Mohammed Al Alawi, 26-year-old crewmember of MOD70 trimaran Musandam-Oman Sail remains missing following a Man Overboard incident last Wednesday 7 October in the early hours of the morning, pre-dawn, just south of Pula in Croatia while the MOD70 was en route from France to Trieste in Italy for the Barcolana International Sailing Regatta.
The extensive search for Mohammed continues and the search area has extended into Italian waters; the search team has been a mix of Oman Sail, private search and rescue companies and the Croatian coastguard, using helicopters, airplanes, and boats including Musandam-Oman Sail. Today’s inclement weather of strong easterly winds, limited visibility and rain was not conducive to a detailed search.
Ahmed Al Alawi, father of Mohammed, who is in Croatia with the team said “We [the family] extend our deep gratitude to all who are supporting this search, especially the Omani Government, the staff of Oman Sail, Her Excellency The Sultanate of Oman’s Honorary Consul of Croatia and the Croatian Coastguard who have been exemplary. We have been inundated with heart-felt messages of support which are much appreciated.”
The search continues.
Oman Sail, non-profit organisation, has made sailing accessible to the Omani public and achieved excellence. In 2009, Oman Sail’s Mohsin Al Busaidi became the first Arab to sail non-stop around the world, and The Wave, Muscat’s Extreme Sailing team won the first of two successive Extreme Sailing Series championships. Our pioneering women sailors competed in Europe for the first time, while Raiya Al Habsi made history by becoming the first Arab woman to compete in the classic Fastnet race and becoming the first Arab ever to be nominated for the prestigious Rolex World Sailor of the Year Award.
The Oman Sail flagship boat, the MOD 70 Musandam-Oman Sail, broke the Round Britain and Ireland record by over 16 minutes in 2014, thrusting Oman Sail into the international limelight. In 2015, Musandam-Oman Sail also broke a 20-year record by completing the Round Ireland speed challenge in a new record time of in 40 hours 51 minutes and 57 seconds – shaving almost four hours off the previous time.
Updates at OmanSail.com
