Regatta: Indians fare well on first day

Indians claimed all three top positions in the Laser 4.7 class on day one of the Raymond India International Regatta 2013 here Wednesday.

Nicholas from TNSA took the top spot while team-mate Nethra Kumanan led among the girls.

The day turned out to be a tough, long and hot day for both the race officials and the sailors. The wind was capricious, shifted wildly and dropped to about two knots for a while during the day and finally died completely by around 3.30 p.m. after swinging 180 degrees from south to north.

It started at seven knots and never went beyond 10. At the end of the day, only one race could be held for the Optimists and the Lasers, but the race committee managed two races for the faster 29er.

The Optimists had the toughest day with their race abandoned twice, first time when they were nearly half way through their course and the wind dropped to two knots and second at the first windward mark when the wind did an about turn.

In the one race that was completed for the Optis, the Malaysians excelled with seven of them in the top 10. Md Fauzi Kaman Shah won the race with a good lead while Indian sailor Naveen Kumanan from TNSA finished second.

The next five places and the 10th position were taken by the Malaysians. Natasya Nabila from Malaysia, the Opti Champion from IIR 2011, leads among the girls.

The 29er had a slightly better time of it, managing to complete two races. In the first race, Indian sailors Ganapathy and Varun led in the first loop, but Slovenian Peter Lin Janezic, pairing with his sister Leo Dora, got ahead of them in the second beat to finish first.

The Slovenians won the second race too with a comfortable lead while Ganapathy and Varun finished second once again.

Indian girls Varsha and Aishwarya ended the day tied in points with the World No.2 New Zealand team Markus and Isaac in third position overall. Markus, however, was sailing with a different partner this time.

Provisional results:

Optimist (Race 1): 1. Md. Fauzi Bin Kaman Shah (MAS); 2. Naveen Kumanan (India); 3. Naquib Eiman Bin Shahrin (MAS).

Laser 4.7 (Race 1): 1. Nicholas Patrick (India); 2. Dheer Singhi (India); 3. Anand Thakur (India).

29er (Race 1): 1. Peter Lin Janezic/Leo Dora Janezic (SLO); 2. KC Ganapathy/Varun Thakkar (India); 3. Mimi Khazindar/Ben Batten (USA / UK). Race 2: 1. Janezic/Leo Dora (SLO); 2. Ganapathy/Thakkar; 3. Markus Somerville/Isaac McHardie (NZ).

Overall: 1. Peter Lin Janezic/Leo Dora Janezic (SLO) - 2 pts; 2. K C Ganapathy/Varun Thakkar (India) - 4 pts; 3. Markus Somerville/Isaac McHardie (NZ) - 9 pts.