Sunday 25 / January / 2026
Mussanah: The 2026 Winter Cup organised by Oman Sail wrapped up with 61 sailors from Oman Sail’s Performance Team seeking to earn places in the Oman national sailing team. Upcoming events include the Arab Sailing Championships 2026 which runs from 28 January until 2 February in Soma Bay, Egypt, and the Vilamoura Championship for the 49er team at the end of February, as well as the Inter-School Regatta for the Optimist team.
Drawn from Oman Sail’s sailing schools at Al Mouj Muscat, Sur and Mussanah, the sailors raced in Optimist, ILCA 4, ILCA 6, and ILCA 7 classes.
The Optimist competition was won by Mohammed Al Qasmi, with Khaled Yahya Al-Suraihi in second and Ahmed Mohammed Al-Mujaini in third. Abeer Kalil Al Zakwani was the Girls Overall winner, ahead of Dima Khalfan Al Balushi. Mohammed Sulaiman Al-Balushi was the highest ranked Optimist Junior, finishing ahead of Al-Kalil Ibrahim Al Fori in second and Taha Mohamed Al Mujaini in third.
The ILCA 4 Overall title was won by Hassan Nassar Al Wahaibi with Aws Maher Al Busaidi in second and Khamis Nasser Al-Mashaikhi in third. Tarteel Al-Hassani won the ILCA 4 Girls title ahead of Hadeel Al-Mushifri in second.
Al-Mutasim Al-Farsi won the ILCA 6 title, while Elias Al-Fadhli finished second and Ibtisam Al-Salmi finished third. The ILCA 7 title was won by Hussein Al-Jabri ahead of Ahmed Al-Balushi in second and Abdul Latif Al-Qasmi in third.
Mulham Haitham Al Braiki won the Youth Club Optimist Overall competition ahead of Ali Adil Al Tarshi and Ghalib Ahmed Al Balushi, who finished second and third respectively.
The Winter Cup came at the end of a 14-day training camp which was led by five Oman Sail coaches to prepare the sailors for the cup and add to their overall training and ability to perform under pressure.
Hashim Al Rashdi, Oman Sail’s Head Performance Coach, said, “We are delighted with the levels of performance at the 2026 Winter Cup and the commitment of our sailors during the training camp. The standard of racing was very high and always in the spirit of fair play. The chance to represent the nation internationally is a great honour and we now look ahead to the rest of the season where our sailors in all classes have the chance to shine.”
Mohammed Al Qasmi, optimist sailor, said, “I am very pleased with my performance and my improvement over the past year. With the help of the coaches, the whole group is developing well, and we are all learning new skills each time we head out onto the water. The Arab Sailing Championships are an important event for Oman, and I am looking forward to being part of the team and doing my best while representing the nation in Egypt.”
Oman will be represented at the Arab Sailing Championships in the Optimist and ILCA 7 classes, as well as KiteFoil and iQFOiL Windsurfing events. The 49er team will now travel to Vilamoura, Portugal, for a training camp ahead of the championship next month.
