Mumbai: The second edition of SAIL India, a Sailing National Ranking championship was inaugurated by Aditya Thackeray, Cabinet Minister of Tourism and Environment, Maharashtra on December 9.
The event will witness over 100 boats with 150 participants from across India fighting for the top spot in the men, women and mixed categories. The ranking event is underway at Girgaum Chowpatty between 2:00 pm to 5:30 pm with December 14 being the last day.
The competitions are organized by Army Yachting Node (AYN), Mumbai which comes under the aegis of Yachting Association of India (YAI).
Day 1
The first day started with very light winds, but within no time, the sea breeze picked up volumes and the boats were cruising at lightning speeds
India got to witness its first-ever Nacra-17 sailing in the waters of the Arabian sea. Whereas the Laser Standard has got 32 participants and Sub Vishnu Sarvanan stands strong after coming back from the recently concluded Tokyo Olympics.
In the 470 mixed class, Ramya Sarvanan was leading strong amongst 11 competitors. 49er FX saw Hav Prince Noble and Hav Manu Francis, again from AYN flawlessly voyaging after the world championship. RS X class was led by Sep Pathak from the Army Yachting Node.
Day 2
The winds were low, but the morale of the sailors was high. They had to get back what they had lost in first day races.
Featuring on the second day was the 470, a mixed class dingy, getting its name from its hull length i.e 470mm. popular class with both individuals and sailing schools, offering a good introduction to high-performance boats without being excessively difficult to handle, but it is not a boat designed for beginners.
To sail the 470, good physical fitness but not too much physical strength is required. The optimal weight of the crew ranges between 100 to 145 kg, making it a suitable boat for men, women and youth teams.
The mixed team includes a helm, which gives direction to the boat, whereas the crew balances the boat by hooking herself to one of the yards and balancing it against the winds.
With 8 more races to go out of 12, the event remains an action-packed one.
