(MENAFN- Gulf Times) Oman will become the first country in the Middle East when Oman Sail will host a Louis Vuitton America's Cup World Series event, a stage of the world's most famous sailing event.
Come February 27-28, the 2016 Louis Vuitton America's Cup World Series Oman, curtain-raiser to the 2016 season and a point-scoring event ahead of the 2017 America's Cup, will be in Muscat. For two days, some of the best sailors in the world aboard their foiling AC45 catamarans, capable of breath-taking speeds, will tear along the surface of the water in front of crowds. The action will be broadcast live around the world and followed on television by millions of fans.
The America's Cup dates back to 1851 and is a competition for the oldest trophy in international sport. In over 160 years, teams representing just four nations - the United States of America, Australia, New Zealand and Switzerland - have won the trophy.
The 2013 America's Cup was broadcast in 190 countries, covered by 15,000 news bulletins around the world and videos of the event recorded 24.8 million views on YouTube.
Oman Sail CEO David Graham believes that the wide reach of the America's Cup will create new opportunities for the Sultanate and increase the country's exposure around the globe.
"The America's Cup is the pinnacle of sailboat racing with a long and interesting history and we are delighted to be hosting the first Louis Vuitton America's Cup World Series event of 2016 here in Oman.
"Oman Sail has worked hard since 2008 to reconnect the people of Oman with their sailing roots and to create a generation of sailors. We have a very successful youth, women, national and international sailing programme and are actively generating socio-economic benefits for the country and contributing to the development of the Omani people through sailing. Hosting a Louis Vuitton America's Cup World Series event will provide huge inspiration to our sailors and take us closer to our aims.
"The America's Cup brand is incredibly powerful so this will be a monumental opportunity for us to showcase the Sultanate of Oman and to celebrate a landmark moment in the history of Oman Sail," Graham said.
Talking at a press event, where the America's Cup trophy took centre stage, Tourism Promotion for the Ministry of Tourism director general Salim al-Mamari said, "We are delighted to announce that we will be hosting the Louis Vuitton America's Cup World Series Oman here in Muscat for the first time and we are very proud and excited to welcome the America's Cup community and its massive following to the Sultanate."
For many of the America's Cup sailors, including Sir Ben Ainslie (Land Rover BAR), Dean Barker (SoftBank Team Japan) and Franck Cammas (Groupama Team France), the waters off the Sultanate of Oman will be familiar territory, since Muscat has been hosting high performance multihull racing every year since 2011.
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