Dubai: Sidney Gavignet’s Team EFG Bank Monaco won the opening leg of the EFG Sailing Arabia — The Tour, from Muscat to Sohar, on Monday.
Light winds put an emphasis on tactics and navigation over the opening 101 nautical miles, but Gavignet’s crew still managed to retain the lead from start to finish, ahead of Marcel Herrera’s Team Averda Oman in second and Fahad Al Hasni’s Renaissance in third.
“It is a great advantage to be first because we have more time to rest,” said the skipper. “It was a difficult leg for sure, but it all went to plan and the wind did what was expected.
“It was challenging because, as always in those conditions, it’s difficult to keep up the momentum. I have to say, I am very, very happy with the team who are working well together. It is a good start and puts us in a good place for the next leg.”
The six-leg 760-nautical-mile race now departs for Ras Al Khaimah where the 11-strong fleet representing seven nations and a mix of 21 nationalities rounds Musandam and the Strait of Hormuz in a 172-nautical-mile journey, arriving at Al Hamra Marina and Yacht Club on Thursday. Onward legs will take the fleet to Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Doha and Manama, where the race ends before the end of the month.
