Thursday 31 / July / 2025
Muscat: Five members of Oman’s Optimist Team are currently preparing to travel to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, for the 2025 Optimist African Championship. Getting underway on 2 August 2025, the week-long event will bring together 75 of the best Optimist sailors from 14 nations across the region and further afield.
Representing Oman will be Khamis Nasser Al Meshaikhi, Mohammed Ziyad Al Qasmi, Khaled Yahya Al Sarihi, Tarteel Zaid Al Hasani and Hadeel Yousuf Al Mushaifri. All five competitors will be aiming to compete for podium positions as well as using the event as a key training event ahead of the IODA Optimist Asian & Oceanian Championships in October.
The delegation will be led by Hashim Al Rashdi, Oman Sail’s Head Coach Performance, and coached by Hassan Al Rahbi, Optimist Coach.
Hashim Al Rashdi said, “This is an important event in terms of gauging progress against sailors from across our region as well as another opportunity to fine tune the tactical and technical aspects of our sailors. We are now entering a busy period where there are four major events in the coming months. A strong showing in Tanzania will allow us to head home with confidence to build for the next event.”
The Optimist team will also compete in the International Optimist Team Race in Swaziland from 14-17 August and the in the Oman Sailing Championship in Sur from 18-22 August. Focus then turns to Mussanah for the 14th edition of Mussanah Race Week, held from 15-22 October, and the IODA Optimist Asian & Oceanian Championship following quickly afterwards from 25 October until 1 November.
