Wednesday 06 / May / 2026
Muscat: Oman Sail’s High Performance 29er team of Tamim Al Balushi & Saleh Al Balushi finished in the top ten of the Silver Fleet at the Euro Cup Series, which took place in Lake Garda, Italy, from 1-3 May 2026. The pair steadily improved as racing progressed, ending the round strongly in the Silver Fleet. The team of Saud Al Shaqsi & Firas Al Nabhani also sailed in the Silver Fleet, finishing just outside the top 20 in 21st position and even winning the 9th race of the 10-race round.
These results placed Tamim Al Balushi & Saleh Al Balushi in 40th overall and Saud Al Shaqsi & Firas Al Nabhani 51st overall out of a total of 74 international teams.
Fabrice Jaunet, Oman Sail’s 29er coach, was pleased with the performance, saying, “The determination and concentration required to consistently improve and adapt to changing weather conditions is an important skill to have and will benefit our sailors moving forward. Both pairs performed very well in the conditions and showed they belong alongside the world’s best 29er sailors in what was their first time competing at a regatta of this level. We have more events to come this season, and each one is a new opportunity.”
Assistant coach Zakarya Al Wahabi added, “We knew the fleet would be of a very high standard, and our team is a new addition to Oman Sail’s sailing programme, so to finish as high as 10th and within touching distance of the top 20 in the Silver Fleet is a very good achievement for our sailors. They have seen the levels they have the potential to reach and have seen first-hand how they must perform to reach those levels. We are not far away from competing for medals and will be working towards this goal in the regattas to come.”
The development of a new national team in the 29er discipline comes as a key component of Oman Sail’s mission to rekindle the nation’s maritime heritage by promoting Oman through sailing and creating long-term learning opportunities for the national youth. This addition makes sailing even more accessible and creates a new pathway to develop local talent in the sport and beyond.
The team now return to Oman to prepare for the upcoming Kiel Week in Germany from 24–29 June and the 2026 29er World Championship, also in Germany, from 2–7 July. The team will also participate in a training camp in France alongside the French national team, from 15–25 August.
Later in the year, the team is planning for competition at the 2026 Asian Games at Kaiyoh Yacht Harbour in Gamagori, Japan, running from 19 September until 4 October.
More details about the Euro Cup Series on Lake Garda, including the full set of race results, can be found on the official event website here.
