I will admit to not knowing much about Oman. I know that it is a Sultanate. It exports oil. I can find it on the map on the south-east corner of the Arabian peninsula. One thing that I do know is that it has a rather remarkable sailing program.
The Omani national sail training ship Shabab Oman is highly thought of in the sail training community. Under the command of Captain Christopher Biggins, who died last year, Shabab Oman became well known as an extremely friendly ship, and as a result she won ‘The Cutty Sark Trophy’ a record four times, and its successor ‘The Sail Training International Friendship Trophy‘ another three times. Last year the Sultanate of Oman began providing funding for up to 100 tall ship sail trainees yearly, with a focus on young people who are who are financially disadvantaged or with a physical disability.
In more modern sailing, Omani men have been increasingly active in international competitions. As of October, the state sponsored Oman Sail enrolled 40 women in a sailing program. Omani women are now competing in international sailboat races and may soon be competing in Olympic sailing events.
From this first group in the Omani Women’s Sailing Programme was recruited the all-women Al Thuraya Bank Muscat sailing team, which raced in February’s Sailing Arabia – the Tour 2012. The race included nine teams competing aboard Farr30 and M34 one-designs in both offshore events and around the buoys. Leading the Al Thuraya Bank Muscat team were Western professional sailors including the formidable British Vendée Globe veteran Dee Caffari and U.S. Volvo Ocean Race veteran Katie Pettibone. Also joining the team was Suzanne Al Houby, the first Arab woman to climb Mount Everest.
Omani Women Pushing Boundaries
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Very, very cool!
well done ladies,, but always remember, we’r woman, we can do anything.