India finally comes of age in sailing

An Enterprise boat in the Asian Regatta : An annual featureWhen the First Asian Regatta, sponsored by ITC under its Wills brand name, was first proposed by the Asian Games Yachting Organising Committee (AGYOC), it was only as a trial run for the 1982 Asian Games. But by the time the regatta drew to a close late last month, far more had been achieved. Using the six competing teams from Japan, mainland China, Pakistan, Thailand, Sri Lanka and India as a forum, an Asian Yachting Federation was formed, its draft constitution drawn up, and a decision taken to make the regatta an annual feature.For India, which has been in the international sailing arena only five years - bolstered by the individual successes of the navy's Commander Surinder Mongia, who holds the World Cup bronze - the Federation held the promise of more international competitions and the possibility of truly asserting India's strength in competitive sailing.Although the teams themselves offered no clue to next year's Continental championships, as many sailing nations were unrepresented and others had only skeletal representation, considerable excitement was generated at the regatta by the traditional rivalry between India and Pakistan. Japan, the foremost yachting country in Asia, was represented only in one boat class out of five by a team of two; Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong and Indonesia, all of whom had promised to send teams, withdrew at the last moment because of a paucity of funds; and South Korea, which is expected to participate in the Asian Games, did not attend the regatta. This left only five countries in the ring, leaving the field wide open for India and Pakistan, both armed to the teeth with their best sailors and boats.Souped-up Rivalry: Although five classes of boats were sailed at the regatta, the focus for most of the week was the Enterprise class, where two of Asia's best-known sailors, Mongia and Pakistan's Byram Avari, who holds the World Cup silver, were clashing. Avari, who owns the Karachi Hilton, came to the regatta complete with a British coach and a spanking new boat flown out from London. "I had to dash off and buy myself a new boat," he said, "when I heard that Surinder Mongia had just acquired one." Notwithstanding the souped-up competition between the champions, it was finally the team of Jiji Unwalla and his brother, a Bombay duo, which clinched the Enterprise championship. Determined to outclass Mongia, Unwalla has been his most serious rival during the past year.Another area of interest was the Wind Glider class which was added to the list at the eleventh hour in a bid to popularise it. The wind glider is an internationally accepted wind-surfer which is now being competed at many regattas. As it is going to be introduced at the 1984 Olympics, the AGYOC is actively campaigning to have it added to the list of events in next year's Asian Games. Loaned to the regatta organisers by an indigenous manufacturer in Coimbatore, the wind gliders were a welcome change from the steadier sailboats. However, there was little competition for India's Captain A. Dikshit, since the Thai glider team, star performers of the Continent, were busy making their mark at the Wind Glider World Cup elsewhere.With the Enterprise and Wind Glider classes already under their belt, the Indian team went on to win in every other category. The single- seater O.K. Dinghy class, which the Japanese excel in, went in their absence to two Indian competitors, Pillai and Pradipak, who won jointly. In the Seabirds, a large and somewhat sluggish category of boat, Adi Unwalla, Jiji's brother, breezed through to finish first after winning six of the seven races. The Cadet class championship went once more to India, with national champion Almeida clearly outclassing the others.Indian Inexperience: Barring the organisational aspects, however, the Asian Regatta is no real indicator of India's chances at next year's Games. While India and Pakistan are the strongest contenders for the Enterprise class, there is little likelihood that India will find the kind of cakewalk as this year. India is absolutely inexperienced in the Fireball class of boat, which was deleted from the regatta list since the imported boats were not delivered on time. In the O.K. Dinghy, too, it is going to be extremely tough going against the Japanese, who sail mainly O.K.s and Fireballs in their country. And if Wind Gliders are added to the competition list, it is almost certain that India will trail behind Thailand in this category.Significantly, the First Asian Regatta, and the Games themselves, will give the sport a massive fillip in the country. Recent years have seen an upsurge in the popularity of what was once a highly exclusive sport. Many schools around the country now own sailboats, and most clubs offer extremely concessional student memberships. The armed forces, which have promoted sailing in a big way, now account for almost 40 per cent of India's sailors and boats.But sailing remains the last bastion of amateur sport, with the International Yacht Racing Union refusing to allow any sailor to trade his status for sponsorships, and eventually it is only governments that can effectively promote the sport. Preparing itself for the Asiad, the National Institute of Sports (NIS) has decided to set up an academy of sailing in Bombay, which will eventually be equipped with the boats imported for the Games. If institutionalisation is an indicator of maturity in the sport, then India has finally come of age in sailing.Published By: AtMigration Published On: Oct 23, 2013 13:35 IST--- ENDS ---

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India finally comes of age in sailing

When the First Asian Regatta, sponsored by ITC under its Wills brand name, was first proposed by the Asian Games Yachting Organising Committee, it was only as a trial run for the 1982 Asian Games. But by the time the regatta drew to a close late last month, far more had been achieved.

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