(MENAFN- Muscat Daily) Eight young Optimist sailors from Oman Sail are proving themselves ahead of a packed international schedule at an intensive training programme held in Nea Makri on the east coast of Greece.
The youngsters aged between 10 and 15 and members of the Omantel Youth Programme co-sponsored by Oman Shipping Company are halfway through a two-week training camp and have impressed Oman Sail coaches with their work rate and progress during the team and individual challenges on and off the water.
Long days spent working on fitness levels boat handling techniques and race strategies are paying dividends and presenting national selectors with food for thought ahead of the World Optimist Championships in Poland in August where five places are up for grabs. Selectors will also have to choose six contenders for the IODA Optimist African championships in Algeria in September and six for the Asian and Oceanian Championships in Doha in October.
'These young sailors are working very hard which has resulted in a dramatic improvement in performance' commented Sultan al Zadjali the Mussanah Sailing Centre coach who is also gaining valuable experience after being selected to head up the Optimist preparations.
'They are happy and motivated so even though the days where we can spend up to eight hours on the water can leave them tired it is exciting to see them take such huge strides forward in their development.
'We came here because there is guaranteed breeze typical of the sort we will experience in Poland allowing the sailors to try out new race strategies and learn to handle their boats more confidently in these conditions. We are seeing more boat speed and their decisions over where they should be on the race track are becoming smarter.'
Zadjali who is working in conjunction with Marina Psichogiou Oman Sail's Youth Programme manager in Greece said the potential among the Oman National Optimist squad is exciting an observation that Rashid al Kindi Oman Sail's National Youth Team manager endorses.
'This is not just about sailing the sailors are learning how to work together as a team and have been bringing the best out of each other. They will return home as improved sailors fitter than they have ever been.
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