Wednesday 26 / November / 2025
Mussanah – The organizing committee for the 2025 World Sailing Inclusion Championships—represented by Oman Sail—continues to step up preparations ahead of the historic first edition of this global event. The championship will take place in the Sultanate of Oman from 30 November to 8 December 2025, marking the first time the event is held anywhere in the world. This inaugural edition will welcome the largest participation in the history of sailing for persons with disabilities, with more than 150 sailors from 33 countries.
The competition will run over five days across four internationally recognized boat classes, alongside a comprehensive Inclusive Development Programme (IDP) delivered by World Sailing prior to the start of racing. The programme aims to build the capacities of coaches, sailors, and race officials, and to support nations in developing inclusive and para sailing structures at the national level.
Held from 30 November to 2 December, the IDP forms a core component of the event, bringing together coaches, sailors, and officials from multiple continents for specialist workshops in Oman. The initiative reflects the combined efforts of World Sailing and Oman Sail to transfer knowledge and strengthen technical capabilities in emerging sailing nations.
Commenting on the progress of preparations, Feras Asqul, Project Manager at Oman Sail and Head of Operations and Logistics for the event, confirmed that preparations are advancing on schedule and entering their final phase. He said: “Over the past months, our operations and logistics teams have worked to ensure all facilities are fully ready before the event begins. Preparations included equipping the marina, providing boats for coaches and sailors, setting up launching, measurement, and technical inspection areas, and ensuring accessible movement routes and facilities to allow athletes with different disabilities to navigate the venue with ease.”
Feras added: “Our goal is to provide a safe training and racing environment aligned with international para sailing standards—reflecting Oman’s readiness to host specialized world-class sporting events. Delivering the inaugural edition of this championship is a major responsibility and an opportunity to showcase Oman’s organizational capabilities. We are working closely with all partners to deliver an exceptional event worthy of its global significance.”
The championship will feature competitions in four boat classes: Hansa 303 (one-person), ILCA 6, RS Venture Connect, and the FarEast boat for visually impaired sailing.
Oman will be represented by seven sailors from Oman Sail’s SailFree programme, run in collaboration with bp Oman and the Oman Paralympic Association. In the RS Venture event, the teams of Hassan Al Lawati & Zaher Al Atbi and Adel Al Siyabi & Al Ghaliya Al Jabri will join 28 other teams in a fleet racing format competition. In the One-Person Inclusive category, using a fleet of Hansa 303 boats, Omani sailors Ali Al Ghusaini, Sultan Al Wahaibi, and Malik Al Qurtubi will compete alongside 35 athletes from around the world.
The World Sailing Inclusion Championships will also see the debut of several nations inclusive sailing, demonstrating the sport’s growing potential to inspire diverse communities across continents. Sailors from Trinidad & Tobago, India, Saudi Arabia, and Korea will take part in the One-Person Inclusive category, while crews from Iraq, Chinese Taipei, and Uruguay will compete in the Two-Person Hansa 303 event.
The official opening ceremony for the World Sailing Inclusion Championships will take place on 3 December 2025, coinciding with the United Nations International Day of Persons with Disabilities.
The championships are powered by Oman Sail and Oman Maritime Sports Committee and supported by World Sailing’s global partners Musto and Kuehne+Nagel; Strategic Partners the Ministry of Heritage and Tourism, the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Youth, Experience Oman, and the Al Batinah South Governorate; and Bronze Partners Barceló Mussanah Resort, OXY Oman, Visit Oman, Tanuf, and Mazoon Dairy.
