Latest news with #49er
San Francisco Chronicle
14-07-2025
- Automotive
- San Francisco Chronicle
49ers' safety goes first as Malik Mustapha drives pace car at Sonoma Raceway
Malik Mustapha spent much of his youth growing up in the heart of NASCAR country in North Carolina. Fittingly, the San Francisco 49ers ' safety got a front row seat for Sunday's Toyota/Save Mart 350 when he served as the pace car driver. Hours before drivers rumbled their way around the picturesque road course at Sonoma Raceway, Mustapha took the opportunity to get familiar with the track and took a handful of hot laps to prepare. The 2024 fourth-round draft pick likened driving a NASCAR car around the Sonoma road course to playing football. 'You kind of get that adrenaline you get when you hit somebody,' Mustapha said. 'I see the perspective of the other race car drivers here. It was a lot of fun out there.' Despite growing up in the South, Mustapha had never been to a NASCAR race before Sunday. He took it all in and fully embraced the experience. At one point he said he wouldn't rule out potentially joining a NASCAR pit crew team, as several former athletes have done. He also joked about which teammate on the 49ers he would prefer to race. 'Probably (cornerback) Renardo Green,' Mustapha said. 'He drives pretty crazy. I drive pretty crazy, too. I feel like that would be a good race. 'Back home they really appreciate NASCAR so being out here, it's a great environment.' Mustapha is the latest 49er to take part in the weekend festivities in Sonoma. Head coach Kyle Shanahan was the race's grand marshal in 2021, and linerbacker Fred Warner drove the pace car in 2022. Honoring grateness: Hours before the race began, seven-time NASCAR Series champ Jimmie Johnson was inducted into the Sonoma Raceway Hall of Fame. Already in the NASCAR Hall of Fame, Johnson became the 30th inductee to the Sonoma track's Hall of Fame. Johnson won at Sonoma in 2010 and finished with nine top 10-finishes in 18 races at the track. The only female among the group of 37 drivers, Legge spent most of the afternoon way back in the pack before making a move late in the race. The minor success for Legge, 44, came a week after she became the first woman since Danica Patrick in 2017 to finish in the top 20 of a NASCAR Cup race, placing 19th at the Chicago Street Race.
Muscat Daily
13-07-2025
- Sport
- Muscat Daily
Oman's Olympic Class sailors travel to Poland in preparation for 2026 Asian Games
Muscat – Oman's 49er Performance Team, supported by the Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sport, will compete in the 49er, 49erFX, and Nacra 17 Open Polish Championships as part of preparations for the Asian Games 2026. With the Games getting underway in just over 12 months' time, the duo of Musab al Hadi and Waleed al Kindi will travel to Gdynia, Poland, for five days of racing from 14-18 June 2025 with two days of practice before the competition begins. Hashim al Rashdi, Oman Sail's Head Coach Performance, said: 'Participation in the 49er, 49erFX, and Nacra 17 Open Polish Championships is a key component of our strategy for the 49er Performance Team. 'Our ultimate goal is to win a medal in sailing for Oman at the Olympic Games, and with the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games just over three years away, we have to expose our sailors to a high calibre of competition in order to improve. These championships are another opportunity to improve, to learn and to fulfil this objective.' Jacek Nowal, 49er Coach, added, 'This is an important step on our road to the Asian Games 2026 in Japan. Our sailors have the opportunity to compete against and learn from some of the very best in the world in a very high-level championship. We aim to use this event to acclimatise our sailors to the levels we are aiming for, to maximise their strengths and learn to overcome the challenges most commonly encountered on the water ahead of the Asian Games 2026, which is likely to be a qualification event for the LA28 Olympic Games.' The 49er, 49erFX, and Nacra 17 Open Polish Championships are organised by the Polish Yachting Association. A maximum of 15 races will be sailed across the five days of the event, with the medal races scheduled for Friday. The event is held as part of the 26th annual Gdynia Sailing Days festival, one of the largest and most prestigious sailing festivals in Europe – lasting 20 days. Located on the Baltic Sea, the port city boasts a rich maritime history and a growing reputation as a sailing destination. Gdynia will also host the World Sailing Championships in 2027, which will also be a qualification event for the LA28 Olympic Games.
