SHABAB OMAN II - Masts of Glory and Peace 2019
Malta’s position in the centre of the Mediterranean have throughout the ages given the Island vibrant adventures. This strategic location was advantageous for military sovereignty, for trading and for shipping as a result of its authentic influence on the eastwest and the north-south routes.
Today Malta’s strategic position has maintained its standing whereby the country is the gateway into Europe from the south and into Africa from the north.
And so it also gone for the famous and magnificent Tall Ship Shabab Oman II (Youth of Oman) that is now on her return journey back home to Oman after a sixmonths European journey entitled “Masts of Glory and Peace” where besides the friendship aspect the vessel took part in famous events and won prestigious awards.
Malta was again the gateway into Africa from the north – as the Shabab Oman II sailed from Aarhus Denmark, to Portsmouth England, Tangier Morocco, Algaciras Spain, and Valletta Malta, then to proceed to Port Said Egypt, Jeddah Saudi Arabia, Salalah Oman, and finally Wudam her home port near Muscat Oman.
While the Shabab Oman II was in Malta I had the pleasant opportunity to be hosted onboard by Captain Sulaiman Al Hosni who commanded the vessel on this fourth international voyage and spoke of the story, the decades of thrilling voyages, goodwill gestures, awards, events and pleasant encounters experienced by the vessel that has become the pride of the Sultanate.
The Shabab Oman story started way back in 1979. Recognizing the need to challenge the youth of the Sultanate, and to equip them with the skills of their forefathers, His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said initiated the purchase of the Captain Scott – a 57 metre wooden-hulled barquentine, constructed in the Banffshire, Scotland shipyard in 1971. Fittingly renamed, the vessel was refurbished and commissioned in the Royal Navy of Oman in 1979, and provided auxiliary service as a training, leadership, and diplomatic identity for the next 34 years, with thousands of young Omanis learning those essential sea-going skills, while gaining confidence and character.
Since the very beginning, besides serving for the training of new cadets, the Shabab Oman project played the role of roving ambassador for the Sultanate of Oman, bringing to its awareness the history and culture of the nation, with a particular reference to the long tradition of friendship and tolerance towards other countries.
Amongst the most memorable moments of the first Shabab Oman one finds its participation in the 100th anniversary celebration of the Statue of Liberty, 1986, the iconic gift from the Republic of France, to its republican allies, in recognition of its independence. Twenty tall ships from seventeen different nations participated in the 4th of July celebrations, with the Omani ship reportedly taking centre-stage due to her size and appearance.
Shabab Oman also represented the Sultanate at the Australian Bicentennial celebrations during the 1987-88 southern hemisphere summer, on January 26th, to the backdrop of the sterling Sydney Opera House. A trip to Rouen, in France, to commemorate the French Revolution beckoned in 1989, and an eventful route through the Suez Canal, and the Mediterranean Sea, and even up the River Thames to London, saw the ship arrive in perfect time just prior to Bastille Day, the 14th of July.
Including the return journey, this trip clocked up some 25,000kms, 16 countries, and hosted in excess of 100,000 visitors on board. A 1992 Transatlantic journey, to celebrate the 500th anniversary of Columbus’ discovery of America, a D-Day commemoration in France, in 1994, and participation in the Cutty Sark Tall-Ship Racing in St Petersburg during 1996, gave little rest to Captain Christopher Biggins, her extremely well-respected captain from 1987 to 2009, and his Omani crew.
Visits to Japan 1997, the United Kingdom in 2001, Europe 2005 and again in 2008, and numerous Middle Eastern, African and Asian voyages followed, until Shabab Oman was withdrawn from service in 2014.
The Shabab Oman II built in the Netherlands and entered service with the Royal Navy of Oman in 2014 reminds people of galleys of the 18th Century era. Yet the 85.8 metre sail training flagship, a three-masted squared rigged clipper with her distinctive ‘V’ shaped hull, like all clippers, is built for speed and prides itself of a complex rigging and sophisticated navigation and communication technology. She has 26 sails measuring 2,630 square metres, to give her a sailing speed of up to 17 knots. She has a crew of 90 made up of 54 permanent crew and 36 trainees – 24 male and 12 female. There is also accommodation for 4 VIPs.
Since it launch Shabab Oman ll has been on four international voyages with the last one held this year. On this latter one the vessel visited 17 ports – including Valletta – across 12 nations as part of its friendship tour.
She has twice been awarded the Cutty Sark Trophy, a silver model of the famous clipper. This trophy goes not to the race winner but to the vessel, which has done the most to help foster international understanding and friendship during the races. It is awarded on the vote of the captains and crews of all the vessels in the fleet, and in doing so she appropriately reflected the initiatives and ambitions, of Sultan Qaboos, all those years ago.
On this year’s voyage Shabab Oman II docked at the French port city of Rouen and participated in this year’s edition of the Armada Festival which coincided with the marking of the 75th Anniversary of D-Day. Here the Oman vessel was open to the public where it welcomed more than 128,000 guests within 10 days.
Another notable appointment for the Shabab Oman II on this fourth international voyage was the 2019 Liberty Tall Ships race between Scheveningen-Netherlands and Aarhus-Denmark where Shabab Oman II won the International Friendship Award, the award for the best vessel and the first-place overall prize in sports competitions. She also won the 2019 Tall Ships Race held between Aalborg Denmark on to Fredrikstad in Norway, cruise the Norwegian coast to Bergen and race back to Denmark for a finale in the city of Aarhus.
“Next year’s programme of the Shabab Oman II is still being finalised yet two major projects are already scheduled. These are participation in the Dubai Expo 2020 and the staging of a Student Research Project in the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean”, remarked Captain Sulaiman Al Hosni.