The Hindu : Sport / Sailing : Johal blames it on poor start

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, May 23, 2006

Sport

Sport - Sailing

Johal blames it on poor start

Special Correspondent

Chennai: The conditions were wonderful for sailing, but the fancied N.S. Johal had a less than perfect outing on the second day of the Hutch National Laser Coastal sailing championship at the Chennai Harbour here on Monday.

AYN's Johal, who had nailed both his races in the Laser Standard category on Sunday, finished seventh in the third race and third in the fourth. He blamed it on the poor start.

Though the right side of the course was his favoured one, he found it too crowded and swung to his left. And the wind favoured those on the right side.

Rajesh Choudharry, also of AYN, continued to surge though. He added two more to the two races he had won on day one in the Laser Radial section, beating back the challenge from B.K. Rout (AYN) and Salil Sabir (GYA).

The wind speed went up to 12 knots in the first race. The chop and a swell between one and two metres meant the sailors not only had to read the current but also had to manoeuvre their dinghies over the waves.

The trapezoidal course was sailed by all three fleets with small variations so that one did not get into the way of the other. The path was slightly longer so as to strain sailor endurance.

With the wind in his favour, Jasvir clinched the third Laser Standard race. He followed this up with a second place in the fourth race.

Off to a bright start, Selvam maintained the lead of 12 to 15 boat lengths finishing well ahead of Jasvir in race four.

Jasvir credited his success to the fact that he went to the right and found good surfing conditions downwind.

Navin Shirodkar of EMESA won race three and four in the Laser 4.7 section. TNSA's Mrinalini Santhanam and Abhimanyu Nithyanand finished second and third in the third race.

Abhimanyu Nithyanand took the second place in the fourth race. RMYC's Hamza Bhavnagarvala finished third.

Provisional results of races three and four:

Laser Std: Race 3: 1. Jasvir Singh (AYN); 2. V. Harihara (AYN);

3. D.P. Selvam (AYN).

Race 4: 1. D. P. Selvam (AYN); 2. Jasvir Singh (AYN); 3. Capt. Johal (AYN)

Laser Radial: 1. Rajesh Choudharry (AYN); 2. B. K. Rout (AYN); 3. Dharminder Singh (AYN).

Race 4: 1. Rajesh Choudharry (AYN); 2. Salil Sabir (GYA); 3. B.K. Rout (AYN).

Laser 4.7: Race 3: 1. Navin Shirodkar (EMESA); 2. Mrinalini Santhanam (TNSA); 3.Abhimanyu Nithyanand (TNSA).

Race 4: 1. Navin Shirodkar (EMESA); 2. Abhimanyu Nityanand (TNSA);

3. Hamza Bhavnagarvala (RMYC).

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