MUSCAT: Eleven countries from across the Middle East and North Africa have arrived at Barceló Mussanah Resort for the Arab Sailing Championship 2022. Back after a three-year hiatus, 120 sailors will compete over five days from 11-15 October 2022 in Optimist, ILCA 4, ILCA 6, ILCA 7, RS:X and iQFOiL windsurfing and RS Venture para sailing classes with the winners and best performing country taking home the trophies.
A team of 23 sailors from Oman will join their counterparts from Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Kuwait, Morocco, Palestine, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, and the UAE.
Hamed Al Yahmadi, Event Project Manager, said, “This is an incredibly exciting opportunity for our young sailors to test themselves against their peers from across the Arab world. Being held for the first time since Egypt 2019, it is an honour to bring the championship to Oman and the Barceló Mussanah Resort for the premier youth sailing competition in the region and we are delighted to welcome all of the sailors and coaches to Oman.
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“We are looking forward to seeing how our sailors perform on home waters ahead of a busy period for the teams. This is the start of a long journey that could lead to the Olympic Games in the future. We are also very pleased to include para sailing, and the para sailors from Oman, Iraq and KSA, as the sport makes progress towards inclusivity and demonstrating the opportunities in sailing for all.”
Tuesday 11 October has been designated the official arrival and practice day. The first day of racing will take place on Wednesday 12 October with further racing throughout the week until the final day on Saturday 15 October when the prizes will be awarded.
The Arab Sailing Championship is proudly supported by the Barceló Resort Mussanah, Oman Air, National University of Science and (International Maritime College), National Mineral Water Company (Tanuf), and environmental partner the Environment Society of Oman.
Taking place alongside the Arab Sailing Championship 2022 will be the next leg of the Oman Sailing Festival, also taking place in Mussanah. Running from 12-14 October, the festival offers free Try Sailing, Try Windsurfing and Try Kitesurfing sessions to visitors, as well as showcasing local SMEs and encouraging the local community to join in with a beach clean-up event to help preserve the local environment.
