Thursday 30 / October / 2025
Mussanah – Omani sailors delivered strong performances on the third day of the 2025 Optimist Asian & Oceanian Championship, organised by Oman Sail in collaboration with the Oman Maritime Sports Committee and the International Optimist Dinghy Association (IODA).
The qualifying rounds concluded with the announcement of the final fleet divisions — Gold, Silver, and Bronze — who will compete in the decisive stages today (Thursday) to determine the overall champions.
Omani sailors Mohammed Al Qasmi, Khalid Al Sarihi, and Khamis Al Mashaikhi successfully qualified for the Gold Fleet, which features the top-ranked sailors after the first three days of intense competition. Their advancement highlights the continuous development of Oman’s youth sailing team and their ability to compete against the best sailors from across Asia and Oceania. The trio will now battle for top positions in the final races, while the remaining Omani sailors continue in the Silver and Bronze fleets to gain valuable international experience.
The Omani team demonstrated impressive tactical awareness and adaptability to shifting wind conditions, earning their place among the event’s elite competitors — a new milestone for the national team.
Sailor Mohammed Al Qasmi said: “I’m really happy to have qualified for the Gold Fleet after such competitive races against top international sailors. The conditions were challenging, but our preparation and teamwork made the difference. We’ll stay focused for the final day and aim to secure a result that makes Oman proud.”
Teammate Khalid Al Sarihi added: “Qualifying for the Gold Fleet is the result of hard work by both the coaching staff and the sailors. The wind conditions were ideal today, allowing us to perform at our best. We’ll give everything in the final races to raise Oman’s flag high among the best sailors in Asia and Oceania.”
The latest overall results saw sailors from Singapore, Argentina, Thailand, the USA, and China take the top spots. Singapore’s Anya Zahedi leads the overall ranking after an outstanding performance throughout the championship, followed by Tiziano Vesperini from Argentina in second and Ethan Chia from Singapore in third.
Sorawit Naksuk of Thailand sits fourth, followed by Storm Husky Kim of the USA in fifth, Yuxuan Li of China in sixth, Rachata Sadtrakulwattana of Thailand in seventh, Shreya Lakshminarayanan of India in eighth, Desiree Lee of Singapore in ninth, and Jean Luc Herve of the UAE completing the top ten.
On the local front, Omani sailors continued to impress with solid performances: Mohammed Al Qasmi ranked 37th overall, Khalid Al Sarihi 44th, and Khamis Al Mashaikhi 56th — strong results among a highly competitive field representing 25 nations.
Mohammed bin Ali Al Balushi, Safety Officer at the 2025 Optimist Asian & Oceanian Championship, emphasised that ensuring sailor safety is a top priority throughout all stages of the event. “Our mission starts the moment the sailors prepare to launch and continues until they safely return ashore,” he said. “The safety team monitors all boats and their courses closely to ensure the well-being of every participant. We conduct a full site scan before racing, track every sailor from launch to finish, and intervene immediately in case of capsizes or collisions to ensure fast recovery and safe return to shore.”
Al Balushi explained that the safety operations are conducted in close coordination with the Royal Oman Police Coast Guard to secure the race area and prevent fishing or leisure boats from entering the course. This collaboration, he said, aims to prevent incidents that could jeopardize sailor safety.
Discussing the key challenges faced by the safety team, Al Balushi noted: “The biggest challenge is changing sea conditions, especially when wave height increases or winds strengthen, which raises the risk of capsizes or collisions. That’s why we maintain constant proximity to the competitors to ensure swift response.”
He concluded by praising Oman Sail’s long-standing experience in hosting international sailing championships, noting that Omani teams have become fully capable of managing safety operations according to the highest international standards.
Racing will continue until the end of Friday 31 October when the prizes will be presented and the closing ceremony held under the patronage of the Guest of Honour, H.E. Dr. Abdullah Nasser Al Harrasi, Minister of Information.
The 2025 Optimist Asian & Oceanian Championship is organised by Oman Sail in collaboration with the Oman Marine Sports Committee and the International Optimist Dinghy Association (IODA), supported by Gold Partner QNB Oman, along with Mazoon Dairy, Tanuf Water, Barceló Mussanah Resort, and Visit Oman as Bronze Partners.