Times of Oman
23-06-2025
- Sport
- Times of Oman
Oman's High Performance 49er Team Sets Sail at Kieler Woche 2025
Muscat – Oman's high performance 49er team has commenced racing in Kiel, Germany, at the prestigious Kieler Woche regatta, one of the world's largest sailing events. The team, represented by Musab Al Hadi and Waleed Al Kindi, has joined 81 crews from 22 nations in the Men's Skiff 49er competition, held from 21 - 25 June as part of the event's Olympic programme. The event marks the team's second major international competition of the season, following their participation in the 49er European Championship in Greece earlier this month. With 12 races scheduled over five days, the regatta offers a critical opportunity to refine skills and gain experience against a highly competitive fleet. The team, however, was forced to wait for their first race of the day due to the light summer breeze and ended their shortened in 33rd position after completing just two races. Hashim Al Rashdi, Oman Sail's Head Performance Coach, commented: 'Kieler Woche is a cornerstone event in our preparation for the Asian Games 2026 and the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games. The level of competition here is exceptional, providing our sailors with an ideal platform to test their progress under pressure. Musab and Waleed have shown great dedication, and we're confident this event will play a key role in their development as they work toward Olympic qualification.' The team is coached by Jacek Nowak, a seasoned 49er campaigner with extensive experience in European and world championships. Nowak emphasised the importance of adaptability: 'Kiel's conditions can be unpredictable, demanding quick decision-making and technical precision. Our goal is to leverage every race to strengthen the crew's tactical awareness and resilience, which are key for the upcoming World Championship and Asian Championship.' Following Kieler Woche, the team will return to Oman for further training before heading to the 49er World Championship in Italy from 7-13 October and the Asian Sailing Championship in November.
Hindustan Times
11-06-2025
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
49ers and Bryce Huff hope the pass rusher will be a perfect fit in San Francisco
SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Bryce Huff went into the offseason expecting a trade after failing to produce in a new role in his one year in Philadelphia after signing a lucrative contract as a free agent. Ending up in San Francisco seems to be a perfect fit. After being a proverbial square peg in a round hole with the Eagles when he was used as a standup outside linebacker instead of a pass rusher off the edge, Huff has reunited with his former coach Robert Saleh in a scheme that caters to his strength of being able to get off the ball quickly and disrupt opposing quarterbacks. 'I learned a lot about myself throughout that experience,' Huff said Wednesday about his season with the Eagles. 'It just didn't work out at the end of the day. So you live and you learn. All I focus on is what I'm doing right now and that's being a 49er and doing everything I can to help this team win.' The Niners are counting on Huff to be able to do just that, believing that he can be the bookend speed rusher across from star Nick Bosa that the team has been seeking ever since a back injury sidelined Dee Ford after he helped the team reach the Super Bowl in 2019. Ford had 6 1/2 sacks in 11 games that season when Saleh was defensive coordinator but played only seven games the next two seasons because of the injuries, leaving a void in the defense that the 49ers believe Huff can fill. 'He affects the quarterback,' coach Kyle Shanahan said. "When you talk about just getting off the ball and how fast he does it. He will be our best get off the ball guy we've had since Dee Ford. So in terms of that, it's good to beat tackles that way, but also widens tackles to help with the inside pass rush and things like that and he affects the quarterback.' The Niners got Huff on the cheap a year after he signed a $51.1 million, three-year deal with Philadelphia. San Francisco traded a conditional fifth-round pick last month for Huff and are on the hook for only $7.95 million of salary this season. Huff had his best success as a pro under Saleh with the New York Jets, He was initially as an undrafted free agent in 2020 and began to emerge as a key player after Saleh took over as head coach the following year and turned him from a linebacker into a defensive end. Huff put on about 20 pounds of muscle and began to show flashes quickly before breaking through with a 10-sack season in 2023 that led to the big free-agent contract. 