Oman Sail’s youngsters make a giant leap at GCC Sailing Championships in Bahrain

Oman Sail’s impact on the international youth sailing stage took another leap forward when Oman’s Youth Squad reclaimed the first place position in the Optimist team racing at the 8^th edition of the GCC Sailing Championships in Bahrain with other young Omani talent dominating the podium.

This will be the third first place team win in the GCC Championships for Oman’s youth team after winning gold in Optimist Team Racing in 2013 and 2014, then silver in 2015. Sailors, Al Moatsem Al Farsi, Samiha Al Riyami, Jihad Al Hassani, Mohammed Al Qasmi, Alaa Al Amrani, all aged between 12 and 14, have been nurtured in the Omantel Youth Programme, managed by Oman Sail, and chosen from hundreds of aspiring young sailors to represent Oman.

Zakariya Al Wahabi, Oman’s first Optimist national champion who has graduated to the pre-Olympic Laser 4.7 class posted a superb win overall in his new class with his long-time adversary from the same Oman Sail stable Marwan Al Jabri taking sixth. Al Wahabi recently came first in the Laser 4.7 at Mussanah Race Week in January.

Hussain Al Jabry, another winner at Mussanah, gained a creditable third in the Laser Standard class and one of Oman’s most promising young sailors Al Moatsem Al Farsi scooped a third in the fiercely competitive Optimist class.

Samiha Al Riyami maintained her position as first in the girls Optimist Class after winning the same title in 2015.

The GCC Sailing Championships were held in Belaj Aljazair from the 2^nd – 5^th March with Oman, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain and Qatar all represented in the Optimist, Laser Radial, Laser Standard and Laser 4.7 classes with the J24 also making its debut.

It was a good opportunity to measure performances and progress against other teams in the region, said Mohsin Al Busaidi, team manager of Oman Sail’s Youth Programme,

“Each year we see significant incremental improvements in the standards of our youth sailors and these GCC Sailing Championships in Bahrain against the best youngsters in the region was one of our best events yet with some excellent results.

“This is a talented squad and it is encouraging to see them work hard and do well but there is a long way to go.  We have created a momentum in youth sailing which will serve as a platform for development in world class competitions working towards Olympic qualification and these results show we are on the right path.”