The Hindu : Sport / Sailing : A tough day overall

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, May 27, 2005

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Sport - Sailing

A tough day overall

S. Dinakar

Chennai: Champion drivers excel on wet tracks. Triumphant sailors relish huge swells and mighty winds. The trick is in the mind — you got to enjoy the challenge.

On a day of huge waves and grey skies, high-velocity gust and rocking boats, a sailor had to win the battle within and then beat the field. N.S. Johal and V. Harihara of the Army Yachting Node (Mumbai) accomplished just that in the Indian Oil-TNSA Coastal Nationals at the Chennai Harbour.

Delayed start

The afternoon began with the first race being postponed by Race Officer Colonel G.S. Julka due to a storm warning at 1.15 p.m. — the waves rose to 18 to 20 feet and the wind speed was close to 30 knots at that point — and it was only after Captain of Boats Munna Jamal completed an inspection at 2.45 p.m. that the competition could commence; eventually only one of the two races in each category scheduled on Thursday could be completed.

The waves were still five to ten feet high, the winds speed was between 15 and 25 knots, and the sailors' skill and heart were put to test. Johal, who finished ahead of another strong contender and compatriot Rajesh Chowdhary, zig-zagged through the waters, striving to find the path of least resistance upwind (it is impossible to travel in a straight line against the wind), while jumping from wave to wave and maintaining the momentum downwind.

Johal and Chowdhary also kept shifting the direction of their sail that constantly flapped as the wind gathered pace. The two have clinched three races each in the Laser Standard category and an exciting fare is on the cards with three more races to be held on Friday. D.P. Selvan, also of AYN, took the third spot.

V. Harihara (AYN) nailed his fourth race of the Nationals, negotiating the conditions admirably. The second and third placed finishers, P. Madhu (AYN) and Amit Arvind (INWTC) faced a protest though.

It was an eventful day when the media boat embarked on a rescue mission when the volatile sea was pushing young sailor Ajay Rau dangerously close to the rocks; he had suffered a gear failure.

The results:

Laser Standard (sixth race): 1. N.S. Johal (AYN); 2. Rajesh Chowdhary (AYN); D.P. Selvan (AYN); Sukhvir Singh (AYN).

Laser Radial (sixth race): V. Harihara (AYN); 2. P. Madhu (AYN) (under protest); 3. Amit Arvind (INWTC) (under protest); 4. Bijay Rout (AYN).

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