Oman Sail to host the 2021 49er, 49erFX, and Nacra 17 World Championships
by Oman Sail 26 Oct 2020 20:15 PDT
16–21 November 2021
49er, 49erFX, and Nacra 17 Worlds, Al Mussanah Sports City, © Oman Sail
Oman Sail will host a 400-strong fleet of the world’s best sailors when the World Championships for three Olympic classes kick off in November 2021. Taking place in Asia for the first time ever, sailors in the 49er, 49erFX, and Nacra 17 classes will kickstart their path to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games during the six-day event.
The championship will run from 16–21 November 2021 at Al Mussanah Sports City, driving tourism in the governorate and further enhancing Oman’s pedigree as a world class host of major international events. It is anticipated that Olympians continuing their racing careers will take part at the Championship alongside the next generation of high-performance doubles sailors, all looking to start their 2024 Olympic campaign in good form.
Dr. Khamis Al Jabri, Oman Sail CEO, said, “Hosting the 2021 49er, 49erFX, and Nacra 17 World Championships is another opportunity for the Sultanate to share its warm hospitality with the international sailing community. The regatta forms an important component of the national priorities of Oman’s Vision 2040 in terms of boosting sports tourism and unlocking opportunities for local businesses and the community to deliver positive economic return for the country. This is an incredibly exciting event for Oman Sail and we look forward to welcoming sailors from across the world to our shores.”
Marcus Spillane, Nacra 17 Class President, said, “Oman has a great reputation for organizing world class regattas and we are confident that the event will be a great test for the teams.”
Oman Sail’s Olympic hopeful in the 49er class, Musab Al Hadi, said, “As the first global sailing event after the Tokyo Olympic Games, this will be a strong test of every bit of international experience the Oman Olympic Sailing team has gained against the very best in class. The conditions will be perfect for the sailors and coaches and we hope that our fellow sailors enjoy visiting Oman as much as we enjoy hosting them.”
Al Hadi along with Waleed Al Kindi, along with duo AbdulRahman Al Mashari and Ahmed Al Hasni have all returned to training intensively in preparation for the 2021 ASAF Asian Sailing Championships, an Olympic qualification event for 49er planned to be held in Abu Dhabi.
Building on the long-held affinity for the sea, the Sultanate of Oman has gained a reputation in the sailing world as an accomplished host of events where Omani sailors compete against the very best in the world. Combining excellent sailing conditions with powerful sea breezes and pleasant waves and a fully-equipped marina in the heart of a sports city purpose-built for the 2010 Asian Beach Games offer ideal surroundings for another outstanding event in 2021 following the success of events such as the 2013 Laser World Championships, the 2015 RSX world Championships and the 2019 Asian and Oceanian Optimist Championships.
Oman Sail’s professional race management team will welcome the competitors and introduce many to the country. Opportunities for visitors to stay longer in the Sultanate and explore further, experiencing everything that makes the country so special, will also be available, including personalised city tours, cultural visits and adventuring into the mountains, the sea and the desert.
As with past championships, Oman Sail and the 49er and Nacra 17 Class will focus significantly on the maintaining a positive environmental impact by minimising waste, emphasising recycling and aiming to leave the sea in a better condition than before the regatta. The Championship will also prioritise the fan experience with a live broadcast of the event and in-depth social media programming. As well as an event village offering local & international cuisine & full cultural activities for families.
More information about the championships is available at Oman Sail’s page omansail.com or the Class website. 49er.org/event/2021-world-championship