After the resounding successes of the Muscat leg of the Extreme Sailing Series and Sailing Arabia-The Tour, Oman Sail is all set for another international sailing event Mussanah Race Week 2012, that kicks off today (12 March 2012)
Launched in 2011 by Oman Sail, Mussanah Race Week embraces a unique concept in the world of sailing by bringing together world-class coaching for the first two day of the event and a 3 day international-standard racing. For five days sailors with a range of backgrounds, from sailors from around the globe to Oman national team, school students and expatriates alike, will listen and learn so that they can sail and win.
Mussanah Race Week is an international event that has seen massive growth over last year. In 2011 the event saw racing take place in four classes with 78 sailors and four coaches. In 2012 there will be eight classes on the water with over 160 sailors and over 140 boats and will be coached by six internationally acclaimed coaches. The sailors themselves have come from as close as Muscat and Bahrain to as far away as Croatia UK, France and the Caribbean.
Coaches have been thoughtfully chosen to give a broad skill base in which to tutor the sailors. Not only will they learn to master their boats in a range of conditions, but they will also learn the rules of racing, race management and nutrition to enhance peak performance. Leigh Macmillan will be taking time off from the Extreme 40s and sharing his incredible skill with the Laser sailors. Nick Thompson, one of Britain’s most promising Laser sailors and a world championship medalist in 2009 and 2010, will Leigh coaching the Laser fleet.
In the Hobie 16 catamaran fleet Coen De Koning, a double world champion and senior coach of the Dutch Sailing Federation will be on hand to offer invaluable advice. Will Howden, a multiple-medal winner in the Olympic Tornado class, will join Coen with the Hobie 16s.
All these coaches will be joined by Oman Sail’s national team coaches, Mark ‘Corky’ Rhodes in the Laser fleet and Paul Wakelin in the Hobie fleet. ‘Through this event we are bringing world-class coaching to an area of the world where we are trying to develop the sport. It is about bringing the skill here and keeping it here in the young sailors,’ said Rhodes. ‘By doing it in such a high-profile and international way we are showing that Oman and the Middle East can provide the best events at unrivaled venues,’ he continued. ‘As coaches we are here to inspire the youth and show them how to not only compete and be competitive, but to instill a sense of sportsmanship and make it enjoyable. Mussanah Race Week gives us the perfect opportunity to do just that.’ added Wakelin.
Coaching and racing will take place in the one-man Laser dinghy and the two-man Hobie 16. Both classes will have male and female sailors, with the Hobie 16 having mixed crews. Mussanah Race Week also gives the students from the Try Sailing sessions the opportunity to race against their peers in morning sessions as well as offer the opportunity for more people to try their hand at sailing within the safety of the marina.
The first two days of Mussanah Race Week are dedicated to the coaching side and clinics take place on shore. These clinics cover boat handling, tactics, weather, fitness, rules and more. The final three days are focused on taking those skills out onto the water and putting them into practice in real races. During the races the coaches will be on the water in small speedboats offering real-time coaching and encouragement.
