The Hindu : Sport / Sailing : Johal and Chowdharry dominate

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, May 22, 2006

Sport

Sport - Sailing

Johal and Chowdharry dominate

Special Correspondent

Chennai: Favourites N.S. Johal and Rajesh Chowdharry dominated on a fine day for sailing as the Hutch National Laser Coastal Championship got underway at the Chennai Harbour here on Sunday. Johal and Chowdharry won two races each even as Army Yatching Node continued its supremacy.

The wind speed was between eight to ten knots in the East-South East direction during the first race. In the second race, it was between ten to 12 knots.

As Dr. Mushtaq Ali, secretary, TNSA, pointed out, a one-metre swell in the sea tested the skill the sailors slightly more in the second race.

Johal finished comfortably ahead of D.P. Selvam in both races of the Laser Standard category.

He is a confident man, whose power blends well with craft.

Chowdharry emerged an easy winner in the first race of the Laser Radial section, with team-mate Jasvir Singh claiming the second place. Chowdharry is a wily sailor, with loads of experience behind him.

He was, however, stretched in the second race with Salil Sabir of GYA fighting well. Apart from Sabir's spirited sailing, Chowdharry had another hurdle to overcome.

"My boat got caught in the fishermen's net and I lost about ten boat lengths," said Chowdharry. He rode the tides well to extricate himself from a difficulty of the unexpected kind.

Young contenders were in view in the Laser 4.7 section. TNSA's Abhimanyu topped in the first race with RMYC's B. Hamza and S. Naveen of EMESA following him.

Naveen, who is based in Hyderabad, a city where National Inland Sailing events are held in the Laser Class, finished first in the second race, followed by Hamza.

The results:

Laser Standard: Race one: 1. N.S. Johal (AYN); 2. D.P. Selvam (AYN); 3. Dharminder Singh.

Race two: 1. N.S. Johal (AYN); 2. D.P. Selvan (AYN); 3. Amit Arvind (INWTC).

Laser Radial: Race One: 1. Rajesh Chowdharry (AYN); 2. Jasvir Singh (AYN); 3. B.K. Rout (AYN). Race two: Rajesh Chowdharry (AYN); 2. Salil Sabir (GYA); 3. B.K. Rout (AYN).

Laser 4.7: Race One: 1. Abhimanyu (TNSA); 2. B. Hamza (RMYC); 3. S. Naveen (EMESA).

Race two: 1. S. Naveen (EMESA); 2. S. Hamza (RMYC).

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail