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A new chapter in Oman's Maritime history.


Byline: AShok Purohit

(Images: cover.jpg, cover_thumb.jpg)

It was way back in 1984 that a nine-year-old boy went for a picnic on the shores of Kalbooh in Muscat Muscat, Maskat, or Masqat (all: mŭs`kăt, mŭs`kət), city (1993 pop. 533,774), capital of Oman, SE Arabia, on the Gulf of Oman. It is flanked by rugged mountains. . When his brothers invited him to join them for a swim, the first experience left the boy frightened. But two days later, Mohsin Ali al BusaidyAAEs older brother, Samir, took him swimming again; this time the fear disappeared, and Mohsin took to the sea like the proverbial duck to water.

The love affair that began over two decades ago is now culminating in an epic adventure, when the 33-year old Omani along withfour other sailors will attempt to circumnavigate cir·cum·nav·i·gate  
tr.v. cir·cum·nav·i·gat·ed, cir·cum·nav·i·gat·ing, cir·cum·nav·i·gates
1. To proceed completely around: circumnavigating the earth.

2.
 the globe on a 75ft trimaran, the Musandam.

The Musandam, the flagship yacht of Oman Sail that was previously known as B&Q/Castorama, was used by Dame Ellen MacArthur Dame Ellen Patricia MacArthur, DBE (born July 8, 1976) is an English sailor from Whatstandwell near Matlock in Derbyshire, now based in Cowes, on the Isle of Wight. She is best known as a solo long-distance yachtswoman who, on February 7, 2005, broke the world record for the  in her record-breaking solo circumnavigation cir·cum·nav·i·gate  
tr.v. cir·cum·nav·i·gat·ed, cir·cum·nav·i·gat·ing, cir·cum·nav·i·gates
1. To proceed completely around: circumnavigating the earth.

2.
 of the globe. Its next journey begins on January 8, 2009, from Marina Bandar al Rowdha. The mission is part of the challenging long-term project to inspire Omani youths to take up sailing as a competitive sport.

Conceptualised by Oman Sail, a Ministry of Tourisminitiative to rekindle re·kin·dle  
tr.v. re·kin·dled, re·kin·dling, re·kin·dles
1. To relight (a fire).

2. To revive or renew: rekindled an old interest in the sciences.
 OmanAAEs long and glorious maritime heritage, it will also open a window for the world to discover the sultanateAAEs richtourism potential. If successful, Mohsin will become the first Omani to circumnavigate the globe in a trimaran and will script a new chapter in OmanAAEs maritime history Maritime history is a broad thematic element of global history. As an academic subject, it crosses the boundaries of standard disciplines, focusing on understanding mankind's various relationships to the oceans, seas, and major waterways of the globe. .

A petty officer in the Royal Navy of Oman (RNO RNO Russian National Orchestra
RNO Race National Origin (EEO)
RNO Radio Network Optimization
RNO Rosettanet Object
RNO Resident Naval Officer
RNO Recipient Network Operator (mobile communications operator) 
), Mohsin, will be joined by skipper Loik Gallon (France), hares Darbyshire (Great Britain Great Britain, officially United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, constitutional monarchy (2005 est. pop. 60,441,000), 94,226 sq mi (244,044 sq km), on the British Isles, off W Europe. The country is often referred to simply as Britain. ), Thierry Duprey Du Vorsent (France) and Nick Houchin (Great Britain) in the voyage o sail 20,500nm (37,966km) round the world through the Indian Ocean Indian Ocean, third largest ocean, c.28,350,000 sq mi (73,427,000 sq km), extending from S Asia to Antarctica and from E Africa to SE Australia; it is c.4,000 mi (6,400 km) wide at the equator. It constitutes about 20% of the world's total ocean area.  and the frozen waters of the Southern Ocean around Antarctica. This is a feat that has been hieved only 12 times in history by a multihull.

Mohsin, who began his career as a guard with the RNO, took up sailing under the watchful eyes of his English instructor, John Simpson

For other people named John Simpson, see John Simpson (disambiguation).


John Cody Fidler-Simpson CBE (born August 9, 1944), commonly known as John Simpson
. His skills were later honed by an experienced Omani instructor Saleh al Jabri after he became a crew member of Shabab Oman Shabab Oman is a sea-faring ship that was built in Scotland in 1971 for the Sultanate of Oman. It was made from solid oak and an assortment of other fine Scottish timber. She is a tall ship. The ship is 52 metres long and 30 meters high.  and Al Bashiq at the Dubai-Muscat yacht races Noun 1. yacht race - a race between crews of people in yachts
sailing-race

boat race - a race between people rowing or driving boats
.

Delighted at being picked up from a group of eight, Mohsin said, AoIt is one of the greatest sailing challenges

and I am proud to have been selected. We hope to succeed in our mission. It will be a great learning experience for me.Ao

A Hobie 16 sailing instructor, MohsinAAEs grit and determination has been his hallmark and during the voyage, his role will be to ensure the smooth working of the generator and Aaewater makerAAE, the only means to get drinking water drinking water

supply of water available to animals for drinking supplied via nipples, in troughs, dams, ponds and larger natural water sources; an insufficient supply leads to dehydration; it can be the source of infection, e.g. leptospirosis, salmonellosis, or of poisoning, e.g.
.

With just eight days to go till the start of the epic journey, Mohsin is keen to spend as much time with his family members and also to calm their fears about the dangers of the voyage. MohsinAAEs brother Samir al Busaidy, however, is proud of his brother. AoI am excited and proud to see that Mohsin will be attempting something that no Omani has ever done before. We wish him good luck and pray for the missionAAEs success.Ao

Another brother in the family of five brothers and four sisters, Aziz, is an engineer with the RNO and admitted that the family was concerned about his safety. AoYes, we are pleased but also worried. Our mother and sisters are nervous, but Mohsin has been with us over the past couple of weeks and this has helped all of them to accept that he is on a national mission and we are proud of him,Ao remarked Aziz.

Mohsin, however, remains calm and serene on the prospect of making history. AoI hope that the experience will help me take up competitive sailing and some day I may take part in the Olympic Games Olympic games, premier athletic meeting of ancient Greece, and, in modern times, series of international sports contests. The Olympics of Ancient Greece


Although records cannot verify games earlier than 776 B.C.
,Ao he said. AoSailing around the world will not be easy and it might take more than one attempt, but itAAEs not impossible. The voyage is sure to change things for the better in the sultanate and I hope MusandamAAEs circumnavigation with an Omani crew member will inspire youths to join the sport,Ao said the soft-spoken and cheerful sailor.

Fellow sailor and a resident of Isle of Wight Noun 1. Isle of Wight - an isle and county of southern England in the English Channel
Wight

county - (United Kingdom) a region created by territorial division for the purpose of local government; "the county has a population of 12,345 people"
 in the United Kingdom, Charles Darbyshire, does not remember when he took up the sport but the experienced navigator gave a good insight into the challenges.

AoCircumnavigating in a multihull is one of the biggest challenges for a sailor and it is exciting to have a multinational crew with our skipper Loik and Thierry from France and Mohsin from Oman along with my British teammate Nick,Ao he said.

Mohsin is a hardworking guy. We have got to know each other well and this will be crucialduring our journey"

Oman has a rich maritime heritage and hopefully our journey will generate a lot of interest in sailing among young people in the sultanate.Ao

During the voyage, there will be watches of two people at a time with one person AaefloatingAAE (available to help). Each watch will be of three hours duration throughout the journey, which is likely to last for 90-100 days. As part of the training regimen, Mohsin is currently working out at the InterContinental Muscat gym for two or three hours on a regular basis

The sailor who travelled on the Musandam from the Isle of Wight to Muscat on a 30-day voyage, the longest so far for him, is now getting ready for his mission.

This despite the fact that he will be missing out on the delicious food cooked by his mother, and his playtime with his little nephews and nieces. AoMissing my motherAAEs food for nearly three months will be tough. And then missing my friends will be hard. But I know they are behind me and that is what will keep me going,Ao he said.

Asked about how he would cope with the pressures of the journey Mohsin replied, AoThe warmth of Oman will remain in our hearts and the best wishes of near and dear ones will provide us with strength.Ao

Oman Sail has launched a dedicated site to trace the progress of the mission and efforts are being made for fans and followers followers

see dairy herd.
 to talk to Mohsin during the course of the voyage COURSE OF THE VOYAGE. By this term is understood the regular and customary track, if such there be, which a ship takes in going from one port to another, and the shortest way. Marsh. on Ins. 185.  through the Internet and by phone.

AoThe support from everybody has made me more determined and I am hopeful of finishing this mission that no Omani has ever done,Ao Mohsin added.

Dame Ellen MacArthur, who has previously held the world record for solo circumnavigation, is obviously delighted to know her former trimaran is going for an encore from Muscat. AoIt is great to see the trimaran sailing again, and with a real mission. The team is really motivated and I wish them all the best,Ao she said during her visit to Muscat during the formal launch of Oman Sail recently

Success is certain to open up new opportunities in the sport of sailing and will be a perfect launchpad for Oman Sail to inspire more Omanis to take up sailing. They hope that one day Mohsin or some other Omani sailor will be able to represent the sultanate in sailing atthe Olympics

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Food For Thought

Total weight of food onboard: 420kg

That is enough for five adults for about 80 days. The crew will have two meals per day Dehydrated food dehydrated food: see food preservation.  will be eaten after pouring boiling water on it and letting it stand in the pouches for ten minutes

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Delicacies onboard: Chicken couscous cous·cous  
n.
1. A pasta of North African origin made of crushed and steamed semolina.

2. A North African dish consisting of pasta steamed with a meat and vegetable stew.
, beef spaghetti and spicy rice. One desert per day: Vanilla, chocolate mousse, apple crumble Meals will be supplemented by hot drinks, high calorie bars, energy drinks and vitamin-rich biscuits Food will be re-hydrated using fresh water made using the Aaewater maker

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Publication:The Week (Muscat, Oman)
Geographic Code:7OMAN
Date:Jan 4, 2009
Words:1315
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