Sultanate of Oman welcomes top Laser Radial sailors

All set for the Laser Radial Women's Worlds in Oman © Mark Lloyd

The top 100 Laser Radial Women sailors, together with their coaches and support staff, are touching down in the Sultanate of Oman for the 2015 Laser Radial Women's World Championships that kicks off on Friday 20 November. The competition promises to be fierce.

Some have already booked their Olympic spots for Rio starting in August next year while others will be going all out to use this final opportunity in the Olympic cycle to secure their country's qualification.

Gintare Volungeviciute-Scheidt from Lithuania, who is one of the favourites to be crowned 2015 Laser Radial World Champion after winning the Test event in Rio in August, is sure of her place in Rio but is still feeling the pressure.

"This is the most important regatta of the year for all the girls aside from the Test event so many of them arrived in Oman a few weeks early to train, to make sure they have time to get used to the conditions," she said.

"Lithuania has already qualified for the Olympics so we may be a bit more relaxed but the racing will still be tough because a few of the strong countries still have to earn their qualification which is why everyone is training so hard.

"I don't feel I have any advantage because the conditions here in Oman are very different to Rio. Most of the racing in Rio was in flat waters not open sea so Mussanah is a very different test."

Her husband, nine times Laser World Champion Robert Scheidt of Brazil, won the Laser World Championships held in Mussanah two years ago and has been able to pass on some handy hints though, she says, they will have limited value in the heat of battle.

"He has been able to tell me about the area and the wind but at these make or break events, it is always about the moment. That day, that moment so I will need to find out for myself."

Snapping at her heels on the race track will be Evi Van Acker from Belgium who is ranked world number one and Dutch rival Marit Bouwmeester, silver medallist at London 2012 and ranked fourth in the world.

Alison Young from Great Britain, Denmark's Anne-Marie Rindom and Paige Riley from the US, who came fourth at the Test Event in August are other names to watch though much of the spotlight will be on Lijia Xu, the reigning Olympic champion from China who has not raced in two years and has no plans for a 2016 Olympic campaign.

"Lily has only been back in the boat for a few weeks and is really enjoying it after such a long gap," explained her coach Jon Emmett.

"She has just been doing some training in England and is now really enjoying the warm weather in Oman!"

The 2015 Laser Radial Women's World Championships follow hard on the heels of the hugely successful RS:X World Championships held at Mussanah last month and will comprise six days of racing, with two back to back races each day.

The competition, which kicks off with a special welcome evening featuring traditional Omani music, dancing, food and customs, will culminate in a prize-giving and closing ceremony attended by a host of dignitaries from the Sultanate of Oman, event organisers Oman Sail and from the International Laser Class Association.

"These athletes have come to Oman on a serious Olympics mission and we sincerely hope that Mussanah can play an important – and happy – part in their careers," said Salma Al Hashmi, Oman Sail Marketing and Events Director.

"This will be a big test for them and another significant one for us at Oman Sail as regatta organisers. This will be the third major World Championships we have hosted in three years and all of them have attracted warm support and encouraging feedback for organisation and race management.

"We are lucky to have superb facilities here with the Millennium Resort hotel and athletes village, space to dock 400 sailing boats and other equipment, plus a fully equipped media centre so we hope the Laser Radial community makes the most of them and enjoys a successful and memorable event."

Live race blog: www.omansail.com