Young Omanis show their sailing prowess during a very successful Mussanah Race Week for the hosts

Muscat: Omani sailors achieved podium positions in all four race categories at this year’s Mussanah Race Week presented by Renaissance Services following a series of excellent performances. After the final race of the competition, Omani sailors had claimed four gold, six silver and five bronze medals over the course of the five-day regatta at Barceló Mussanah Resort.

The ILCA 4 competition was won by Mohammed Al Zaabi of the UAE after eight wins from nine races, with Abdul Latif Al Qasmi from Oman in second and Majed Al Zaabi from the UAE in third. Al Qasmi’s teammates Saleh Ali Al Balushi, Faisal Al Adawi, Aws Al Busaidi and Mushari Saleh Al Hadrami finished in fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth respectively in a close competition. The UAE also took gold by Marwa Al Hamadi, silver by Cameillia Al Qubaisi and bronze by Al Yazia Al Mansoori in the ILCA 4 girl’s competition.

Al Moatasem Al Farsi continued his good run of form by winning eight of the nine ILCA 6 races to take gold from Mohammed Al Hamadi of the UAE in second and Oman’s Nibras Al Owisi in third. Amina Shah of Kuwait won the ILCA 6 competition ahead of Dhuha Al Bashir of the UAE.

Oman claimed the top seven positions in the Optimist race, with Tamim Al Balushi finishing first, Hassan Al Wahaibi second and Soud Al Shaqsi third. Oman’s Tarteel Al Hasani was the second highest ranked girl in the fleet and ninth overall, behind Shreya Krishna of India. Hadeel Al Musharfi of Oman finished as the third highest ranked girl, 12th overall.

Oman also performed well in the Optimist Under-12 race with Harib Al Busaidi taking second place just two points behind winner Ahmed Tiriki of Algeria, and ahead of teammate Habib Al Hussaini.

The ILCA 7 race was won by Hussain Al Jabri of Oman with teammate Zakariya Al Wahabi in second, tied on points. Hamza Al Ali of the UAE finished third.

In the RS Venture Connect event, an accessible boat specifically designed for people with disabilities, Oman took the top three positions. Malik Al Qartobi and Sultan Al Wahibi finished first after winning eight of the nine races, ahead of Adil Al Siyabi and Moayad Al Sheryani in second and the crew of Ghalia Al Jabri and Zaher Al Atbi in third.

In total, 77 sailors from eight nations took part, including hosts Oman, as well as Algeria, India, Iran, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates.

Many of the fleet took the opportunity to develop their racing skills and tactics in the training clinics held during Mussanah Race Week as preparation for the upcoming IODA 2023 Optimist Asian & Oceanian Championship, held in Abu Dhabi from 29 October to 5 November. Nine sailors from Oman’s Optimist Team will be taking part.

Dr Khamis Al Jabri, CEO of Oman Sail, said, “Mussanah Race Week has shown how valuable the event is in preparing young sailors for high calibre competition and providing an opportunity to interact with their peers from different nations. This is a chance to learn from each other and the coaches, make life-long connections in the world of sailing and train in a competitive environment.

“Our sailors performed excellently, and the entire nation should be proud of their achievements, but there is always another competition on the horizon and this time it will be the IODA 2023 Optimist Asian & Oceanian Championship in Abu Dhabi where we hope our team can continue its good form and secure more medals for Oman.”

During Mussanah Race Week, Oman Sail continued its commitment to the environment o by organising a beach clean-up at Mussanah Public Beach as part of its UN #cleanseas pledge to reduce waste and keep Oman’s coastline clean. Over 40 volunteers removed 45 full black sacks of waste and prevented materials such as plastic bottles, discarded fishing equipment, pieces of a sofa and a car tyre from damaging the natural habitat of Oman’s rich and diverse marinelife.

Recycling facilities were also provided onsite during the event with sailors, coaches and all visitors encouraged dispose of their waste responsibly.

Mussanah Race Week 2023 was supported by Renaissance Services, and official partners Oman Air, Barceló Mussanah Resort, Tanuf, and National University.