MUSCAT: Oman Sail’s decade of success has been recognised by the global sailing community, with the organisation receiving the 2019 World Sailing President’s Development Award. The award is a clear testament to the achievements of Oman Sail over the last ten years, and its mission to make the sport of sailing accessible, educational, and a source of immense national pride. In 2009, Oman Sail started the process of bringing this vision to life, embarking on a remarkable decade and achieving some extraordinary achievements.
Oman Sail has continually propelled the Sultanate into the yachting limelight, whether it be from hosting high-profile global events such as America’s Cup World Series and the Windsurf World Championships, participating in the Route de Rhum and Extreme Sailing Series, or providing opportunities for local talent. In Oman Sail’s inaugural year, Mohsin al Busaidi became the first Omani to circumnavigate the globe, while 2020 could see the first Omanis to compete on the Olympic stage, with 49er pair Musab al Hadi and Waleed al Kindi campaigning for selection in March.
CEO David Graham received the award on behalf of Oman Sail and said: “This award is a result of a collective effort from teams both on and off the water. I would like to thank the Government of Oman, in particular the Ministry of Tourism and the Ministry of Sports Affairs, for the unwavering support to Oman Sail over the past decade.
“The future of sailing in Oman looks exceptionally bright. As we cheer on Musab and Waleed as they strive for Olympic selection, we also applaud the hundreds of school children who are out on the water every week, learning more about the sport we love at the four sailing schools which now exist across Oman. “Just in the past four weeks we have seen young athletes from all four of Oman Sail’s sailing schools compete strongly on the world stage. Six members of the team finished in the top 25 overall and came away with a silver medal in the Team Racing at the IODA 2019 Optimist Asian and Oceanian Championship; the Laser and Optimist teams collected a gold, two silvers, and a bronze at the Abu Dhabi Open Regatta; while the squad won three classes and achieved seven podiums at the highly
competitive Arab Sailing Championship in Egypt.
Maitha al Mahrouqi, Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Tourism and Chairwoman of Oman Sail, said: “The vision of Oman Sail is, and always has been, to reinstate the maritime eminence of Oman. It’s an honour to receive such an accolade, and I congratulate David and the team. We dedicate this award to His Majesty Sultan Qaboos; it was his foresight and vision which made all this possible.”
World Sailing President Kim Andersen hand-picked Oman Sail for his President’s Development Award and said: “Over the last ten years, Oman Sail has taken a huge step forward in growing the sport within their nation and region. They have done an amazing job of harnessing their citizens to become ambassadors of the sport and subsequently share their passion within their region.”
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