'Speed off the edge,' Saleh said of Huff's biggest strength. 'I think highly of him as a pass rusher. Thought he was very productive, obviously, with the Jets. He wins at such a high rate. A lot of times we look at pass rushers, we look as sacks and sacks are important. They end drives. It's what ultimately gets these guys paid. But his disruption rate in getting the quarterback off the spot and the way he can do it now. ... He wins so quickly so often that coordinators have to account for his presence on the field.' Huff had 67 pressures on just 334 pass rush snaps in 2023 for the Jets, according to Pro Football Focus, as he became one of the most efficient pass rushers in the game. The Niners were in need of another pass rusher after cutting Leonard Floyd early in the offseason. They drafted Mykel Williams 11th overall in April but had no other defensive end who had a season with at least five sacks in the NFL. Yetur Gross-Matos is the only other edge rusher on the roster with extensive experience. Gross-Matos had four sacks last season in his first year with San Francisco. 'He's going to bring that speed demon off the edge, that's going require a running back or a chip opposite of Nick,' left tackle Trent Williams said. 'I think he adds that the kind of that Dee Ford effect that they had in '19 that took them to the Super Bowl. One of the reasons we had a really, really good defense for those couple years is having that guy who can actually make that quarterback step up by getting a good jump off the ball and being able to bend the edge.' /hub/nfl
Times of Oman
01-06-2025
- General
- Times of Oman
Oman Sail High performance team headed to Greece for the 2025 49er European Championship
Muscat: Oman Sail high performance 49er team will join 56 crews from 25 nations in Thessaloniki, Greece, for the 2025 49er European Championships, organised by the Hellenic Sailing Federation and International 49er and Nacra Class Association. The event, which also features 49erFX and Nacra 17 competition, begins on 3 June and runs through until 8 June, with a practice race on 2 June. Representing Oman will be Musab Al Hadi and Waleed Al Kindi, with three races scheduled for each day of qualifying culminating in a final series and medal race on the last day of competition. Hashim Al Rashdi, Oman Sail's Head Performance Coach, said, 'This is a prestigious event where we will line up against some of the most accomplished 49er sailors in the world. The qualification campaign for the Asian Games 2026 and Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games will begin soon and events like this in the build up are valuable experience to make sure our preparations are on track and our sailors realise the levels they need to reach. We are looking forward to testing ourselves against such a diverse fleet in Greece and progressing throughout the year.' Musab Al Hadi added, 'We are incredibly focused and determined to achieve our ultimate goal of qualifying for the Olympic Games and representing the nation in the sailing competition. Together with Waleed Al Kindi, we have been working on our tactical and technical approach to racing, and we are both looking ahead to improving on the water this season. The 49er European Championship is the first step on what we hope will be a successful journey.' The team will be coached during the Championship by experienced Polish coach Jacek Nowak. A former Polish national 49er team sailor himself, Nowak has also gained experience on board the Poland team in the Star Sailors League 2023 and on board the victorious Cape31 Team 'Aspire'. He has been coach of the Finnish national 49er team and guided a variety of crews through European and World Championship campaigns. Jacek Nowak commented, 'The tactical and technical aspect of the championship is vital to the long-term success of Oman's 49er team. The crew need to be able to anticipate and adapt to changing conditions and situations to score points and secure a place in the final series. We have been working on tactics and how to overcome challenges on the water, stay focused and make the correct choice under pressure. This ability will be important in Greece but also extends beyond a single event to build a winning mentality.' After the conclusion of the 49er European Championship in Greece, the team will then return to Oman before departing for Germany to take part in Kieler Woche from 21-25 June. The team will also be competing at the 49er World Championship in Italy from 7-13 October and the Asian Sailing Championship in November. event website.
