Oman Sail announces nationwide sailing festival

Muscat: Oman Sail has unveiled a nationwide sailing initiative that aims at encouraging the communities across the country to try sailing this winter. Supported by OQ, the social initiative marks the return of sailing activities post-COVID19 and complements the series of World and Asian competitions that Oman Sail is organising this quarter of the year.

At each venue of the community initiative, there will be opportunities for visitors to try sailing and windsurfing, including Para Sailing through the SailFree programme and visits to local schools. There will also be a beach clean-up operation at each location to highlight the importance of preserving Oman’s natural beauty and marine life for generations to come and SME activations in Musandam, Duqm and Salalah where local school children will be invited to attend.

Kicking off at the Silver Jubilee Garden in Suhar on November 12, and running through January 15, 2022, The festival will be visiting Musandam from November 16-20, Kalbuh in Muscat from November 26-27, Sur from December 3-4, Hawana Salalah from January 6-8 and Duqm from January 11-15.

Ali al Sheheimi , Al Mouj Muscat Sailing School Centre Manager, said, “Oman has a rich history on the water and this is an excellent opportunity to reignite the nation’s passion for sailing, offer a free introduction to the sport and encourage more people to take up the sport. The Community Sailing event will share the joy of sailing with people across the country, making the sport accessible to everyone while promoting the benefits of a healthy lifestyle and demonstrating the excitement and inspiring people across the country to learn to sail. We will also be visiting schools to inspire children and hosting a beach clean up to make a difference to the local community.”

He added, “The Sultanate of Oman is set to become the focal point for global sailing during the winter season as we play host to five international championships, including several prestigious world championships, and seven national events. It is our hope that some of the people introduced to sailing during the Oman Sail Festival go on to proudly fly the Omani flag and represent the country at these events in the future.”

The busy season of events continues with the highly-anticipated Mussanah Race Week from 30 October-5 November and the Asian 49er, 49er FX & Nacra 17 Championships which starts straight afterwards on 5 November. A week later, the 2021 49er, 49er FX & Nacra 17 World Championships head to Mussanah, then Oman Sail’s own Sailing Arabia – The Tour is back, starting once again in Mussanah before heading south to Sur before and Muscat.

At the same time, the 2021 ICLA Radial World Championships gets underway in Mussanah on 29 November.

The final event of the season is undoubtedly the highest-profile, as Oman hosts the 50th edition of the Youth Sailing World Championships for the very first time.

Considered as a highlight of the World Sailing calendar, the Youth World Championships are the perfect way to bring a thrilling season to a close.

To pre-register for Oman Sailing Festival events, visit www.omansail.com/sailing-festival-activities or search #SailWithUs on social media.

Full Event Programme:

• • Try Sailing
  • Beach Clean Up
  • Try Windsurfing

• • Try Sailing
  • Try Windsurfing
  • SME Activation

• • Try Sailing
  • Beach Clean Up
  • Try Windsurfing
  • SME Activation

• • Try Sailing
  • Beach Clean Up

• • Try Sailing
  • Beach Clean Up

• • Try Sailing
  • Beach Clean Up
  • SME Activation

• • Try Sailing
  • Beach Clean Up