Muscat, A four-strong Oman Sail youth team
have made impressive progress while racing against a highly
competitive international fleet at the Laser 4.7 Youth World
Championships.
Each of the sailors � all aged 16 or 17 and selected from the
Omantel Youth Sailing Programme � posted a number of strong results
during the intense six-day regatta in Gdynia, Poland while competing
against 280 sailors from 41 countries.
The young Oman Sail team faced a crowded race course and
changing winds on the Baltic Sea, with challenging light conditions
over the final two days.
The team faced many challenges during the regatta and it is good to
report that they all performed well in sometimes difficult conditions,
said Laser 4.7 coach Ahmed al-Wahaibi.
He added, They have all worked hard in Gdynia and at the
training camp before, and have been able to develop their skills and
learn new disciplines which will be of great value at future events.
Abdulmalik al-Hinai, from Oman Sail’s Al Mouj Muscat sailing
school, finished 39th overall in the 69-strong second-tier Silver fleet,
and had been better placed until two capsizes in the final races cost
him valuable points.
Also racing in the Silver fleet, Salim al-Alawi, representing the
Marina Bandar Al Rowdha school, finished 55th overall, with sailing
schoolmate Hussain al-Mansoori placed 56th in the Bronze fleet.
The youngest member of the Oman Sail team, Ali al-Sa’adi from
Al Mussanah Sailing School, finished 60th in the Bronze fleet at his
first world championship Laser event.
The whole team have grown in confidence during the championship
and it has been a valuable learning experience, said Omantel Youth
Sailing Programme Manager Mohsin al-Busaidi.
After all their work here and at the recent Asian Sailing Championships
in Jakarta, the whole Omantel team can be positive when they look
ahead to the Oman Sailing Championships and then the Asian Games,
which is the main focus this year, he added.
Source: Oman News Agency