News DeskDUBAI, UAE – After three gruelling days at sea, Xavier Bouin’s trimaran Tan 3 has broken free of the pack and is within 80 nautical miles of claiming line honours in the Aramex Dubai to Muscat Offshore Sailing Race. However, the leading Dragonfly 40C faces a potential penalty for an alleged rule infringement, throwing its victory into question.
The 360-nautical-mile race has evolved into a stark test of patience and tactical nerve. While Tan 3 leads the multihull division on the water, the chasing pack is closing in. Just eight miles astern, Heaven Can Wait, a Beneteau First 53, has battled back to second place after shredding its spinnaker early Sunday.
A compelling subplot has been the exceptional performance of the double-handed crews. Sailing with just two people, teams like Matrix (Brad Rademeyer and David Blackwell) have excelled. Matrix currently leads the IRC double-handed standings and holds a remarkable third place on corrected time overall. “What a race it’s been,” said Blackwell, describing “perfect champagne sailing” after earlier light winds.
The race has not been without incident. Four yachts—Ivana and Aleks, Layla, Gazelle, and Arabian Blonde—have retired. In a significant safety enforcement, the race committee is reviewing penalties for four boats that allegedly infringed a restricted area near Iranian waters, where live firing exercises were warned.
The final stretch promises a fierce battle. On corrected time, a tight cluster including Nagini, Sandpiper, Matrix, Twister, and Shebeen remains in contention for overall honours, while the cruiser division is still wide open.
The 2026 Aramex Dubai to Muscat Race is organized by the UAE Sailing & Rowing Federation and Dubai Offshore Sailing Club, in association with the Oman Maritime Sports Committee.
