Muscat – The Oman Sail Winter Cup took place over four days from February 11 to 14, 2025, at the Barceló Mussanah Resort, featuring 50 of the finest young sailors from Oman Sail’s three sailing schools. Competitors showcased their skills in the Optimist, ILCA 4, ILCA 6, and ILCA 7 classes, with prizes awarded to the top three in each category. The standout performers are set to represent Oman in forthcoming regattas.
Khamis Al Mashaikhi dominated the Optimist event, winning four out of five races, while Hood Saad Al Nofli secured a victory along with three second-place finishes. Mohammed Ziyad Al Qasimi claimed third place, having reached the podium three times during the event. All three sailors maintained their impressive form following strong performances at the recent Admiral’s Cup in Pattaya, Thailand.
In addition, Mohammed Ziyad Al Qasimi was recognized as the top Junior, finishing ahead of Khaled Yahya Al Sarihi, who placed fourth overall, and Mohammed Suleiman Al Balushi, who came in sixth.
The highest-ranked female sailor was Tarteel Zaid Al Hasani, who finished fifth overall and demonstrated consistent performance. Hadeel Yousuf Al Mushaifri took second place in the Optimist Girls competition, finishing 13th overall, while Abeer Kalil Al Zakwani secured third place, ending up 19th overall.
In the ILCA 4 category, the top three competitors were closely matched, separated by just four points after each won one of the first three races. Hassan Nasser Al Wahaibi emerged victorious, finishing just one point ahead of Tamim Sulaiman Al Balushi, with Saoud Talib Al Shaqsi taking third place.
Al Moatsem Hamooud Al Farsi achieved a remarkable victory in the ILCA 6 competition, securing four consecutive wins that allowed him to clinch the title with one race remaining. Alsalim Ali Al Hamdani finished in second place, having consistently placed second in four races, just four points shy of the champion. Hatem Mohsen Al-Araimi rounded out the top three, finishing the event with two podium finishes and a win in the final race.
In the ILCA 7 category, Hussain Said Al Jabri dominated by winning all five races, thereby taking the event ahead of Ali Hussein Al Saadi, who finished second in each race. Additionally, Mussanah Sailing School was recognized with the Best Sailing School award, thanks to the outstanding performances of their young sailors throughout the competition.
Hashim Al Rashdi, Oman Sail’s Head Coach of Performance, expressed satisfaction with the results of the Winter Cup and the overall performance of the sailors. He noted that the skills demonstrated by the top competitors are a testament to their hard work during training camps and their commitment to excellence. Looking ahead, he emphasized the importance of building on these results to represent the nation proudly and to continue nurturing young talent.
The sailors will now shift their focus to preparing for the GCC Beach Games, scheduled to take place in Muscat from April 5-11, followed by the 2025 Optimist World Championships in Slovenia in July. This will be succeeded by the Oman Sailing Championship in Sur in August, the Suleymanpasa Cup in Turkiye in September, and the 14th edition of Mussanah Race Week in October.
Later in the year, Oman Sail will host sailors from Asia and Oceania for the 2025 IODA Optimist Asian & Oceanian Championship from October 25 to November 1. The year will conclude with the Arab Sailing Championship in November, which is set to be held in Algeria.
