Young Omani sailors showcase their skills at Extreme Sailing Series™
A host of Omani youngsters tipped as the country's future sailing stars went head to head today prior to the penultimate day of Act 1 of the Extreme Sailing Series™ in Muscat.
Friday 10th March 2017
A host of Omani youngsters tipped as the country’s future sailing stars went head to head today prior to the penultimate day of Act 1 of the Extreme Sailing Series™ in Muscat.
Thirty-six children aged between eight and 12 took part in the final of the Renaissance Services Interschool Sailing Championship, a competition run by national sailing initiative Oman Sail to identify the Sultanate’s most promising young talent.
The young competitors were selected to represent their schools at the finals of the championship following a series of heats held at Oman Sail’s four sailing schools.
The regatta, contested in Optimist dinghies, is the flagship of Oman Sail’s grassroots sailing programme that aims to reignite the country’s rich maritime history and see Omani sailors compete at the Olympic Games.
The winners of the Renaissance Services Interschool Sailing Championship will now go on to join Oman Sail’s youth squad, the pathway to the Oman national sailing team.
Saleh Al Jabri, who runs Oman Sail’s Marina Bandar Al-Rowdha Sailing School, said: “The Renaissance Services Interschool Sailing Championship is the backbone of Oman Sail – it’s where everything begins.
“Our objective every single month is to bring 100 kids from government schools to our sailing schools.
“From those children we select the best ones to race against each other for a place in Oman Sail’s youth squad, where they will train three days a week after school.
“The best ones from there will go forward into our national team, and the ultimate goal is to have Omani sailors competing at the Olympics.
“When these children come to us not many have ever sailed before but some pick it up very quickly. It’s amazing how talented they are.”
Racing was held in the same waters off Muscat’s Almouj Golf currently hosting the opening round of the Extreme Sailing Series.
Not only did the Renaissance Services Interschool Sailing Championship provide the ideal curtain raiser for the third and penultimate day of the Act, but also provided the youngsters with the perfect inspiration to succeed in the fledgling sailing careers.
Prior to the start of the regatta the youngsters got to meet inspirational Oman Air bowman Nasser Al Mashari, one of Oman’s top sailors.
“Being able to hold this regatta as part of the Extreme Sailing Series is wonderful,” Al Jabri added.
“It means a lot to these kids to be part of the event – they really look up to these sailors and many of them dream that one day they will be able to race in the Extreme Sailing Series.”
