Muscat: Oman Sail will host nine of the world’s best crews as this year’s 44Cup kicks off at Al Mouj Muscat Marina from March 1-5, 2023.
The 44Cup Oman marks the start of a five-event season taking place over the next seven months. This will be the 16th season of racing between the high-performance owner-driver one design monohulls and will once again bring together the worlds of sailing and business.
Oman’s own team, Oman Sail, is taking part in the first leg of 44Cup this year, following a successful debut at last season's 44Cup Oman finale. The crew will be skippered by Musab al Hadi, one of Oman’s most accomplished sailors, with Hussain al Jabri serving as tactician and Nasser al Mashari as main trimmer. Waleed al Kindi, Haitham al Wahaibi, Akram al Wahabi, Raad al Hadi, Yassir al Rahbi, Abdulrahman al Mashari, Ali al Balushi, Ahmed al Hasani, and Ibtisam al Salmi, the first female Omani sailor to race in the 44Cup, all add valuable experience to the team. They will be supported on shore by Sulaiman Almanji and Piri Nagy.
They will be joined by eight teams from six countries and principalities across Europe, including last season’s winners Charisma representing Monaco, runners-up Ceeref powered by Hrastnik 1860 from Slovenia, and third placed Team Nika also from Monaco. Joining them will be Aleph Racing of France, Sweden’s Artemis Racing, Black Star Racing Team from Switzerland, and Peninsula Racing and Team Aqua from Great Britain.
The 44Cup allows amateur owner drivers to race against some of the world’s best sailors in some of the most beautiful and diverse sailing venues around the world, and the 44Cup Oman will be a unique platform for Omani businesses to meet the owners of the 44Cup boats.
Racing at Al Mouj Muscat Marina begins on Thursday, March 2, 2023 after a practice day, and continues until Saturday, March 5 when the prizes will be awarded. Each race typically lasts 40 minutes or less, with team owners at the help and professional sailors deciding tactics. The action is intense, and teams are frequently separated by just seconds at the finishing line.
The second event in the 44Cup season will be in Marstrand, Sweden, from June 28 to July 2, 2023, and then Cowes, UK, from August 9 to 13. The fourth event of the season will be at the Alcaidesa Marina in Spain, next to the border with Gibraltar, before heading to Calero Marinas in the Canary Islands for the season finale.
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