Come January and the Puducherry coastline will be dotted with neat little sails. Around 50 competitive sailors from across India and the globe will converge at the coastal town to race the winds and each other at its maiden regatta. The yacht sailing contest, perceived until now as a rich man’s sport against the elements, is conceptualised as an inclusive one that will give people from all backgrounds a chance to rig a boat, catch a breeze and set sail.
The upcoming regatta is a part of Bonjour India, the Indo-French bilateral event, supported by both the French Consulate and the Puducherry Government. On the ground, things are being shaped by the Pondicherry Sailing Association (PSA), a sailing club associated with the Yachting Association of India and Tamil Nadu Sailing Association. PSA has begun training local schoolchildren and adults for the regatta, and hopes to have at least 10 competition-ready participants ready on time.
The association also plans to enrol children from the fishing community of Puducherry in their training sessions, citing their access and involvement with the coastline already. Efforts are on to coordinate time and availability, to begin classes for them, says a member of the association handling communications, adding that the plans are likely to take some time to materialise because of the fishermen’s busy schedules.
Tough training
The member, who did not want to be named, added that around 30 Indian and French children — all residents of Puducherry — are undergoing training at the moment.
CHENNAI, 20/01/2014: The Masters Regatta at Chennai Port in Chennai on January 20, 2014. Photo: B.Jothi Ramalingam
The backwaters of Puducherry is the scene of action of the moment, where aspiring sailors are being coached in small batches, aboard a fleet of five beginner-level or ‘Optimist’ training boats and two adult-sized boats. The optimists, like all classes of sailing yachts, are basically dinghies (small boats for recreation or racing), and can be handled by one person, with a seating capacity of two. Meant for children below the age of 15, they are ideal for training first-timers.
The training covers everything from rigging a boat and assembling the mast and sails to instructions and practice sessions on how to catch the wind, keep to it and how to handle different kinds of wind to keep you going in your chosen direction.
Safety also forms a big part of the training, and there are a host of exercises to help auto-manage the boat in case of a misbalance. The intention is to ensure that the participants have no fear of the water anymore. That is why the coach — one of two former sailors who are long-time members of the association — operates out of a motorboat, moving in and out amid the trainees on their vehicles, giving instructions and lending a hand.
The regatta will be held in three categories: Optimists or beginner level, Lasers, and Moth, each named after the class of boat used and the level of expertise required to handle them. Out of these, the Moth category contest will be held for the first time in the country.
As the excitement gradually picks up amidst the sailors, the French Consulate is busy handling permissions and environmental clearances to get the infrastructure ready. The town already has a small dock in place, where the sailing association houses its boats. It just needs something larger for the international guests, who will be pouring in from all over on the D-Day.
