Muscat once again takes pole position to lead off the Extreme Sailing Series season
by Oman Sail 12 Feb 2018 18:48 PST
14-17 March 2018
Extreme Sailing Series 2017 Muscat, Oman. The fleet racing close to the shore and historic town of Mutrah © Lloyd Images
Muscat will once again provide the perfect setting for the opening event of the globe-trotting Extreme Sailing Series season in just a month's time.
The Sultanate of Oman's capital city is set to serve up superb sailing conditions alongside Oman's legendary hospitality for racing crews and spectators alike.
Muscat has hosted an Extreme Sailing Series event every year since 2011, making it one of the circuit's most popular venues and confirming Oman Sail's established expertise as a host of world class sporting events.
This year the multinational fleet of high-speed foiling GC32 catamarans will again be welcomed to the Al Mouj Muscat waterfront community and its state-of-the-art venue facilities, with the boats based in Al Mouj Marina and the Race Village set up at Al Mouj Golf.
"We are thrilled to be returning to Muscat for the opening Act of the 2018 Extreme Sailing Series," said Andy Tourell, Event Director of the Extreme Sailing Series.
"Oman Sail are our longest standing host venue partner, and year after year they help us deliver a hugely successful event. This year we will activate the public village, which will take the event to another level yet again and help us engage the local community."
Tourell added: "The sailors love the venue as it offers great sailing and it's always an exciting one to start the year after the winter break. We can't wait to kick off our 12th season there in less than four weeks' time."
Since hosting the opening 2011 event Oman Sail has continued to consolidate its reputation for organisational excellence across a range of sports. At the same time it has successfully expanded its mission to promote Oman globally and highlight the country's exceptional suitability as a sports tourism destination.
"We are delighted to welcome the opening Act of the Extreme Sailing Series to Oman for the 8th year," said David Graham, Oman Sail's CEO.
"This world-class stadium event attracts the global media spotlight and brings hundreds of inbound travellers to our shores to enjoy the high octane and very accessible racing action.
"The event allows us to showcase the country to the world and fits perfectly with our mission to promote the Sultanate as a high end and adventure tourism destination.
"With warm conditions and a steady breeze, Oman is the place to be in March, we are excited to welcome the Extreme Sailing Series family back to our shores!"
A further reason for welcoming the Extreme Sailing Series back again is the fact that in four of the past seven years an Oman Sail team has emerged the winner after four days of intense racing!
Extreme Sailing Series 2018 Calendar of Acts:
14-17 March: Act 1, Muscat, Oman
24-27 May: GC32 World Championship, Lake Garda, Italy
14-17 June: Act 2, Barcelona, Spain
5-8 July: Act 3, Portugal
9-12 August: Act 4, St Petersburg, Russia
24-27 August, Act 5, Cardiff, UK
18-21 October: Act 6, San Diego, USA
29 November-2 December: Act 7, Los Cabos, Mexico