Sunday 24 / November / 2024
Muscat: Four sailors from Oman Sail’s national team have travelled to Boryeong in South Korea to compete at the 2023 ASAF Keelboat Cup. Taking place at the Boryeong Sailing Centre at Daechun Beach, the event brings together 12 international teams and three qualifying teams from within Korea to race over four days of racing – as well as the Awesome Islands Race which kicks off the event.
The mid-distance offshore race features teams from hosts Korea, France, Denmark, Turkey, Australia, New Zealand, China, Thailand, and Malaysia, as well as Oman. Representing Oman will be Nasser Al Mashari, skipper of the team, Yaser Al Rahbi, Ali Al Bulushi and Hussain Al Jabri.
Mohsin Al Busaidi, Oman Sail’s Head of Performance
Mohsin Al Busaidi, Oman Sail’s Head of Performance, said, “This is a great chance to test ourselves against crews from around the world and some of the best in South Korea. The J/70 is a popular keelboat used at high profile events in Kiel and Hyères, as well as at the World Championships later this year, and the 2023 ASAF Keelboat Cup will give us invaluable experience ahead of a busy season. We are looking forward to gauging our progress and working on the technical aspects of the boat in a highly competitive environment off the coast of the Yellow Sea in South Korea.”
Nasser Al Mashari, Skipper of the team
Nasser Al Mashari, Skipper of the team, said, “Racing in South Korea is a great chance for us to put into practice the tactics and training we have been working on and gain much-needed experience ahead of a busy winter season. Building a connection as a team is vital in order to perform at our very best, both now and in the future, and the 11 races will help to identify areas to improve on and learn more about the boat.”
The 2023 ASAF Keelboat Cup is the first Asian Yachting Federation (ASAF) accredited yachting competition to be held in Korea and features 240 sailors and officials across three events. There will be 13 countries competing in 11 races in the J/70 class and youth squads from 10 countries represented in the Optimist competition. After the Awesome Islands Race on 25 July, racing begins on 27 July 2023, with the prizegiving ceremony and closing ceremony on 30 July 2023.
