Once the UK sailing season came to a close, instead of heading straight to the mountains, I was given the opportunity to join a team led by Francis Carr onboard his First 44.7 'Faith' to compete in the 25th anniversary race from Dubai to Muscat. The race was first held in 1992 after much debate between the Dubai and Omani authorities and this year would be the 25th edition. The course takes boats up the coast from Dubai to the Straights of Hormuz, a narrow shipping lane between the UAE and Iran, and then into the Indian Ocean all the way to Muscat. The team (minus Mark Zamaria) from left to right; Chris Coady, Olly Norris, Nate Harris, Francis Carr, Guy Norris (no relation), taken with a representative from clothing sponsor 2XU There were 21 boats entered and we started in a light 7-9knt NE breeze, tacking out past 'The World' and the Deira Palm. As night fell, we were making great progress lying 3rd on the water. The breeze softened but kept us going to reach the Straights of Hormuz and the stunning Musandam peninsula by mid morning on day 2. Then came the big question, continue going North round the top, or shoot the gap between a small island and the mainland. The two boats ahead had gone around the top, but we rolled the dice and went for it. As we passed through the gap, the wind dropped to nothing, and in the confused current caused by the meeting of the Gulf and Indian Ocean we were spat out doing a 360 with no control whatsoever! Then came the first of many long drifts in no wind. Some hours later, we picked up a small breeze and made an attempt to get as close to the Iranian Coast as possible where out forecasts suggested there would be more significant wind. There was an imposed exclusion zone of 12 miles, but with stories of boats being captured and sailors spending 10 years in prison, we were cautiously added a few miles on top. An unlit UAE military helicopter circling the boat at one point certainly added to the atmosphere. As we settled into the rhythm of offshore racing, the next 24 hours provided us with continuous shut downs in the breeze, but the crew coped extremely well remaining focused, driving the boat ad trimming the sails to gain that extra 0.1knt. With the GPS ETA displaying the 4th December, we knew we needed to find some proper breeze so took a decision to head much further east. By this stage we had run out of data on our Satellite Communications, so were sailing blind and had no idea what our competition were doing. Eventually we found a 10knt SE breeze, not exactly from the direction we were expecting, but we were able to point directly at Muscat maintaining in excess of 8knts of boat speed, which was a bizarre feeling after 3 days of close to 0! With a mile to go, we were nearly there, but of course the breeze did a full 180 and dropped to around 2knts, meaning we had to endure nearly an hour of light shifty upwind sailing again, but eventually we crossed the line close to midnight on Sunday after 82 hours at sea. By the morning the results were clear, we had finished 4th out of 21 boats missing the podium by 2 minutes. Rather than disappointment, we could not have been happier for the boats in front of us who had been amazing completion and deserving of their placing. A particular mention goes to the 8 Omani sailors on the Farr 30 Renaissance who had endured the 4 days on a tiny boat with next to no facilities. It was hard to feel bad about our air conditioning failing on day 3! Sailing in the UAE is a hidden gem. The coastlines offer incredible views whether it's the lights of the Dubai skyline, or the Mountains of Oman. The Musandam peninsula is stunning and plans are already in progress to return to this region with the climbing gear to explore the many Norwegian style Fjords. Having experienced the race, and reflecting on some our strategic decisions, I will definitely be back again in search of the podium, as long as the team on Faith will have me again! Check out the photos and video below for some highlights from the race.
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