HYDERABAD: Ramadin Tito is back to defend his Optimist champion crown in the first leg of the Asian Sailing Federaton (ASAF) Youth Cup 2017-18 and the ninth edition of the India International Regatta (IIR) which will be held off Krishnapatnam port near Nellore from December 28 to 31.
The ASAF Youth Cup Series has this year expanded from four to five events to be held in India, Hong Kong, Singapore, UAE and Indonesia in that order in the run up to the 2018 Asian Games.
It will be no cakewalk for Ramadin of Indonesia, who will have to contend with Sweden’s top sailors Elsa Arronson and Alexander Baudin, besides those from Malaysia and Sri Lanka among 60 in the single-hander class which forms the largest fleet in the competition. Nine nations represented by 160 sailors will vie for honours in the youth classes such as the Optimist, Laser 4.7, Laser Radial and the 420.
The Laser 4.7, another highly popular single-handed youth class and a stepping stone to the Olympic classes Laser Standard and Radial, will see keen competition, since it will figure in the 2018 Asian Games.
Last year’s winner Samsuardi of Indonesia, 2015 Optimist champ Saif Saeed Hamad Ali Al Mansoori, besides the Malaysians should be tested by Tamil Nadu Sailing Association’s (TNSA) Aniket Rajaram and Chitresh Thatha besides sailors from the National Sailing School, Bhopal.
Patrick Cunnane from Ireland and Tayte Stefaniuk from Canada, along with Ramya Saravanan from the Corps of Engineers Sailing Club (CESC), Pune, will be the ones to watch out for the Laser Radial set. The main fleet will sail a trapezoid course in the open sea. The novice set will take an identical route but inside the breakwaters to keep conditions less challenging for them.
Held under the aegis of ASAF and the Yachting Association of India (YAI), the four-day meet will be organised jointly by the TNSA and the Yachting Association of Andhra Pradesh (YAAP).
The lead sponsor is Krishnapatnam Port Company Ltd., the co-sponsors being Larsen and Toubro Construction, IOCL Ltd., Seaport Cargo Logistics Pvt. Ltd., Equinox Marinetek Services Pvt. Ltd. and Elite Shipping Agencies India Pvt. Ltd.
The event is also supported by TT Insurance Broking Services.
