Muscat – Oman has secured qualification for the Star Sailors League (SSL) Gold Cup 2026, marking a milestone for the sultanate on the international sailing stage.
SSL Team Oman sealed its place in the world finals with a race to spare after a dominant performance at the Asian Qualifiers in Thailand. The team won all six races, including the final by a margin of more than 400m, finishing unbeaten at the top of its group. The battle for second place was contested by the United Arab Emirates and Kazakhstan.
Qualification was confirmed after Oman won the fifth race, which carried double points, underlining the team’s consistency and control throughout the regatta. The result earns Oman a place among 56 national teams from across all continents that will compete for the title of World Champion of Nations at the Gold Cup, scheduled for November 2026 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
With this result, Oman joins six Asian nations – Japan, China, Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia and India – that had already qualified for the event based on national team rankings derived from elite international performances.
The sultanate was represented by a squad of sailors from Oman Sail, led by skipper Nasser al Mashari. The team included Hussain al Jabri, Yasser al Rahbi, Ali al Balushi, Akram al Wahaibi, Haitham al Wahaibi, Raad al Hadi and Abdulrahman al Mashari, along with female sailors Ibtisam al Salmi and Marwa al Khaifi.
Abdulaziz Salim al Shidi, Acting Director of Sailing at Oman Sail, said the qualification reflected sustained investment in developing national talent. “This achievement is the result of continuous effort by the sailors and the technical and administrative teams supporting them,” he said. “It confirms that Omani sailing is progressing steadily towards global competitiveness. We look forward to a strong participation in Brazil that reflects Oman’s sports standing.”
Skipper Mashari said the result was driven by collective effort and trust. “The competition was tough, but team spirit and mutual confidence helped us achieve our goal,” he said. “Qualifying for the world finals motivates us to prepare harder and aim for a strong performance in Brazil.”
SSL is regarded as one of the most demanding competitions in international sailing. All teams race identical SSL47 yachts, placing emphasis on skill, tactics, execution and teamwork rather than equipment advantage.
