The world’s top-ranked windsurfers will descend on Al Mussanah Sports City, Oman, in October for the 2015 RS:X World Windsurfing Championships, the final major meeting before the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro in August 2016. Two years after Oman received worldwide acclaim for hosting the Laser World Championships, the Millennium Resort Mussanah will once again be buzzing with international sailing talent and important dignitaries.

The event is organised by Oman Sail under the umbrella of Oman Sailing Committee chaired by Rashid bin Ibrahim Al Kindi. With the RS:X class celebrating its 10th anniversary this year, the event is expected to attract top officials such as RS:X Class President, Mr Carlo Dalla Vedova, and representatives from the 32 nations competing. The top 50 ranked athletes, including 24 women, will be sizing up the conditions in Oman to prepare for the competition in Rio where the winds and tides are likely to be similar, making this event the perfect warm up event.

Amongst the contestants is Dorian van Rijsselberge from The Netherlands who won the RS:X (Mens) gold medal at the London 2012 Olympics and Bryony Shaw from Britain, the world number one’s woman windsurfer who won bronze at the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008.

“With the Olympic Games just a few months off, the RS:X World Championships will offer a chance for the world to see who could be winning medals in Rio as well as what Oman can offer as a world-class racing venue which is of Olympic standard,” said David Graham, CEO of Oman Sail, which has recently also established a Youth Windsurfing Club.

“We have worked hard to build the infrastructure and capability to host globally-renowned sporting events and, as the Laser World Championships proved in 2013, we can now compete with any venue in the world to successfully stage these international events. We look forward to welcoming all of the athletes before their big test next year” said Rashid Al Kindi, Chairman of Oman Sailing Committee.

Oman’s top windsurfer, Waleed Al Kindi, who is campaigning to be part of Oman Sail’s first ever Olympic squad in 2020, will be watching closely though a recent back injury means his focus is on recovery, shifting his attentions to the ASAF Asian Championships 2016, an Olympic qualifier which will be held in Abu Dhabi next March.

Many of Oman’s windsurfing youth will also be watching closely, seeing the world’s best in action in local waters where their own careers are being nurtured. Up to 40 international coaches will also be on site, as well as back up staff and race teams from the leading national sailing authorities in the world.

Race management is set to comprise Omani umpires who were trained at Oman Sail’s sailing schools across Oman and now officiate at events across the world, while the jury will be made up of Andrus Poksi (EST), Eva Jodlowska (POL), Pilar Lopez (ESP), Bas Edmonds (GBR), John Doerr (GBR), Llker Bayindir (TUR) and Gonzalo Heredia (ARG).

“Oman is fast-becoming one of the top venues for international watersports competitions and it is not difficult to see why, since the conditions are superb and the organisation is top rate, so we are looking forward to our visit and spending our 10th birthday at Mussanah,” said Carlo Dalla Vedova, President of the International RS:X Class Association.

The inaugural RS:X World Championships were held at Lake Garda, Italy, in 2006 while subsequent World Championship Regattas have been held in Cascais, Portugal; Auckland, New Zealand; Kerteminde, Denmark; Weymouth, UK; Perth, Australia; Cadiz, Spain; Buzios, Brazil; and Santander, Spain.

The 2015 World Championships will start on October 19 at Al Mussanah Sports City, which was completed in 2010 in preparation for the 2nd Asian Beach Games. It is part of the Millennium Resort Mussanah which was specially-designed to accommodate world-class events and expand Oman’s tourism industry.

The week will kick off with an opening ceremony on October 18 and is expected to be attended by key Omani dignitaries, Oman Sail management and board members. Racing will continue through to the medal race on Saturday October 24 with regular news updates provided by Oman Sail to local, regional and international followers.