MUSCAT: The Barcelo Musannah Resort is set to welcome over 100 young sailors from eight countries for the 13th edition of Oman Sail’s Musannah Race Week.
Having completed three practice days, racing gets underway on October 4, talented young sailors from Oman, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, India, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Singapore and Thailand will compete in Optimist, ILCA 4, ILCA 6 and ILCA 7, as well as the para inclusive RS Venture Connect class.
During the event, Oman Sail coaches will hold daily community ‘Try Sailing’ sessions to encourage people from Al Musannah to discover the sport and experience the feeling of being on the water with a qualified instructor. The initiative aims to inspire the next generation of Omani sailors and show how accessible sailing can be with Oman Sail’s Sailing School based at Barcelo Musannah Resort.
Competition at Musannah Race Week will be held over 12 races in each class, with no more than three per day. Conditions are expected to be ideal for sailing, and after several practice days for the sailors where they could get used to the water and put their training into action, expectations are high. Prizes will be awarded for the overall top three in each class, as well as the junior top three for sailors under the age of 12, and the girls top three, as well as the overall team racing competition.
Shaima al Asmi, Oman Sail’s Operations Executive and Musannah Race Week Project Manager, said, “We are very excited for the races to begin. Musannah Race Week has been a firm favourite of sailors from across the region and within Oman for 12 years now and this year’s edition brings a high calibre of sailors to Barcelo Musannah Resort. Of course, Musannah Race Week is about more than just who wins; it is a chance to share experiences, learn from each other and make lifelong friends in a global sport where paths continue to cross throughout a career. The chance to introduce new sailors to the sport is also very rewarding and we hope to see some of those who sailed for the first time this week back here in the coming years.”
Musannah Race Week has always been known as a festival of sailing and goes beyond racing to promote friendship, inclusion and mutual understanding. Oman Sail and the Barcelo Musannah Resort will host a BBQ night for all sailors, staff and families to offer a unique opportunity to experience authentic Omani hospitality and get to know each other in the idyllic surroundings of the resort.
Musannah Race Week is supported by Barcelo Musannah Resort and Al Khoudh Water.
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