Marina Bandar Al Rowdha is holding the third Muscat Regatta in November 2011. Managing a regatta is a complex task calling for a range of different skills from the shoreside hospitality to on water race management.  An early decision by Marina Bandar Al- Rowdha was the appointment of GWM Racing Ltd to be in charge of race management. GWM Racing Limited (www.gwmracing.com) is a UK based company founded in 2007 and owned by Peter Wykeham-Martin and John Grandy. The company specializes in all aspects of the planning and execution of the on the water side of large yacht regattas for charter companies, yacht designers and manufacturers and clients who need specialist professional advice on how to run the racing element of their regatta.  They were in charge for the Dubois Cup in Palma in 2007, the Superyacht Cup also in Palma in 2008, and made their Caribbean debut in charge of Antigua Sailing Week 2009. In addition the company is working with Porto Montenegro in the Adriatic and has recently been contracted by Oyster yachts of UK run all on water aspects of their overseas regatta programme from 2010-12, normally in the Caribbean and Mediterranean.  The Muscat to Khasab regatta was GWM’s Middle East  debut in the first race in 2009. This year the team is again looking forward to the unique combination of fluky wind conditions, challenging inshore and offshore courses  and of course – lots of sun! 

John and Peter are honoured and delighted to be providing their services again for the 2011 Muscat to Khasab regatta.  John is Chairman of Cowes Week and an ISAF International Race Officer and Peter as well as being an RYA qualified race officer is an experienced offshore racer participating in the 1973 Whitbread Race and many other events including the Fastnet, Sydney to Hobart and Antigua Sailing Week; he was until recently CEO of the Royal Ocean Racing Club.   Peter is also a qualified IRC measurer and carries out Special Regulations checks as required by event organisers.  Part of the fun of their job is running the racing and they look forward to meeting and working with local race officers to establish a fun regatta enjoyed by all entrants whilst ensuring that the racing is conducted in a professional and safe manner. 

GWM Racing specialise in establishing a close and informal relationship between themselves as race officers and competitors. They make a point of staying close to their ‘customers’, by radio while racing and by physical presence on the dockside. This helps to develop and maintain the right atmosphere which at all times must be seen as a two way dialogue – the days of “them and us” for competitors and race committee are long since gone.

John is well used to handling multi class crowded start lines at Cowes, and Peter has plenty of first hand experience both of being on the receiving end of the starting gun and feedback from offshore competitors – they have assured us that they are ready for anything! 

The inclusive nature of the Muscat to Khasab regatta welcoming entries from the smallest single handed dinghy to the fully crewed IRC rated race boats presents an exciting race management challenge. However, that is part of the fun of racing and GWM Racing’s first priority will be to ensure that all have a really great and memorable time on the water.