Six females from Oman Sail recently took part in and completed a Technical Officials training clinic organised by the Asian Sailing Federation (ASAF) at Oman Sail’s Mussanah Sailing School. Joining cohorts from Kuwait, Pakistan and Iran, the six women participated in two days of classroom sessions designed to further understand the role of being a sailing judge, the Racing Rules of Sailing and the elements of race management required to be a technical official, with a practical session and assessment on the water on the final day.

Ibtisam Salim Al Salmi, Hajir Said Al Amrani, Hiba Hamood Al Asmi, Huda Sultan Al Mashrafi, Khaloud Hadid Al Oraimi and Khair Nisa Al Bulushi all passed the course led by ASAF Technical Official Rut Subniran from Thailand.

Ibtisam Al Salmi said, “Becoming a qualified judge is a pivotal step in my career, allowing me to progress towards officiating at prestigious sailing events. The course was very interesting and provided me with a new perspective on analysing the sport and a new way of sailing which I hope to pass on to others. I feel it is very important that female sailors take this opportunity to broaden their knowledge, gain the experience required to have a career in sailing, and give back to the sport.”

As a Category A High Performance Centre, Oman Sail’s Mussanah Sailing School is the venue for of training and development programs for sailors and coaches across Asia and hosts clinics from beginner through to elite level. Mussanah will also organise local, regional and national sailing events to grow sailing in Oman, and create partnerships with local schools, sailing clubs and organisations to introduce the community to sailing.

Therefore, the 13th edition of Oman Sail’s Mussanah Race Week will kick-off on today 1st October where 110 sailors from nine countries will come together at the Barceló Mussanah Resort for a week of competition, camaraderie and knowledge sharing.