Yatching: Senior championship to be held in Mumbai

The Yachting Association of India (YAI) will hold Senior National Championship 2015, being hosted by the Indian Navy Watermanship Training Centre (INWTC), at Mumbai from October 19 to October 23, an official statement said on Saturday.

"We're no stranger to hosting championships and are very excited to host the prestigious Senior National Championship at Mumbai," said Vice Admiral S.P.S Cheema, chief of the Western Naval Command, which is organising the regatta.

This year's Senior National Championship will see more than 125 competitors in the Laser (Standard), Laser (Radial), 470 (Men), RS:X (Men), Enterprise and Hobie 16 from all over the country vying for the title in the respective classes.

The races are scheduled over five days off Mumbai's Sunk Rock Lighthouse.

"The Lasers, 470, RSX and Hobie racing will have significant emphasis on athleticism and makes sailing one of the most competitive sport," the statement said.

Those participating includes Army Yachting Node sailor B. Mohapatra, the national rank holder for Laser (Standard) sailor and and 17-year-old Nethra Kumanan from Tamil Nadu, who is vying for Olympic 2016 qualification, scheduled at Oman in mid November. She has flown down from Israel where she is currently training under renowned Israeli sailor and coach Eshed Mesertiz.

Also, defending their title will be the reigning Hobie 16 National Champions Brij Verma and Pankaj Kumar from the navy. The fleet in 470, the Olympic Class boat will see 10 skippers from Army Yachting Node in action.

Asian Games 2014 medallist Varsha and Aishwarya and the team of K.C. Ganapathy and Varun Thakkar, who won the 2013 European Championship in the 29er class will be away in Argentina for the forthcoming 49er and 49erFX World Championship, which is also an Olympic 2016 qualifying event.

The YAI Youth National Championship 2015 will be held at Chennai November 25-29 in conjunction with the India International Regatta, the statement said.