About Oman Sail

Twenty years ago, His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said stated his vision to ‘release the Omani citizen’s creative energies, bring out their latent talents and skills and enable them to make a greater contribution’.

Oman Sail was established in 2008 with His Majesty’s blessing to rekindle Oman’s maritime heritage, promote the Sultanate of Oman around the world through sailing and provide long-term learning opportunities for the youth of Oman.

In just seven years, Oman Sail has helped turn His Majesty’s ambition into reality. We quickly achieved our initial objectives of establishing Muscat as a regular destination on the global sailing circuit by hosting international sailing races in Omani waters. Each year, professional sailors from around the world come to Oman to compete and Omani teams to represent the Sultanate at prestigious international events in the Ministry of Tourism’s priority markets, increasing tourism revenues and showcasing the natural beauty and hospitality of Oman through international media coverage.

Oman Sail, non-profit organisation, has made sailing accessible to the Omani public and achieved excellence. In 2009, Oman Sail’s Mohsin Al Busaidi became the first Arab to sail non-stop around the world, and The Wave, Muscat’s Extreme Sailing team won the first of two successive Extreme Sailing Series championships. Our pioneering women sailors competed in Europe for the first time, while Raiya Al Habsi made history by becoming the first Arab woman to compete in the classic Fastnet race and becoming the first Arab ever to be nominated for the prestigious Rolex World Sailor of the Year Award.

The Oman Sail flagship boat, the MOD 70 Musandam-Oman Sail, broke the Round Britain and Ireland record by over 16 minutes in 2014, thrusting Oman Sail into the international limelight. In 2015, Musandam-Oman Sail also broke a 20-year record by completing the Round Ireland speed challenge in a new record time of in 40 hours 51 minutes and 57 seconds – shaving almost four hours off the previous time.