Sports

Hosting three international sailing events and a nationwide community tour

Archive image of RC44 CUP 2022صورة أرشيفية لإحدى جولات بطولة كأس الآرسي 44 الدولية (2)
 
Archive image of RC44 CUP 2022صورة أرشيفية لإحدى جولات بطولة كأس الآرسي 44 الدولية (2)
Muscat: Oman Sail has announced the launch of the Oman Sailing

Festival 2022, a nationwide initiative to introduce communities across the country to the

sport. The Oman Sailing Festival will offer free Try Sailing, Para Sailing, Windsurfing and Kite

Surfing sessions under the supervision of Oman Sail’s coaches, along with SME engagement

and beach clean-up events to help conserve the local environment and keep the seas clear

of litter and other items damaging to marine life.

The Oman Sailing Festival will begin on October 4-9 in Suhar, and then visit Musannah from

October 11-14, Sur Al Hadeed in Seeb from October 19-22, Duqm from November 1-6 and

Salalah from November 6-12. The Oman Sailing Festival will then continue in Musannah

from November 23-26, Sur from November 27 to December 4, Al Mouj Muscat from December 7-11, and concluding in Musandam from December 17-25, 2022.

Three high profile sailing competitions will also be staged during the festival, focusing the

attentions of the sailing community firmly on Oman.

The first event of the season will be the Arab Sailing Championships at the Barceló

Mussanah Resort from October 11-15, 2022. Fifty sailors from 14 countries across the region

will compete in Optimist, ILCA 4, ILCA 6, ILCA 7, RS:X and iQFOiL windsurfing and RS Venture

para sailing. Sailors will be visiting from Bahrain, Egypt, Jordan, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Morocco,

Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Tunisia and the UAE for the first Arab Sailing

Championships since 2019.

The Barceló Mussanah Resort will also host the RS Venture Connect World Championships,

the first exclusively Para Sailing championship to be staged in Oman. Taking place from

Sunday November 20 until Sunday November 27, 36 teams from 15 nations, including

members of Oman Sail’s SailFree team, will compete in the RS Venture boat, designed

specifically for people with disabilities.

The final event will see a return to Omani waters for the RC44 Cup. Oman Sail hosted the

inaugural round of the RC44 Cup in 2013.



PRESS RELEASE

Nine teams from across Europe are currently in a close-fought battle for supremacy at the top of the leaderboard and the winner will be crowned at the Al Mouj Marina after five days of intense racing from December 7-11, 2022.

Dr Khamis al Jabri, CEO of Oman Sail, said, “This is an exciting time for sport in Oman and

we are very proud to take a leading role in sharing the excitement of sailing, windsurfing

and kite sailing with the community. We look forward to showcasing the potential of sailing

to capture the imagination of people across Oman and reaching the next generation of

sailors. The events will attract a diverse demographic to our nation, which benefits the

national economy, and offers a glimpse at the highest level of the sport which can inspire

the local population to pursue a new activity, train and, ultimately, represent the Sultanate

of Oman.”

Dr Al Jabri added, “It is always a great honour for Oman Sail to be chosen as hosts for

international sailing events and be able to lend our experience to other organisers as we

work together to continue building Oman’s excellent reputation in the global sporting

community.”

Each event will incorporate the need to maintain the natural environment and promoting

sustainability. Oman Sail will host beach clean-up events and provide recycling facilities on

site to reduce the human impact and raise awareness of the need to preserve Oman’s

natural resources.

The sailing festival is supported by OQ, the National Mineral Water Company (Tanuf),

Barceló Mussanah Resort, while RC44 is supported by Al Mouj Muscat, Oman’s premier

lifestyle destination, as host venues.