formerly Dame Ellen MacArthur's world record breaking B&Q/ Castorama, has been the flagship of the Oman Sail project since its start last year. In March 2009 onboard Musandam, as part of a small crew Mohsin Al Busaidi succeeded in becoming the first Arab to sail around the world non-stop in a very respectable time of 76 days. Since then, Musandam has been fully refitted and is in excellent shape ready for more ocean racing and solo record breaking. Musandam would be a fabulous boat to race in the Route du Rhum 2010, an excellent option for solo and crewed ocean record attempts, and a unique part of modern sailing history. She was launched in 2004, having been built by Boatspeed of Australia, and designed by Nigel Irens and Benoit Cabaret. For a full specs list and boat details- visit http://www.omansail.com/theboat-article.asp?aid=19509. Further details from kate@omansail.com

Pain And Gain In Spain As Title Hopes Remain Day Two of the final round of the iShares Cup in Almeria Spain saw Masirah rise to the top with Renaissance struggling for form but still in contention. His Excellency Eng. Sultan Hamdoon al Harthi, Head of Muscat Municipality and the Municipal Council, was on board Renaissance when they took a well-deserved win.

Masirah Finish Day one in second with Renaissance in fourth as Her Excellency the Minister of Tourism and His Excellency the Oman Ambassador to Spain are there to cheer the teams on. After a near perfect practice day with blue skies and enough wind to see the catamarans flying one hull, the first day of racing was a much lighter affair. After the drifting conditions of Amsterdam, all the teams were looking forward to better conditions but, alas, this was not to be.

The two Oman Sail teams, Renaissance and Masirah, both start their bid to become the 2009 iShares Champion today- Saturday 11th. The Spanish port of Almeria is the final venue of the iShares Cup Extreme 40 series that has seen the Oman boats racing across six different European countries this summer. With only one point separating the Oman boats and Gitanna Extreme-Groupe LCF Rothschild at the top of the leaderboard, every point this weekend will count.

The Sultanate of Oman, at the Eastern tip of the Arabian Peninsula, is going through a renaissance of its maritime heritage. Taking it one step closer to their goal is the Jewel of Muscat project, now nearing completion. The importance of the relationship between modern Oman and its famed ancient seafaring traditions is of paramount importance as the Sultanate looks to diversify its global perception as it continues to develop as a modern country.

Renaissance takes second place while Masirah made an excellent recovery to take fifth after a collision with BT left them sitting out Day One. Crowds of over 10,000 came to watch the racing in Amsterdam on Sunday but one visitor, the wind, was noticeably absent. Groups of families and friends enjoyed some late summer sun as they lined the banks of the IJ Haven canal and watched as some of the best sailors in the world vied for position in the narrow confines, sometimes only feet away from them.

Ahmed Al Maamari and Abdullah Al Busaidi enjoy brief stop in Brazil Before Departing For South Africa After sailing a grueling 4,890 miles from the west coast of France through rainstorms, gale force winds and dead calm seas Ahmed and Abdullah reached Rio de Janeiro to a warm samba welcome. After more than 28 days at sea both sailors were more than ready put their feet on solid ground and enjoy a few days of rest in this vibrant city famous for rhythmic music, perfect weather and welcoming people. Several hundred people came out to welcome first Ahmed on board his yacht, Uniquely Singapore, and a day later, Abdullah on his yacht, Qingdao.