Tuesday 03 / March / 2026
Muscat – Oman Sail’s high-performance 49er team has ended the 8th Portugal Grand Prix, the Vilamoura Championship, in 20th place having secured Gold fleet status ahead of the final races. The team of Waleed Al Kindi and Ahmed Al Hasani reached the highest tier of the championship with a podium position in the sixth race, and managed to finish in the top ten in two of the three Gold finals races as part of an Olympic-level fleet containing 47 teams.
The team was led by specialist coach Jacek Nowak, who guided the pair to a very impressive finish at a regatta which brought together a strong field including many of the world’s best sailors in the Olympic classes, 49er, 49erFX, ILCA 6, ILCA 7, and 470.
Hashim Al Rashdi, Oman Sail’s Head Coach Performance, said, “Our team showed they have the talent to compete at the top end of high-quality regattas. We need to build on this success, instill belief and keep working in training to reach our goals. What is especially pleasing about this performance is the resilience our team showed. They suffered setbacks and returned to the water with determination, and this is shown in the results. A fourth place, a third place, and two top ten finishes amongst an Olympic-level fleet is a very good outcome for us.”
49er sailor Ahmed Al Hasani added, “While we are pleased with our performance and ending as part of the Gold fleet, we also feel we could do better. This is part of our mindset going forward now: we have proven we belong at the top and now we need to finish higher. This was a great experience with Ahmed Al Hasani and now we look ahead to the next event where the lessons learned here can be put into practice.”
The competition was held at Marina de Vilamoura, site of the recent 2025 Youth Sailing World Championships and a year-round training base for many elite teams across all disciplines.
