Our history makes
our future stronger

2009 started with just seven Omani sailors sailing Extreme 40s in Europe, training for the Clipper Race, circumnavigating the world non-stop and learning to be instructors - so our first recruitment drive for more young, fit and committed Omanis had to begin in earnest.

A total of six hundred Omanis applied to be one of the few given the chance to compete in the national team and eventually raise the Omani flag. They were whittled down through mental, physical and personality tests.

On the final weekend, the forty remaining hopefuls were taken to a secluded beach where they were put through their paces in sailing trials, mental tests and physical challenges. From here, a final twenty-two were selected to be Oman Sail trainees and given the chance to prove themselves.

For this new intake, Head Coach Mark ‘Corky’ Rhodes was joined by Neil Coxon as Director of Training and George Rice as Training Operations Manager. With the original Omani instructors, Ali Ambusaidi and Saleh Al Jabri, a strong team was in place to ensure that the new entrants were given the best training possible.

After a month of intense training in the UK, the new trainees returned to Oman where the sailing paths matching their strengths were agreed upon. With opportunities on giant world class racing trimarans, exciting Extreme 40s, the competitiveness of Lasers and Hobie 16s and as instructors, there was something for everyone and soon the Sailing School was a revolving door of highly trained and motivated young Omanis as they headed for distant corners of the world.

Complementing all these sailors were the Omani shore team, fixing and maintaining the boats and repairing the sails.

At the end of 2009, a second recruitment drive took place, and an unprecedented eight hundred CVs were received. As a result, the year ended with twelve proud new faces joining the Sailing School as the previous intake progressed from trainees to sailors, a very proud day for the Oman Sail Sailing School and Oman.

2010 and beyond sees the Sailing School concentrate on the training and development of all new members, and consolidating the progress made in 2009.

• Two sailors who were chosen for the offshore stream saw themselves on Majan as part of the Indian Ocean Five Capes Race team and the Route du Rhum preparation crew.
• Sixteen dinghy sailors will be training for the Asian Beach Games in the short term with Olympic dreams as the end goal for them.-
• Two sailors sailed around the world in the Clipper Race.
• Five sailors will compete in the month long Tour de France a la Voile with the hope of hosting an Omani version of the same race in the future.
• Nine graduates will train more instructors for the future Oman Sailing Schools which will open along the coast of Oman; seven new school are planned by the end of 2015.
• Three sailors will be competing in the Extreme Sailing Series Europe on Extreme 40s.
• Two sail makers will prepare a loft in Muscat to maintain and repair sails for the Oman Sail fleet.
• Two boat-builders will be on hand to support any of the teams with their skills developed from building Oman Sail's Majan, working on other offshore boats and maintaining the dinghies and support boats in the Sailing School.