Please select your home edition
Edition
Sea Sure 2025

Young Alex Rice is new Oman Open Laser Champion

by Tony van Thiel on 21 Apr 2011
The fleet positioning itself prior to a start - VOLVO 2011 RAHBC OMAN OPEN LASER CHAMPIONSHIP Various Various
The VOLVO 2011 RAHBC Oman Open Championship for Lasers was sailed for the 29th time last weekend off the Ras al Hamra Recreation Centre beach. 15 Sailors competed in the event organised by the Ras Al Hamra Boat Club (RAHBC) and the Oman Laser Association (OLA) with participants from Castaways (Civil Aviation Recreation Club) and RAHBC.

16 year old youngster Alex Rice won the event with just eight points out of seven races (an almost repeat of last year when he ended third behind two champions from Qatar). Second place was for the RAHBC Commodore and event organiser Tony van Thiel (12 points) with Sailing Captain and best Lady Aly Brandenburg in third place (21 points). fourth place was for John Ambrose who did very well in a strong fleet considering he is only 13 yrs of age. The youth showed again they can beat the older more experienced sailors!


Thursday started with light Easterly winds gradually strengthening throughout the afternoon. This created demanding sailing conditions in the first few races with lots of wind patches and shifts. For the sailor this means he has to continuously evaluate where he is going to sail his boat for optimum speed. In the first race Aly went left whilst Tony and some others thought the right hand side was better. They were wrong. Aly was 300m ahead at the first mark and kept it that way to the end. The following 4 races established the pattern of the end result. Alex won three of them and Tony one. To note were two second places of David Boeyinga and a third place of Abdul Hakeem Al-Kiyumi from Castaways in the third race of the day. Hakeem ended lower than expected as he could not return for the races on the second day as his wife delivered a baby girl - congratulations!

Friday saw a completely different wind pattern: Westerly gradually weakening and tuning North West. This combined with a fairly strong westerly current made for some very challenging and exiting racing. Alex won the first one, Tony the second. Aly followed as third and John as fourth in both races. During the final lap of the last race the wind died completely (as if someone switched it off). The fleet was send back to beach for de-rigging and cleaning the boats and the price giving ceremony that followed.


Prices were awarded to all participants by Volvo MHD representatives Rakesh Malhotra, Brendan Lopez and Umesh Rao. VOLVO has long history in their link with sailing in the world and MHD has been the title sponsor for this event for the fourth year.

Tony thanked the Officers Of the Day (OOD’s) Fred Rourke and Sam Mason assisted by Sam, Olly, Alec and Lucie, for the excellent management of the races. He also thanked all the competitors for taking part, the RAHRC staff and management for the great facilities and VOLVO-MHD for the sponsorship. All in all an excellent regatta which highlighted again the excellent potential for sailing in Oman.







For full details and pictures of the event see:
http://www.rahbc.pdorc.com/Sailing/Sailraces/2011-OLA-Nationals.htm

Sea Sure 2025Switch One DesignVaikobi 2024 December

Related Articles

Entry open for trio of Brisbane Finn events
For three weeks in February 2026 the Finn world will descend on the Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron Entry has opened for the main Finn events in 2026. For three weeks in February 2026 the Finn world will descend on the Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron, in Brisbane, Australia, for three back-to-back major regattas.
Posted today at 8:02 am
XR 41 ready for racing debut at MaiOR
All eyes on Kiel-Schilksee as the offshore racing season starts in northern Europe Every spring, the sailing world turns its eyes to Kiel-Schilksee, where the Mai Offshore Regatta (MaiOR) launches the offshore racing season in northern Europe.
Posted today at 7:20 am
60th Anniversary Congressional Day 1
Strong start for defending champion USA's Chris Poole, defending champion of the Long Beach Yacht Club Congressional Cup leads the first day of the 60th Anniversary event with six straight wins in the opening round-robin stage.
Posted today at 5:18 am
Joker X2's Long Game in the Melbourne Osaka Cup
A quiet sense of achievement after thirty-six days and 5,500 nautical miles After thirty-six days and 5,500 nautical miles, the double-handed crew of Joker X2 crossed the Osaka finish line with a quiet sense of achievement.
Posted today at 1:46 am
New footage of the Nautitech 44 Open & Bavaria C46
Have a look at the latest from Ensign Yachts, plus the J/40 wins under ORC at Pasquavela in Italy In this edition, we highlight a new Yacht Charter service in the Mediterranean, showcase new footage of our award-winning Bavaria C46, and highlight a walkthrough of the Nautitech 44 Open. Plus the J/40 wins under ORC at the Pasquavela in Italy!
Posted on 30 Apr
McIntyre Mini Globe Race fleet battles Pacific
In historic 4,300-mile test of endurance Solo Sailors Face Doldrums, Equipment Failures and Avian Invaders in Unprecedented Small Boat Challenge - week five of leg 2
Posted on 30 Apr
Don't Risk Your Keys on the Water!
Keep them safe and dry in a Vaikobi Car Key Lock Box Don't risk taking your keys on the water... keep them safe and dry in a Vaikobi Car Key Lock Box.
Posted on 30 Apr
21st Sandberg PalmaVela kicks off tomorrow
With the spectacle of the Maxis in Palma Over one hundred teams representing 19 nationalities will gather in the Bay of Palma for the first major multi-class event of the season: the 21st Sandberg PalmaVela. The impressive Maxis will be the first to take the stage.
Posted on 30 Apr
52 SUPER SERIES Saint-Tropez Cup Day 1
Light winds prove insufficient to start racing Although the 11 boat fleet went afloat until mid-afternoon, crews filled with hope and anticipation, the wind refused to build enough for racing to take place on the first day of the new 52 SUPER SERIES season at the 52 SUPER SERIES Saint-Tropez Cup.
Posted on 30 Apr
Transat Paprec Day 11
The Battle of the Leaders Now past the halfway point and sailing through the heart of the Atlantic, the competitors in the Transat Paprec are still locked in an intense battle. A windless zone expected later this week is drawing everyone's attention and forcing tough decisions.
Posted on 30 Apr