* New international milestone for Omani sport
* Omani team wins all six races to qualify
* SSL Gold Cup set for Nov 2026 in Brazil
MUSCAT: SSL Team Oman has achieved a new milestone for Omani sport on the international stage after qualifying for the Star Sailors League (SSL) Gold Cup 2026, scheduled to take place in November next year in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Qualification was secured with a race to spare after the team topped its group with five wins from the first five races in the Asian Qualifiers in Thailand.
Oman won the sixth and final race by a distance of over 400 metres to complete a perfect weekend while the battle for second between the United Arab Emirates and Kazakhstan took place behind them.
The team’s qualification followed an impressive performance and a consistently high competitive standard by Oman Sail’s sailors, as the team maintained a perfect record, win the decisive fifth race worth double points to confirm qualification, and finish unbeaten at the top of the group.
This achievement earned Oman Sail a well-deserved place at the Gold Cup, which will bring together the world’s top 56 national teams from across all continents to compete for the prestigious title of 'World Champion of Nations' in one of the most competitive events in international sailing.
With this qualification, Oman Sail joins six Asian nations — Japan, China, Thailand, Singapore,
Malaysia and India — that had already secured their places at the Star Sailors League Gold Cup
2026 based on national team rankings, which is determined by the results and performance of
elite sailors in each country.
The Sultanate of Oman was represented in the qualifiers by a team of elite Omani sailors from
Oman Sail, led by team skipper and experienced sailor Nasser al Mashari, alongside Hussain al
Jabri, Yasser al Rahbi, Ali al Balushi, Akram al Wahaibi, Haitham al Wahaibi, Raad al Hadi,
Abdulrahman al Maashari, as well as female sailors Ibtisam al Salmi and Marwa al Khaifi. Their
participation reflected the depth, diversity and strength of national talent competing in one of
the world’s premier international sailing championships for national teams.
Commenting on the achievement, Abdulaziz bin Salim al Shidi, Oman Sail’s Acting Director of
Sailing, said: “We congratulate the Sultanate of Oman on this well-deserved qualification to the
Star Sailors League World Finals 2026. This achievement reflects the continuous efforts and hard work of our sailors, as well as the technical and administrative teams supporting them. It is the result of sustained investment in developing national talent and confirms that Omani sailing is progressing steadily towards global competitiveness. We look forward to a strong and honourable participation in Brazil that reflects Oman’s name and sporting stature.”
'EXTREMELY PROUD'
For his part, Nasser al Mashari, team skipper, expressed his pride in the achievement, stating: “We are extremely proud of this qualification, which we dedicate to the Sultanate of Oman and to everyone who supported and stood by us throughout the qualifiers. The competition was tough, but team spirit, collective effort and mutual trust among the sailors enabled us to achieve our goal. Qualifying for the World Finals is a major motivation for us to continue our preparations and work hard to deliver a strong performance in Brazil and raise the Omani flag high.”
The Star Sailors League is regarded as one of the world’s leading sailing championships for national teams, with all competitors racing on identical SSL47 yachts, ensuring a level playing field. This format places the emphasis on sailors’ skill, tactical decision-making, speed of execution and teamwork, making it one of the most demanding and prestigious events in the sport.
This qualification further underlines Oman’s growing prominence in international sailing and reflects the success of Oman Sail’s development programmes in preparing a new generation of Omani sailors capable of competing at the highest continental and global levels.
The Asian Qualifiers were hosted in Chonburi, Thailand, from December 20 to 22, 2025, in cooperation with the Thailand Yacht Racing Association, at the Ocean Marina Yacht Club. The event marked the first of its kind in Asia and represented a significant step forward in the development of national team sailing competitions, through professional organisation and high standards that reflect the rapid growth of the sport across the region.
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