Omani sailors share success at Musannah Race Week

MUSCAT: Young Omani sailors have shared success with their international counterparts at the conclusion of the ninth Musannah Race Week regatta. The highly popular event at Musannah Sports City attracted 125 sailors, aged from eight to 16 years-old, from a total of 21 countries.

The racers took advantage of an intensive three-day pre-regatta coaching clinic before four days of racing in the Optimist, Laser, RSX and Techno 293 windsurfer classes. Thai sailors took the top two spots in the strong Optimist class, with Oman’s Mohammed al Qasmi claiming third place. Young sailors from Italy, Germany, Portugal and the UAE, as well as Oman, also took top-10 places. Omani racers swept the board in the Laser 4.7 class, with Abdulmalik al Hinai winning ahead of colleagues Al Motasim al Farsi and Alaa al Omrani. Norway’s Tobias Birkeland won the Laser Radial division with sailors from Qatar and the UAE filling out the podium. Zakariya al Wahaibi was the leading racer from Oman.

All the winners received their trophies at the prize-giving attended by His Excellency Shaikh Hamoud al Wahshi, the Wali of Al Musannah.

Speaking at the closing ceremony David Graham, CEO of event organiser Oman Sail, said: “Since the very first Musannah Race Week we have emphasised the importance of camaraderie between sailors because while the competitive racing is a major part of the event, at its heart this is a chance to learn from the coaches and from each other, and form bonds that will last throughout a career on the water and beyond.”

Many of the sailors taking part in Musannah Race Week – which was supported by the Oasis water brand – will return to the same venue in September for the Optimist Asian Championships and Oceanian Championships. Oman Sail’s event project manager Feras Asqul said: “The past week serves as ideal preparation for the championships later this year. We look forward to welcoming the returning sailors and to continue to grow the event as a platform for local and international sailors to learn, compete and gain valuable experience in the perfect sailing environment offered by Oman.”

The quality of the coaching was also highlighted by Rashid al Kindi, Oman Sail’s national team manager and Chairman of the Oman Sailing Committee said: “We pride ourselves on providing an event which offers world-class coaching to young sailors who take part in Musannah Race Week. This year sailors have benefitted from the expert knowledge of Belgian Olympic team coach Xavi Carvalho and Slovenian national coach Dragan Gasick. The lessons learned will be used in waters around the world and the new techniques learned in Oman will be valuable in competitions at every level.”