The Hindu : Sport / Sailing : Wind conditions test sailors

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, May 24, 2006

Sport

Sport - Sailing

Wind conditions test sailors

Special Correspondent

Chennai: On a day of wild swings in the conditions, the sailors' skills were put to test on the third day of the Hutch National Laser Coastal sailing championship at the Harbour on Tuesday.

The wind from the east, between seven and eight knots, was mild in the first race. The wind speed increased to about 14 knots in the afternoon and there was a two-metre swell. Only two of the three races scheduled for the day could be sailed.

AYN's N.S. Johal, who had an ordinary second day, picked up steam in the afternoon to clinch the sixth race in the laser standard category, ahead of INWTC's Amit Arvind.

The fifth race was won by AYN's D.P. Selvam who continues to impress. The other two AYN sailors Jasvir Singh — he is showing glimpses of his potential — and Johal took the second and third spots. "When the wind is light, the problem is that if you make a small mistake early on, it becomes extremely difficult to recover," said Johal. Apart from a below par start, he had also committed an error of judgment in moving to the left side of the course.

Selvam said, "When the wind picks up, it usually goes to the right and the sailors heading right most often do well."

On the conditions for the downwind leg, he said, "the downwind legs were good fun and the boat was surfing all the time. It was easy to keep riding over the waves."

Rajesh hampered

Favourite, Rajesh Choudharry of AYN, who had nailed all his four races on day one and two, was hampered by a boat collision at the start line.

He found himself surrounded by a number of sails and could not extricate himself from the crowd. "I was eighth when I reached the windward mark." Eventually his experience and craft enabled him to finish second.

Provisional results: Laser Std: race 5: 1. D.P. Selvam (AYN); 2. Jasvir Singh (AYN); 3. N.S. Johal (AYN); race 6: 1. N. S. Johal (AYN); 2. Amit Arvind (INWTC); 3. Jasvir Singh (AYN).

Laser Radial: race 5: 1. Salil Sabir (GYA); 2. Rajesh Choudharry (AYN); 3. B. K. Rout (AYN); race 6: Rajesh Choudharry (AYN); 2. Salil Sabir (GYA); 3. B. K. Rout (AYN).

Laser 4.7: race 5: 1. Hamza Bhavnagarvala (RMYC); 2. Abhimanyu Nithyanand (TNSA); 3. Navin Shirodkar (EMESA); race 6: Navin Shirodkar (EMESA); 2. Abhimanyu Nityanand (TNSA); 3. Hamza Bhavnagarvala (RMYC).

Overall positions at the end of the third day of races:

Std Fleet: 1. D. P. Selvam (AYN); 2. N. S. Johal (AYN); 3. Jasvir Singh (AYN).

Radial fleet: 1. Rajesh Choudharry (AYN); 2. B. K. Rout ( AYN); 3. Salil Sabir (GYA).

Laser 4.7 fleet: 1. Navin Shirodkar (EMESA); 2. Abhimanyu Nityanand (TNSA); 3. Hamza Bhavnagarvala (RMYC).

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