The 230 Mile Muscat to Khasab Bank of Beirut Chairman’s cup yacht race, started from Marina Bandar Al Rowdha on Sunday 10th November in perfect conditions. 7 boats including a British entry, a Kuwaiti entry, 2 UAE entries and 3 boats from Oman entered in the IRC racing boat class. Vying for a share of the $50,000 prize fund, generously donated by The Bank of Beirut, the 2013 fleet made the most competitive race that the Muscat Regatta has seen to date.
Dubai based communications company, Xtra-Link equipped the yachts with the latest satellite communications equipment for the second year running. This included Thuraya XT satellite phones and hi-tech tracking devices, which allowed race fans, all over the world, to view the race live on the regatta website. (an archive of the tracking can be found at: www.muscatregatta.com/news/2013gps/ ). As always the excellent support of the regional navies, Coastguard and Police ensured there were no security concerns, and race organisers GWM inspected all the boats prior to the race to ensure there were no safety issues.
2013 saw a classic offshore race, that for the most part was sailed in light airs. The event came to a conclusion on Tuesday 12th November, in the remote northern province of Musandam, located in the spectacular fjords in the Strait of Hormuz. After three nights at sea, all of the yachts competing in the Bank of Beirut Chairman’s Cup were accounted for in Khasab, only one boat failing to officially finish the race due to lack of wind.
There was also insufficient wind for the Cookson 50 owned by Mr Adrian Lee, CEO of Lee Overlay Partners, and winner of the Dubai Muscat Race to realise its full potential. Sailed with a professional crew she took line honours and was second overall. Lee Overlay were beaten on corrected time by the lowest rated boat in the fleet, ‘Dames Jeanne’, a UAE based yacht skippered by Jean Phillipe Girard. Jean Phillipe was a previous competitor of the Bank of Beirut Chairman’s Cup, taking part in the 2012 race, in which he was unfortunately forced to retire due to adverse weather conditions. The same fate happened in this year’s Dubai to Muscat race, but it is a testament to the popularity of the Bank of Beirut Chairman’s cup that his crew continued to Muscat to enter the Muscat to Khasab event.
Added interest would have been provided by the participation of ‘Blackwater’, a high performance catamaran from the United States. Unfortunately she retired from the Dubai Muscat Race due to crew issues, but will hopefully take part in next year’s Bank of Beirut race.
All the sailors expressed great enthusiasm for the event and a expressed a desire to compete again next year. The owner of the Cookson 50 that was dismantled and shipped from the UK to take part, described the race as ‘A truly great event’. The sailors were unanimous in their support for the Bank of Beirut Chairman’s Cup, and showed enthusiasm to compete again next year. Jean Phillipe Girard, and the crew of Dames Jeanne vowed to be back in 2014 to defend their title.
To see the final results and prize awards – click here
To view the 2013 gallery – click here
