The Hindu : Sport / Sailing : Sabir makes a perfect start

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, May 05, 2004

Sport

Sport - Sailing

Sabir makes a perfect start

By Sanjay Rajan

CHENNAI, MAY 4. Salil Sabir looked at ease in conditions that ranged from moderate to rough — owing to the depression — here on Tuesday. The 16-year-old presumably has experienced huge swells back home in Goa.

The Class XII student of Dempo School rode the wind shifts impressively to win the opening two races in the laser radial class on the second day of the Indian Oil-TNSA Coastal Nationals in the outer harbour.

"This is possibly the best start I've had in a major championship and it sure feels good," said Sabir, the reigning junior National laser radial champion.

"I jumped the start in the first race, and by the time I re-rounded the mark, the fleet was well ahead. I played the wind shifts to catch up and stayed focussed thereafter."

Sabir was the third to round the first mark in the second race. "I realised I had to make up in the downward leg, which I did."

Strong contender Capt. Meenu Dahiya of AYN (Mumbai) was runner-up in the second race. She was disqualified (OCS) in the opening race for not re-starting after jumping the flag.

Amit Arvind of NSC (Mumbai) took the opening race in the laser standard and finished fourth in the second.

Describing the second race, Arvind, a strong favourite, said, "I was leading the pack when the wind suddenly swung to the right, resulting in my slipping to the second spot. I tried being aggressive and went down further."

D.P. Selvam of AYN (Mumbai), who did not finish in the first race, topped the second. "I got the course wrong in the opening race. In the second, I was the fourth to round the windward mark but made up on the reach, run and the second beat with the wind behind me."

In the afternoon, Goa's Chaitanya Chowgule and Asif Sheikh of SCC won the first and second races respectively in the optimist class.

The results:

Laser standard: Race 1: 1. Lt. Amit Arvind (NSC, Mumbai), 2. P. Madhu (AYN, Mumbai), 3. K.V. Gopal (AYN); Race 2: 1. D.P. Selvam (AYN), 2. Madhu, 3. Gopal.

Laser radial: Race 1: 1. Salil Sabir (Goa YA), 2. Neeraj Sharma (INWTC, Mumbai), 3. Suresh Singh (CESC); Race 2: 1. Sabir, 2. Capt. Meenu Dahiya (AYN), 3. Neil Manjoran (INWTC).

Optimist: Race 1: 1. Chaitanya Chowgule (GYA), 2. Abhishek Mahtre (SCC), 3. Shaika (SCC); Race 2: 1. Asif Sheikh (SCC), 2. Xerxes Bamboat (RBYC), 3. Trisha Sabir (GYA).

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