Optimist Sailing Championship Sets Sail in Abu Dhabi: A Global Spectacle

The Optimist Asian and Oceanian Championships are going to happen in the capital of the United Arab Emirates, with over 170 competitors from 29 countries competing.

The UAE, with a team of nine, will compete alongside some of the world’s best young sailors when Abu Dhabi hosts the 2023 Optimist Asian and Oceanian Championship next week.

The week-long international regatta, which is being held for the first time in the capital of the United Arab Emirates, is expected to attract over 170 competitors from 29 countries.

In collaboration with the Asian Sailing Federation, the UAE Sailing and Rowing Federation, and the Abu Dhabi Sports Council—which held a formal press conference at its headquarters today—the Abu Dhabi Marine Sports Club is in charge of organizing and hosting the event.

The regatta, which is supported by Abu Dhabi Ports and Al Mariah Bank, will include five days of competitive sailing that begins on Tuesday after registration on Sunday and the formal opening ceremony on Monday.

This is the 50th-anniversary continental championship for members of the International Optimist Dinghy Association, a continental organization that represents Asian and Oceanian nations and manages the core sailing class for children aged 7 to 15.

At today’s press conference, Salem Al Rumaithi, the Director General of the Abu Dhabi Marine Sports Club, stated that thousands of spectators are anticipated to watch the regatta on the Abu Dhabi Corniche, which offers an ideal viewing area for the racing.

According to him, the event’s staging in Abu Dhabi was the result of years of planning and a winning bid, and it affirms ADMSC’s dedication to organizing sustainable water sports events. “We are now reaping the fruits of all the hard work that has been done,” he stated.

Sheikh Ahmed bin Hamdan Al Nahyan, the President of the Emirates Modern Sailing and Rowing Federation, Saeed Al Muhairi, the Director of Technical Affairs at the Abu Dhabi Sports Council, and Ajay Narang, the Vice President of Africa, Asia, and Oceania at IODA, were also in attendance at today’s press conference.

According to Sheikh Ahmed, holding the regatta highlights Abu Dhabi’s reputation as a premier destination for sailing and other water sports.

It also adds to the extensive schedule of water sports competitions that ADMSC, the home of Team Abu Dhabi, the winners of 17 world powerboat championship titles in the previous eight years, has hosted over the years. These competitions range from sailing to wakeboarding.

Saif Alzaabi, Omar Qandil, Abdulah Al Zabidi, Abdelrahman Albahri, Khalifa Al Romaithi, Mayed Al Ali, Mediya Alneyadi, Kornelia Pajak, and Simeon Hristov make up the UAE team that is racing in the regatta.

UAE to host, nations welcome~

Teams from Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Bahrain, Britain, China, Cyprus, France, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Japan, Libya, Malaysia, Netherlands, New Zealand, Oman, Singapore, South Africa, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Taipei, Tajikistan, Thailand, Turkey, and the United States have also shown interest in this event, in addition to the host nation.

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