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13.10.11

The Wave Muscat fight back in Almeria while Oman Air maintain to lead the fleet

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Oman Sail’s The Wave, Muscat made a spectacular come-back during the second day of the Extreme Sailing Series in Almeria, securing a series of impressive top three results, including a win in the final race of the day. The team’s efforts on the water have seen them leapfrog four places on the leaderboard, and finish the day in fourth, just four points shy of the podium. Their teammates Oman Air remain in pole position, with the America’s Cup team of Emirates Team New Zealand just two points adrift.

The fleet raced in a mix of spacious open water courses and tight stadium style racing, requiring very different tactics from the teams. The light winds prevailed in Almeria, but The Wave Muscat who have previously struggled in the light airs, found their pace today and had the best performance of the day. Khamis Al Anbouri, the teams Omani Bowman commented: “We finally got out of our rut today. We are a team that like sailing in the breeze, but as sailors you have to master all conditions and that is something we have worked hard on since Nice, and hopefully that started to show today in these light conditions. Things were starting to improve today but we can’t get carried away and still have to focus on the smaller details.”

Going into the final race of the day, just two points separated Oman Air from Emirates Team New Zealand (ETNZ)at the top of the leaderboard as battle commenced on the water. As the teams approached the top mark, Oman Air called a penalty on ETNZ for not giving them room, which was dismissed by the umpires, before the duo proceeded to match race to the finish line. Oman Air held their nerve, and finished the race ahead of the Kiwi’s in second place, whilst their teammates The Wave, Muscat took the win. Nasser Al Mashari, the teams Bowman who is sailing in Almeria for the first time said: “It was close in that final race. We knew how important it was for us to remain in front of Emirates and to be top of the leaderboard after day two feels great. We have a long way to go, but we will work our hardest to maintain our position.”

Elsewhere in the fleet, Alinghi (SUI) seemed unstoppable at the start of the day, posting wins in the first three races. However, the Swiss team faltered in the final two races including a disqualification in the final race of the day, and finished the day in seventh place.

At every event the Oman Sail teams visit, a selection of Oman Sail’s finest recruits travel with the them to learn from the professional sailors in a bid to earn a place as a full time crew member in the future. For the Omani trainees, Almeria provides a perfect training ground, as it is expected to throw a mix of challenging conditions at the teams this week. The light winds the teams have had to contend with over the last two days are expected to develop into big gusts by the weekend, and Raad Al Hadi one of the trainees, is relishing the opportunity. “Since I joined the Extreme 40’s it has been a very intense training period. Oman Sail ensures we receive world class training and all the team have been very supportive. I was sailing in the F18 dinghy before which gave me a good basic understanding and now there is so much more to learn about the Extreme 40’s. I have learned about all the different positions in the boat since then and feel more confident in my ability. We also get an opportunity to learn from the other teams. This is a fantastic learning environment and I hope I can earn my place as a full time crew.”

Oman Sail has a commitment to developing Omani’s and providing pathways into employment within the marine industry, whether that is as professional sailors, instructors or boat builders. Oman Sail use some of the best international sailing talent to share their skills with the Omanis, including British Olympian, Leigh McMillan, The Wave, Muscat’s Skipper. Leigh started this Series as coach to the team before stepping into the role of Skipper at event four in Boston, and commented on the progression of the trainees.

“As part of Oman Sail we have a huge training programme in place and we have seen a big variety of sailors come through that. We are hear to share our knowledge with them, whether that be on the Extreme 40’s, the offshore sailing or on the dinghies. The guys who are learning specifically about the Extreme 40’s have come on fantastically well and it is great to see. Sailing is a very technical sport, it has more variables then any other sport, not just in the technical side but you are at the mercy of the weather. It is a challenging sport to learn which is why it is so impressive to see the trainees doing so well. With some more time on the boat I am sure they can earn places as full time crew in the future.”


At the end of day two, The Wave, Muscat are in fourth place, four points adrift of Groupe Edmond de Rothschild. Emirates Team New Zealand have a further five point advantage in second place, with Oman Air out in front. It is very close at the top of the leaderboard, and with three days left to play, it is still very much all to play for.