The team of Kaushal Kumar and Nitesh Kumar dominated the first day of the Goa International Sailing Week in Hobie Cats for the vClusive Cup on Thursday. Upamanyu Dutta took a commanding lead in the Laser Std class, while Maheshwar Padhav is sitting atop the pile in the Olympic RS:X Windsurfing class.
Panaji
As many as 22 Laser boats, 12 Windsurfers and 7 Hobie Cats are vying for honours in a series of 12 races at Cidade de Goa, Vainguinim Beach and Dolphin Adventure Sports, Hawaii Beach, Dona Paula. With Goa’s top windsurfing talent away for a national coaching camp at Mumbai, the state’s sole representative is Zamir Mirza in the Laser Radial class.
Designed by Hobart Alter, who began as a surfboard manufacturer, the Hobie 16 is the most popular catamaran (double hulled boat) ever and the most competitive catamaran class in the world. Over 135,000 Hobie 16 Cats are sailing around the world. An easily beached fibreglass catamaran, Hobie catamarans are raced in a large number of countries around the world. There are national, regional and world championships. In the first two races, Deelip Kumar’s Laser led for most of the race, only to be overtaken on the final run by Upamanyu Dutta. In the third race, Deelip was over the line at the start and was disqualified.
In the RS:X Windsurfing class, Rahul Chowdhury came first to the finish in Race 3, but he had forgotten to round the mark and had to go back. He returned to finish third. In Hobie Cats, Kaushal Kumar & Nitesh Kumar might well have made a clean sweep. But they went to the rescue of a capsized sailor in the second race, and were disqualified. They have sought redress, and a hearing will be held later. The Goa International Sailing Week is organised by the Chapora Bay Yacht Club and the Goa Yachting Association (GYA).
