Four racing teams aim to celebrate Oman Sail anniversary with success in Tour Voile

by Oman Sail 7 Jul 2019 06:32 PDT 5-21 July 2019

Team Oman Sail © Lloyd Images

Oman Sail is making its most determined and wide-reaching bid for success in the challenging Tour Voile event with no fewer than four teams. The bold attempt to achieve at least a podium place at the end of the classic 16-day race around France coincides with Oman Sail's 10th anniversary, giving the teams an extra impetus to reach their objectives.

Leading the charge for a top-three finish are two of Oman Sail's most experienced race teams - EFG Private Bank Monaco led by the respected French racer Pierre Pennec and Renaissance Services skippered by British Olympic sailor Stevie Morrison. Both teams have reconfirmed their potential racing the high-speed Diam 24 trimarans with podium finishes at events earlier this year, not least Morrison's third-place finish at Sailing Arabia - The Tour in Oman.

They are backed up by two development squads with the all-women Sailing Arabia The Tour team led by seasoned French multihull racer Audrey Ogereau, and the all-Omani crewed Team Oman Sail skippered by Akram Al Wahaibi.

The EFG Private Bank Monaco crew of Pennec, Corentin Horeau and former star Laser sailor Hussein Al Jabri has two podium finishes to its credit already this year, with third place finishes at both the large international Spi Ouest-France regatta and the Normandie Cup racing against the leading Diam 24 teams.

Meanwhile, Morrison's Renaissance Services team of Quentin Ponroy and Abdul-Rahman Al Mashari secured third place at the Grand Prix Ecole Navale event in June, also facing a highly-competitive fleet.

At the same time the Sailing Arabia The Tour squad of Ogereau, Maelenn Lemaitre, Ibtisam Al Salmi, Marwa Al Kaifi and Tami Al Balushi, as well as Team Oman Sail team of Al Wahaibi, Haitham Al Wahaibi, Raad Al Hadi and Yasser Al Rahbi, have both shown improving results as they follow their development pathway with the support of the race squads.