EFG Bank Monaco put up a stubborn fight in the first leg of the 105 nautical-mile Sailing Arabia race that began at Al Mouj, Muscat, on Tuesday evening, but Renaissance won the day.
The five offshore legs cover a total distance of 763 nautical miles, and the win by Renaissance pits EFG Bank against Al Mouj, Muscat, together for second place.
The second offshore leg, covering a distance of 140 nautical miles, started at Sohar on Thursday.
“It is an amazing feeling to win the opening leg of the Tour,” said Team Renaissance’s Fahad al Hasni. “We managed to be consistent and good winds in the final stages helped us edge EFG Bank Monaco. It is very satisfying to win. It all comes down to our communication onboard, which was excellent.”
EFG Bank Monaco skipper Thierry Douillard said he expected his crew to make a comeback in the second leg.