JUBILANT ALL: Sheikh Mohammed al-Khalifa with Oman Sail team (right-left), Raed (X40 trainee), Mohamed (boat builder), Majid (X40 trainee) and Phill (Boat builder

Agencies/Istanbul

On the penultimate day of the Extreme Sailing Series Istanbul, both Oman Sail boats put in their best performance of the regatta to date, each climbing up the overall event leader board.
The Wave, Muscat scored a first place and two seconds places today, propelling them from fifth to third, while for Oman Air, a series of top five finishes lifted them from ninth to eighth.  The day was made all the more memorable for the teams when Sheikh Mohammed al-Khalifa from the Kingdom of Bahrian and Turkish singing sensation Kendi, both joined them on the water to show their support.
The conditions were similar to yesterday, with the fifth men removed for two of the races as some fierce gusts swept through the race course. 10 races took place today, kicking off with two speed duals which saw two boats going head to head at a time. The Wave, Muscat were pitted against Red Bull and got their day off to a great start, securing a win in their first race.
The team continued their excellent form throughout the day, including a win in race seven, which sees them finish today in third place overall and just 10 points off the current event leaders Emirates Team New Zealand. Khamis al-Anbouri, Omani bowman on The Wave, Muscat, commented: “The last two days have been great for The Wave Muscat, we have sailed really well and finishing today in third  place puts us in a great position going into the final day. We still have one full day tomorrow and we will continue to work hard and push ourselves – the racing is so close that anything could change tomorrow.”
Oman Air’s day started with their speed trail against the Swiss team of Alinghi, but it was Alinghi who were to reign supreme, winning both trails. The day was far from over for Oman Air however, who bounced back and went on to put in a good performance on the water, securing two second place finishes, enough for them to jump up a place on the leader board. Nasser al-Mashari, bowman on Oman Air commented, “We are really happy with our performance, we got some good results on the water and are starting to move up the leader board which was our aim for this event. The competition here is really tough, and the fleet is so professional all the teams are capable of winning races”. Oman Air finish today eighth overall, just 7.5 points shy of Team Extreme, who didn’t compete today after yesterday’s collision, and who will be given the average points from the rest of the fleet.
Joining the Oman Sail teams on the water was Sheikh Mohammed al-Khalifa, from the Kingdom of Bahrain, and a member of Maritime Sports Association. An experienced sailor himself, His Highness commended the Oman Sail project and the teams. “I am so proud to see Oman competing internationally through Oman Sail, and also the work they do in Oman training the young Omanis. It is inspirational and the entire Arab world.”