Oman Sail have today (10 October) officially launched the next phase in its unique project – a sailing programme aimed exclusively at the Sultanate’s female population.

Oman Sail’s guest of honour at the launch of the Women’s Programme, Her Excellency Dr Madeeha bint Ahmed al Shibaniyah, the Minister of Education, unveiled the Farr 30 boat, which the women will be competing in during Sailing Arabia – The tour. The boat has received Royal blessings and was named Al Thuraya, The name Al Thuraya has been significant to sailors throughout history. It is the name of a star cluster, known as the Pleiades or Seven Sisters and its appearance in the sky was critical as it marked the start of the sailing season.

To ancient Arab sailors, its sighting was considered a good omen. To us, our boat 'Al Thuraya' represents Oman's sailing future.

Since its launch in 2008, Oman Sail has taken nearly 6,000 Omani children sailing, over half of which have been females.

The Women’s Programme supported by Bank Muscat will take that to the next level, instilling confidence and teaching valuable, transferable life skills while also creating jobs and unique opportunities for the nation’s women. From Oman Sail’s national grassroots community programme to its 2020 Olympic ambitions, Omani women will be trained, coached, qualified, employed, developed and nurtured every step of the way, equipping them with all the necessary skills to excel.

AbdulRazak Ali Issa, Chief Executive of BankMuscat, said: “BankMuscat is proud to be associated with Omani Women’s Sailing Programme organised in response to the Royal directive of His Majesty Sultan Qaboos bin Said to empower women by encouraging them to develop sailing skills for recreation and as a profession. We congratulate Oman Sail for this initiative aimed at offering new avenues for Omani women to discover the maritime legacy of Oman.”

AbdulRazak said: “As the nation’s leading banking partner, BankMuscat attaches great importance to national initiatives aimed at preserving the country’s rich heritage and culture. The association with the Oman Sail project stems from BankMuscat’s Corporate Social Responsibility to channelise the country’s heritage to future generations.”



AbdulRazak added: “The partnership with Oman Sail is an important initiative for BankMuscat, demonstrating its commitment to preserve the Sultanate’s maritime legacy. BankMuscat is committed to supporting young Omani women in developing their sailing skills and creating a sustainable sailing future for the country. BankMuscat looks forward to a rewarding partnership with Oman Sail.”

Omani Sailors have shot to prominence on the international sailing stage over the past three years, taking part in some of the world’s highest profile events, including the Extreme 40 Sailing Series and the Tour de France à la Voile. 

Now Oman’s women have taken upon the same opportunity to stand alongside their male colleagues in inspiring the nation and reconnecting Oman with its proud maritime heritage.

Oman Sail’s CEO David Graham explains: “The women’s programme is the next stage in the project and will ensure we fulfil what we set out for the Oman Sail project to achieve.

“After much consultation, we have worked to create the right environment for the women to learn in which will create employment and sports women. The programme is designed to find the right people with the right commitment and we will be communicating with the families every step of the way making sure they understand what we have set out to achieve.”

The programme got underway in July, when 75 young women attended the first of the Women’s Programme open days at Oman Sail sailing centres. Of these, 40 were chosen to attend a three-week training course, developing their basic skills. A number of these women are now in the middle of a six-month training course equipping them to qualify as sailing instructors and take the first steps to becoming Oman’s first professional women sailors.

Afnan Al Adawi, one of the first women to be recruited for the project said: “ I am so happy and proud to be a part of Oman Sail Team, I got to know about sailing after working as a volunteer at the Extreme Sailing Series that was hosted in Muscat and I loved the concept. Now I got the opportunity to pursue my career through sailing, am so pleased to be selected amongst the first Oman Women Team and I will work hard to make my country proud”

Double Olympic gold medallist, Shirley Robertson, and round the world yachtswoman, Samantha Davies, have been recruited as project mentors.

Both are inspiring examples of the opportunities sailing can offer a woman, and they will get a chance to share their knowledge and expertise with the new generation of female Omani sailors when Oman Sail enters a 100 per cent female crew into the second Sailing Arabia – The Tour (SATT), the demanding, offshore race around the Arabian coast, in February 2012.

Sailing Arabia – The Tour is one of the goals Oman Sail has for the Women’s Programme. The other is to have teams of qualified female dinghy instructors in the three Oman Sail sailing centres by March 2012, to help develop Oman’s future sailing stars and to encourage more women to follow in their footsteps and get involved in the sport.

The event was attended by a number of VIPs, including influential women from the region’s leading women’s committees, representatives from the International Olympic Committee (IOC), as well as a number of international and regional media.


For more information about Oman Sail Women’s Programme visit www.omansail.com or http://www.facebook.com/OmanSail