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.
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