(MENAFN- Muscat Daily) Oman's bid to become a top international sailing destination received a major boost recently when it was selected as one of the hosts for the 2013 edition of the prestigious RC44 Championship Tour.Oman Sail will host the international fleet for the championship's opening leg at the The Wave, Muscat early next year. The Muscat leg will be held from January 30 to February 3, 2013 at the same venue that has already hosted three editions of the Extreme Sailing Series.After the opening leg in Muscat, the RC44 Championship Tour will head to Sicily, Italy (May 1-5, 2013), Marstrand, Sweden (June 25-29), Cascais, Portugal (October 2-6) and Puerto Calero Marinas, Lanzarote, Canary Islands (November 20-24). A total of 15 teams are expected to take part in the 2013 Tour opener at The Wave, Muscat.The RC44 Championship Tour, which began in 2007, is a highly-rated regatta that is recognised by the International Sailing Federation and features some of the top names in the global sailing community.The Muscat leg is being seen as a crucial launch pad for Oman Sail, which is trying to become a regular host for world-class sailing competitions. Issa al Ismaili, event director at Oman Sail, said, The Wave, Muscat is the home of Oman Sail with plenty of berths for big boats at its marina. Add to that our new sailing school and all the technical facilities and human resources, and it becomes an ideal venue for this kind of championship.Ismaili, however, pointed out that unlike the Extreme Sailing Series, the RC44 event won't involve public activities or a race village. Instead, we are putting together some social functions on and off the water, involving local dignitaries and sponsors, designed to showcase the sultanate of Oman, he said.Ismaili added, It is part of Oman Sail's mission to promote the country as a tourism and investment destination. So we are opening the doors to new investment opportunities by welcoming RC44 team owners, RC44 Tour fans and other top individuals from the business world.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.