Tuesday 23 / June / 2026
Muscat: Registration is now officially open for the historic 15th edition of Mussanah Race Week, presented by Renaissance Services. Scheduled to take place from 15-21 October 2026 at the Barceló Mussanah Resort, this milestone event celebrates a decade and a half of sporting impact, bringing together more than 100 international sailors for an intensive week of world-class coaching, camaraderie, and elite competition.
Once again, the pristine and highly reliable conditions in Mussanah are set to provide the ideal platform for the region's top athletes to showcase their skills. The regatta will feature racing across the Optimist, Optimist Juniors, ILCA 4, ILCA 6, ILCA 7, and Para Inclusive Hansa 303 and RS Venture Connect classes.
Since its inception, Mussanah Race Week has established itself as a cornerstone of youth development and high-performance sailing in the region. The Mussanah Sailing School, operated by Oman Sail, has grown to become a designated Category A High Performance Centre by the Asian Sailing Federation (ASAF). Over the past 15 editions, this venue has served as the launchpad for Oman’s National Sailing Teams, offering emerging talent a direct pathway from grassroots discovery to international-standard competition, and a crucial stepping stone in the development of young sailors across the region and around the world.
This grassroots initiative has spent fifteen years breaking down barriers to the sport, inspiring successive generations of Omani youth, and demonstrating the accessibility of sailing at the Barceló Mussanah Resort. Community engagement remains at the heart of the event's enduring legacy.
Abdulaziz Salim Al Shidi, Acting Sailing Director at Oman Sail, said, “Reaching the 15th edition of Mussanah Race Week is a proud testament to the incredible growth of sailing across the region and the success of the event in developing local and international talent. Over the past fifteen years, we have watched this event evolve from a regional development regatta into a globally respected high-performance hub that consistently elevates the calibre of competing athletes. It is incredibly rewarding to see sailors who took their very first steps here return as seasoned international competitors, proving that our long-term commitment to coaching, friendship, and sportsmanship is delivering tangible results for the sport.”
Hamad Khalfan Al Yahmadi, Mussanah Race Week Project Manager, added, “Mussanah Race Week has always been a festival of sailing that champions the core values of inclusion, diversity, and mutual understanding. Celebrating our 15th edition allows us to look back at an undeniable success story for Oman Sail and our national sports tourism strategy while offering a warm welcome to sailors, coaches and teams from around the world once more. This landmark year is not just about fierce competition on the water, but about honouring fifteen years of bringing cultures together and laying a solid foundation for the next generation of global sailing stars.”
The competition will see athletes undertake three practice days before launching into a maximum of 12 races per class, capped at four races per day, to determine the champions. Reflecting the event's focus on development, prizes will be awarded for the overall top three in each class, the top three Junior sailors under the age of 12, the top three female competitors.
Sustainability remains a defining element of Mussanah Race Week's modern legacy. Building on the Gold Clean Regatta Certification awarded by Clean Regattas in recent years, the 2026 edition reinforces Oman Sail's strict environmental benchmarks. Comprehensive waste reduction measures, dedicated recycling programmes, and a total ban on single-use plastics will be enforced across the venue. A coordinated community beach clean-up is also scheduled to take place during the week, highlighting the event's ongoing commitment to marine conservation.
Mussanah Race Week 2026 is organised by Oman Sail under the supervision of Oman Maritime Sport Committee, with the support of Renaissance Services as the presenting partner and Barceló Mussanah Resort as the venue partner. Full details regarding registration and event schedules are available on the official event website.
