Muscat: The opening day of Oman Sail’s Mussanah Race Week brought great sailing, displays of sportsmanship and perfect conditions for the 104 sailors from eight countries to showcase their talents. Taking to the water in all classes at the event, the Optimist, ILCA 4, ILCA 6, ILCA 7 and para inclusive RS Venture Connect sailors showed why the 13th edition of Mussanah Race Week could be the best yet.
The Optimist sailors managed one race on the first day, won by Khalifa al Romaithi of the UAE, ahead of Shreya Krishna Lakshminarayanan from India and Abdulla Yahya of UAE. Omani sailor Khamis al Mashaikhi finished seventh, just ahead of Hassan al Wahaibi in eighth, Firas al Nabhani in ninth and Tamim al Balushi in eleventh.
Just one race was staged in the ILCA 4 as well, and it was dominated by the sailors from India. Shashank Batham leads, ahead of Eklavya Batham in second and Somya Singh Patel in third. Team-mate Akshat Kumar Dohare is fifth. Oman’s Abdulatif al Qasmi is fourth and Firas al Hashmi ended the day in seventh.
The first race in the ILCA 6 proved successful for Oman’s sailors, taking five of the top seven spots. The leader going into day two is Othman al Hammadi of UAE, with four Omanis close behind. Hatem al Araimi in second, Elyas al Fadhali in third, Al Moatsem al Farsi in fourth and Al Salim al Hamdani in fifth. Meshari al Hadhrami finished in seventh.
It was Oman’s day in the ILCA 7 as Omani sailors occupy the top three spots. Hussain al Jabri leads after the first race, Abdulmalik al Hinai in second and Ali al Saadi in third. Muhanned al Shukaili is fifth.
UAE’s Hamza al Ali, currently fourth in the ILCA 7, has been competing at Mussanah Race Week since 2014. He said, “I am always thankful for the opportunity to sail here. It’s an exceptional event and the organisation is excellent. Mussanah Race Week provides valuable experience for sailors, offering us the chance to develop skills and expertise while also serving as the ideal preparation for upcoming championships due to the ideal sailing conditions.”
Four Omani para inclusive sailors showed that sailing is a sport for all with a valiant display in the RS Venture Connect competition. The crew of Zahir al Atbi and Ahmed al Shukaili leads from Sultan al Wahaibi and Adil al Siyabi in second, Sami al Sulaimi and Hassan al Lawati in third, and Ghaliya al Jabri and Malik al Qartobi in fourth.
Zahir al Atbi, RS Venture Connect sailor from Oman, said, “It is great to see that para inclusive sailing is part of Mussanah Race Week again this year. Sailing is a wonderful experience for everyone, giving a sense of freedom on the water, and a chance to race as equals. Everyone sailing this week will benefit from increased confidence and experience.”
Racing continues every day until the final on October 7 where the winners will receive their prizes.
Oman Sail also took the opportunity to reaffirm its commitment to the community and environment with a beach clean-up campaign and two days of Try Sailing sessions.
A team of 109 people from Oman Sail and Barceló Mussanah Resort, and sailors from Thailand, Kuwait and India, joined forces to remove 49 black bags filled with rubbish from the beach, with most items being single use plastics – drinks bottles primarily – and discarded fishing equipment. Waste left behind can cause Oman’s native and migrating wildlife to be injured or killed by plastic or netting, and can enter the food chain and be consumed by humans. Preserving Oman’s natural beauty for the future and ensuring the health of the nation is the responsibility of all and a commitment Oman Sail is proud to make at every event.
Wahida al Zadjali, Corporate Affairs Officer at Oman Sail, said, “Caring for the environment and preserving the beauty of our nation is everyone’s responsibility and we are very proud to lead by example by enabling members of the community and visitors to contribute to this mission. Many of the items left behind at the beach can be recycled, but will cause damage to the ecosystem if not disposed of responsibly. Clearing so much waste is a great achievement for our team but it also shows how much more needs to be done to raise awareness around why we must take more care of our surroundings.”
Mussanah Race Week is supported by the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism, Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth, Barceló Mussanah Resort, Pocari Sweat, and Al Khoud Pure Drinking Water.
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