The Hobie 16 is no longer an Asian Games class. The twin-hull, double-sail catamaran is nonetheless a stepping stone to the Nacra 17, similarity between the two being many. The new multi-hull mixed Olympic class mandates the presence of one lady sailor in a two-member crew.
As India’s quest for Olympic glory continues, the participation of three women in the Hobie inland National championships at Hussain Sagar from Thursday bodes well for the sport. So will the institution of prize money mark another first for the four-day annual regatta. Given the financial constraints, the waiver of the charter fee will be a major fillip to the cause of sailing.
G.G. Sai Sruthi, a Sea Cadet from Visakhapatnam, has participated in an Enterprise competition in Pune. Hiranmayi Sunkara and Koram Akansha are just out of junior college. The trio, relatively raw to a predominantly male preserve, will be crew on their craft, the more experienced men serving as helms.
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Sixteen teams representing seven clubs across the country will compete over a three-loop windward-leeward course with eight boats on hand, necessitating division of the fleet into two. The top four in the first three races from each group will form the gold fleet. With the winds averaging 15 and gusting to 18 knots, there should be no dearth of action on the over 400-year-old lake.
Five-time inland National champion Kaushal Kumar Yadav will have absolute novice Uttam Kumar as crew this time.
Undeterred, the strict vegetarian is set to take on Hyderabad Sailing Week gold medallists Kamlesh Patel and U.B. Rawankar and bronze winners Pawan Kumar and Nitin M.K., both pairs being from the Army Yachting Node (AYN), Mumbai.
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