Aramex Dubai to Muscat Offshore Sailing Race - Day 3
by 42N Media 2 Feb 14:17 PST
From 31 January 2026
The Dragonfly 40C Tan 3 leads both line honours and the multihull division on Day 3 © Mikey Brignall / DOSC
After three days of racing in the Aramex Dubai to Muscat Offshore Sailing Race (D2M), Xavier Bouin's Tan 3 has broken clear of the fleet and is closing in on Muscat, with less than 80 nautical miles left to run.
The Dragonfly 40C leads both line honours and the multihull division but may be penalised for an alleged rule infringement earlier in the race.
Roughly 8nm behind them, Heaven Can Wait has fought back to second place after a difficult 24 hours. The Beneteau First 53, which shredded its A5 spinnaker in the early hours of Sunday morning, has found its rhythm again and is pushing hard towards the Omani capital.
Meanwhile, Jan Felton's Khaleesi sits third on the water and leads the multihull fleet. For first-timer Nathan Clark, the experience has lived up to expectations. "It's been great from the start," he said. "I couldn't have asked for a better boat or for a better team. We've had all the snacks the whole way through, we've had Jan's fantastic cooking, and we've had great weather. There's been times where it's been light, but it's meant we've managed to work on our tan. Hopefully it's not over too soon."
One of the standout stories of the race so far has been the performance of the double-handed crews. With only two people onboard, one sailor handles everything on deck while the other sleeps. Matrix, sailed by Brad Rademeyer and David Blackwell, sits seventh on the water but leads the IRC doublehanded standings and is third overall on corrected time. "What a race it's been so far with light and fluky and sometimes no wind, and then perfect champagne sailing conditions right now," said Blackwell. The pair have been locked in a duel with fellow double-handers Twister, skippered by Sian Rowlands and Matt Britton. "The sun rose this morning to find Twister in front of us. We've managed to dispatch them now, but somehow I think Sian and Matt will be having the last laugh come arrival into Muscat."
The last 24 hours have rewarded patience and route choice. Boats that stayed offshore found slightly more pressure, while those who went inshore risked getting parked in the mountain shadow. A 2-knot current and 3-metre tide added to the challenge, and now the fleet has finally spread out after two days of compression. Racing under a full moon has helped crews manage the long night watches, with bioluminescence lighting up the water.
Watch Bioluminescence from onboard Khaleesi
"The coolest thing is the bioluminescence - you can't beat it," said Clark onboard Khaleesi. "Last night we almost felt like a spaceship. The front of the bow and the back of the stern lit up. It's just what you need when it's 4am and you've had about an hour of sleep!"
However, the fleet has not escaped unscathed. Four boats - early leaders Ivana and Aleks, along with Layla, Gazelle and Arabian Blonde - have had to retire from the race. A further four may be penalised for infringing a restricted area near Iranian national waters, where a Notice to Mariners had warned of live firing exercises. The race committee is enforcing an exclusion zone as a hard safety boundary.
With the leaders now in the final third of the 360nm course, the battles are sharpening. The line honours fight remains open, while on corrected time, a tight pack including Nagini (last year's overall winners), Sandpiper, Matrix, Twister, and Shebeen are all in contention. In the cruiser division, it remains all to play for.
The 2026 Aramex D2M is organised by the United Arab Emirates Sailing & Rowing Federation (UAE SARF) and Dubai Offshore Sailing Club (DOSC) in association with the Oman Maritime Sports Committee.
To follow the race, go to www.dubaitomuscatrace.com or @doscuae on Instagram.