On a day when conditions were not ideal for sailing, India put up a good show in the Laser 4.7 class claiming all three top positions in the only race held, which was won by Nicholas from TNSA. Nethra Kumanan, also from TNSA, leads among the girls on day one of the RIIR 2013.
It was a tough, long and hot day for race officials and the sailors. The wind was capricious, shifted wildly and dropped to about 2 knots for a while during the day and finally died completely at around 3.30pm. It had started at 7 knots and never went beyond 10 knots.
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 a tough day with their race abandoned twice, first time when they were nearly halfway through the course and the wind dropped to 2 knots, and second at the first windward mark when the wind did an about turn.
In the race that was completed for the Optis, the Malaysians excelled with seven of them in the top ten. Md Fauzi Kaman Shah won the race with a good lead while Indian Naveen Kumanan from TNSA finished second. The next five places and the 10th position were taken by Malaysians. Natasya Nabila from Malaysia, the Opti Champion from IIR 2011, leads among the girls.
The 29er had a slightly better time managing to complete two races. In the first race Indian sailors Ganapathy and Varun led in the first loop, but Slovenian Peter Lin Janezic, who is pairing with his sister Leo Dora, got ahead of them in the second beat to finish first. They won the second race too with a comfortable lead while Ganapathy and Varun finished second once again.
The Indian girls Varsha and Aishwarya ended the day tied on points with the world No 2 New Zealand team Markus and Isaac in third position overall. Markus was sailing with a different partner instead of his partner at the World Championship.
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. K C Ganapathy/Varun Thakkar (India); 3. Mimi Khazindar/Ben Batten (USA / UK); Race 2: 1. Peter Lin Janezic/Leo Dora Janezic (SLO); 2. KC Ganapathy/Varun Thakkar (India); 3. Markus Somerville/Isaac McHardie (NZ);Â Overall: 1. Peter Lin Janezic/Leo Dora Janezic (SLO) - 2 pts; 2. KC Ganapathy/Varun Thakkar (India) - 4 pts; 3. Markus Somerville/Isaac McHardie (NZ) - 9 pts.
