Muscat: Oman claimed multiple medals across several categories as the 15th edition of Mussanah Race Week and the third Arab Women’s Sailing Championship concluded following a week of high-performance racing at Barceló Mussanah Resort.
More than 100 sailors from across the region competed in the two events, showcasing emerging talent and the potential for the sport to continue growing.
Oman secured gold and silver in the overall Optimist championship, junior gold and bronze, silver and bronze in the women’s competitions, gold in ILCA 7, silver in women’s ILCA 4 and overall silver, as well as three medals in the Hansa 303 competition to claim team honours.
In the ILCA 7 competition, Oman’s Al Mutasem Humood Al Farsi overturned a one-point deficit to Bahrain’s Dawood Abdullah on the final day. The two finished level on points, but Al Farsi secured gold on countback, finishing four points ahead. Hamza Al Ali of the UAE took bronze, two points behind second place. Oman’s Alsalim Ali Al Hamdani and Abdulatif Ziyad Al Qasmi finished fourth and fifth, respectively, while Saleh Ali Al Balushi placed seventh.
In the Optimist championship, Khaled Yahya Al Sarihi secured gold after finishing second in the final race. Teammate Mohammed Ziyad Al Qasmi climbed from seventh overnight to second overall with a victory in the last race, securing an Oman one-two. The UAE’s Dhiab Al Muhairi finished third, followed by India’s Krishna Venkitachalam in fourth. Oman’s Alkhalil Ibrahim Al Fori placed sixth, while four other Omani sailors finished between eighth and 11th.
Oman’s Mohammed Suleiman Al Balushi won the junior title, finishing eighth overall after placing fourth in the final race. Zakaria Bouhamid of Kuwait finished second in the junior category, while Oman’s Mohammed Said Al Qurtoobi took bronze. Oman’s Mohamed Nabeel Al Baloshi finished fourth among the juniors and 17th overall.
Egypt’s Laila Mohamed won the girls’ Optimist title after securing another victory in the final race. India’s Shringari Roy finished second to take silver, while Oman’s Abeer Kalil Al Zakwani claimed bronze.
Mohamed also won gold in the Optimist event of the third Arab Women’s Sailing Championship, with Al Zakwani taking silver and Bahrain’s Dana Abdullah winning bronze. Oman’s Dima Khalfan Al Balushi finished fifth.
Egypt’s Karma Walid won both the Arab Women’s Sailing Championship gold and overall gold in the ILCA 4 competition. Oman’s Tarteel Zaid Al Hasani took silver in the women’s category in both competitions, finishing fourth overall. Bahrain’s Malak Al Dawsiri won women’s bronze. Oman’s Hadeel Yousuf Al Mushaifri finished fourth in the women’s competition, missing out on bronze by four points, and ninth overall.
In the overall ILCA 4 standings, the UAE’s Abdulrahman Al Bahri won gold, ahead of Oman’s Hood Saad Al Hofli in silver and Kuwait’s Hamad Al Mansoor in bronze. Oman’s Mudhr Talal Al Faliti finished seventh.
Tunisia’s Ines Gmati won the Arab Women’s Sailing ILCA 6 title after an impressive campaign in which she recorded seven wins from 12 races and never finished outside the top three. She also claimed overall gold at Mussanah Race Week. Egypt’s Kholoud Mostafa took silver, while compatriot Maryam Ihab won bronze. Oman’s Ibtisam Al Salmi finished fifth in the women’s competition.
In the overall ILCA 6 standings, the UAE’s Simeon Hristov won gold, with compatriot Mohammed Al Hammadi taking silver and Bahrain’s Waleed Tawfiq claiming bronze. Oman’s Elyas Badar Al Fadhali was the highest-ranked Omani sailor, finishing eighth overall.
The Para Inclusive Hansa 303 competition featured an all-Omani fleet. Buthaina Al Balushi and Malik Al Qartoobi won gold, finishing four points ahead of Anwer Al Balushi and Adil Al Siyabi, who took silver. Anas Al Hashmi and Ahmed Al Araimi finished third, 11 points behind the silver medallists. Moosa Al Nafai and Maher Al Balushi placed fourth, four points ahead of Hashim Al Hashmi and Sabri Al Alawi in fifth.
The closing ceremony was held under the patronage of His Excellency Sheikh Abdulaziz Abdullah Al Hinai, Ambassador-at-Large at Oman’s Foreign Ministry. Sheikh Khalifa Abdullah Al Khalifa, president of the Arab Sailing Federation, and Dr Khamis Salim Al Jabri, CEO of Oman Sail, were also present.
Speaking at the ceremony, Al Jabri highlighted the significance of the 15th edition of Mussanah Race Week, describing it as an important platform for emerging sailors from Oman and around the world to develop their skills, gain competitive experience and prepare for regional and international championships.
“Today, we celebrate the achievements of our sailors, their determination, sportsmanship and commitment throughout the competition. Mussanah Race Week continues to provide a valuable opportunity for young sailors to improve their skills, gain experience and build friendships. The event also reflects the strength of Mussanah Sailing School's facilities and its ability to host international training programmes and championships,” he said.
Al Jabri also highlighted the importance of hosting the third Arab Women’s Sailing Championship alongside Oman’s celebrations of Omani Women’s Day. He said the event reinforced Oman Sail’s commitment to increasing female participation in sailing and providing equal opportunities for women and girls to develop their skills and compete at higher levels, in line with Oman Vision 2040.
He added that Oman Sail remained committed to making sailing accessible to everyone, including people with disabilities. The organisation was recognised at the 2026 Shabiba Basma Awards, receiving the Disability Inclusion Initiative Award for its efforts to promote inclusive sailing and host the inaugural World Sailing Inclusion Championship in 2025.
“This recognition encourages us to continue developing inclusive sailing programmes, expanding participation and creating more opportunities for sailors to compete at national and international levels,” Al Jabri said.
Andrew Dawson, CEO of Renaissance Services, highlighted the success of the title partnership, saying: “We believe that investing in people and creating opportunities are crucial to Oman’s long-term progress. Our partnership with Oman Sail reflects this commitment to building capacity, nurturing sporting talent and inspiring the next generation. We are proud to support initiatives that bring communities together, celebrate sporting excellence and contribute to the ambitions of Oman Vision 2040.”
The championships brought together youth, open and women’s categories, providing opportunities for regional participation and developing pathways for young and female sailors. The events also reinforced Oman’s position as a hub for maritime sports and supported the objectives of Oman Vision 2040.
Alongside the on-water competition, the event followed strict environmental standards as a certified Clean Regatta, incorporating a ban on single-use plastics, comprehensive recycling and community beach clean-up activities.
One of the key initiatives involved producing the championship trophies using more than 30,000 recycled plastic bottle caps at Oman Sail’s Muscat Plastic Lab, launched last year as the first facility of its kind in Oman. The initiative demonstrated how plastic waste could be transformed into useful products while raising awareness of the circular economy.
The programme also included a beach clean-up at Mussanah involving sailors, volunteers and members of the local community. The Community Sustainability Lab was launched on Omani Women’s Day to empower girls and young women to develop practical solutions to environmental challenges and encourage their participation in community sustainability initiatives.
The 2026 edition was presented by Renaissance Services as title partner, with the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism and Barceló Mussanah Resort, which also served as host and bronze partner. Supporting partners included National Mineral Water Company (Tanuf), the Arab Sailing Association, the Oman Maritime Sports Committee and the Royal Navy of Oman’s Directorate of Medical Services at the Medical City for Military and Security Services.