MUSCAT: Five members of Oman Sail’s youth sailing team will compete in Optimist World Championship 2022. Organised by the BB Bodrum Sailing Club and Turkish Sailing Federation, under the authority of the International Optimist Dinghy Association (IODA), the team will be part of a fleet of 286 sailors representing 62 countries when racing gets underway from 27 June to 7 July 2022.
Alongside coach Suhail al Mayahi and Team Leader Abdulaziz al Shidi, the team of Ibrahim al Bulushi, Hood al Nofli, Hasan al Wahaibi, Abdulrahman al Hadi and Tamim al Balushi will be aiming to put their preparations into practice.
Oman Sail’s Head of Youth Sailing Pathway, Mohsin al Busaidy, the first Arab to sail non-stop around the world, will also be travelling to Bodrum to represent the nation.
Abdulaziz al Shidi, Optimist Team Leader, said, “The Optimist World Championships are the pinnacle for young sailors in this class and we are confident that our team will be able to perform at their very best. This is an important step in their journey as sailors and it will be a great experience to sail with, learn from and compete against sailors in their age group from around the world.”
Suhail al Mayahi, Oman Sail Youth Coach, said, “The World Championships in Bodrum mark the start of a busy period for our young squad but we have prepared well, trained hard and made progress throughout the season already. Conditions will be excellent and it will be a strong fleet of the best Optimist sailors in the world, and a good test for us as we look to develop well-rounded and skilled athletes and gain experience in a competitive environment.”
Following the Optimist World Championships in Turkey, the team will head to Sønderborg, Denmark, for the Optimist European Championships from 30 July-6 August.
