Image: Amer Al Akhdar's Beneteau Oceanis 38.1 Azzan
The 33rd edition of the Aramex Dubai to Muscat Race saw its final finishers cross the line yesterday with Cariad and Astartia racing into Muscat in the morning just 18 minutes apart, followed by Mee7ah and Azzan a couple of hours later with only 10 minutes between them. That brings the total finishers to 17 boats – and even for the boats that didn’t make the finish, the miles still came with plenty of laughs and good company.
While the front-runners sprinted for glory down the Omani coastline, the back of the fleet fought a very different battle. For days, boats drifted near the Iranian exclusion zone in almost no wind, going in circles against the current and fighting to hold position. But from this grinding wait came some of the race's most memorable moments of camaraderie.
Shannon Dean, skipper of the Beneteau Oceanis 34.1 Maysan, spent hours 'kissing' the exclusion zone boundary. “We ended up sticking very, very close to the exclusion zone, going back and forth,” she explained. “If you look back on my track, I've drawn two hearts out of my track, just going around and around in circles.” But the frustration was tempered by the companionship. “During that time, I also managed to have a chat on the radio with Cariad regarding him doing a roast on board. It was very funny and a good respite during the no-wind conditions.”
Majed Akl on Astartia (Dufour 382 Grand Large) echoed the experience. “The challenging part is when you have no wind,” he said. “We spent two days just floating around, trying to fight the current so we didn’t go into the exclusion zone. It took a lot of patience, but it was good to see all the other boats around. We had nice chats in the evening, with many dinner invitations!”
Spirits remained high even amongst the retirees. Betty Camacho on Songbird (Beneteau First 31.7) summed up the adventure: “We had dead calm, 25 knots of headwind, glorious spinnaker runs. We got caught in a fishing net. We were exhausted at times, we were exhilarated sometimes, and we laughed so hard. I can't wait till next year's race – I’m counting down the days. It's an adventure of a lifetime.”
Most of the fleet are now on their return journey back to Dubai in what looks like a ‘reverse race’ on the tracker, with 9-10 knots of easterly breeze carrying them back towards the Strait of Hormuz.
This edition delivered everything the D2M is known for: champagne sailing, frustrating calms, tight finishes, and the unique challenge of navigating one of the world's busiest shipping lanes on minimal sleep. Full race results will be published on Monday.
The 2026 ARAMEX D2M is organised by the United Arab Emirates Sailing & Rowing Federation (UAE SARF) and Dubai Offshore Sailing Club (DOSC) in association with the Oman Maritime Sports Committee.
For the full results, go to www.dubaitomuscatrace.com or follow @doscuae on Instagram.