For the first time, India earned the right to have three boats and four sailors competing in the Olympic Games in Tokyo later this year. Nethra Kumanan (Laser Radial), Vishnu Saravanan (Laser Standard) and KC Ganapathy and Varun Thakkar (Skiff 49er) booked the three berths for India by doing well in the Mussanah Open Sailing Championship in Oman.
The single-handers finished second in the regatta held in the Gulf of Oman off the Millennium Resort in Mussanah while Ganapathy and Varun ran out winners in the Skiff 49er class. On Thursday, when the Medal Races were sailed and attracted double points, Vishnu Saravanan did well to win the important race and edge Thailand’s Keerati Bualong out of contention.
The Thai sailor had got his nose ahead after the final set of races in the five-day opening series and it was imperative that Vishnu Saravanan finished ahead on Thursday. The MEG and Centre sailor, a product of the Army Boys Sports Company, responded to the challenge with aplomb by winning the race to finish with 53 points from 11 races, four points fewer than Keerati Bualong.
For someone who posted a photograph of his, sailing with mask on, at the start of the New Year — “Here is to a strange year with many adventures and ups and downs – Happy new year everyone, let’s hope we all have the best of 2021!’ he wrote on his Instagram page — Vishnu Saravanan has sure worked to have a wonderful adventured in the Gulf of Oman early in the second quarter of the year.
Nethra Kumanan, who had all but assured herself of being the first Indian woman sailor to get to the Olympic Games with a consistent showing in the 10-race opening series, finished second in the Laser Radial class behind the Netherlands’ Emma Charlotte Jeanne Savelon after taking the sixth place in the medal race.
Similarly, Ganapathy and Varun Thakkar ensured that they did well enough in the medal race to finish fourth to stop Akira Sakai and Russel Williams Alysworth (Hong Kong) from riding on their victory on Thursday to the sole Olympic berth available in the Skiff 49er class. All in all, it was day on which India’s best chose to sail smart and address the need of the hour.
As a country with a rich maritime history and a long coastline, India appears to have taken the baby steps towards making a mark in Olympic class sailing competition. There is a long road ahead if it is to consolidate the gains from the past week. It must be remembered that Japan will be back vying for berths available in Asia from taking up host country quota this time around.
The results (final placings)
Laser Standard (11 races): 1. Ryan Lo Jun Han (Singapore) 31 points; 2. Vishnu Saravanan 53 (3, 11, 2, 4, 3, 10, 3, 4, 12, 11, 2); 3. Keerati Bualong (Thailand) 57. Other Indians: 9. Upamanyu Dutta 94 (6, 5, 13, 11, 8, 7, 18, 3, 10, 14, 18); 12. Mohit Saini 123 (14, 9, 14, 5, 5, 8, 10, 13, 5, 12, 42 DNC); 14. Gitesh 152 (13, 19, 11, 21DSQ, 14, 11, 11, 14, 9, 8, 42 DNC). 17. Ram Milan Yadav 185 (12, 17, 19, 18, 20, 19, 9, 15, 16, 18, 42 DNC).
Laser Radial (11 races): 1. Emma Charlotte Jeanne Savelon (Netherlands) 29 points; 2. Nethra Kumanan 30 (2, 7, 1, 2, 1, 1, 3, 5, 1, 2, 12); 3. Stephanie Norton (Hong Kong) 47. Other Indians: 5. Harshita Tomar 53 (4 2, 9, 7, 7, 8, 1, 1, 6, 7, 10); 6. Ramya Saravanan 55 (13 DSQ, 3, 5, 4, 3, 5, 8, 4, 2, 5, 16); 12. Jayalakshmi Sundaravadivel 127 (11, 10, 12, 11, 12, 11, 11, 11, 12, 12, 26DNC).
Skiff 49er (16 races): 1. KC Ganapathy and Varun Thakkar 59 points (5, 10, 3, 4, 5, 3, 3, 1, 2, 7, 5, 4, 4, 2, 3, 8); 2. Akira Sakai and Russel Williams Aylsworth (Hong Kong) 65; 3. Musab Al Hadi and Waleed Issa Al Kindi (Oman) 81. Other Indians: 11. Prince Kurisinkal Noble and Manu Francis 150 (2, 11, 13, 3, 15 DNF, 10, 7, 5, 6, 11, 10, 10, 15 UFD, 9, 8, 30 DNC); 12. Sandip Jain and Munna Pandit 153 (12, 13, 4, 15UFD, 11, 4, 13, 9, 8, 10, 6, 6, 10, 12, 4, 30 DNC).
Skiff 49er FX (16 races): 1. Chen Shasha and Ye Jin (China) 30 points; 2. Molly Highfield and Sandy Wingh Chi Choi (Hong Kong) 37; 3. Ekta Yadav and Ritika Dangi 49 points (3, 4, 1, 4, 4, 3, 4, 4, 5, 3, 4, 3, 2, 5, 3, 2).
Windsurfer RS:X (Men) (13 races): 1. Natthapong Phonoppharat (Thailand) 20 points; 2. Yancu Kaibigan (Philippines) 33; 3. Navin Singsart (Thailand) 63; 5. Ebad Ali 76 points (3, 7, 4, 10, 6, 8, 5, 10, 11, 3, 5, 5, 10); 7. Jerome Kumar Savarimuthu 82 points (11, 9, 6, 4, 4, 3, 3, 5, 7, 6, 9, 9, 18).
Windsurfer RS: X (Women) (13 races): 1. Amanda Ng Ling Kai (Singapore) 17; 2. Charizanne Napa (Philippines) 24; 3. Ishwarya Ganesh 37 points (2, 3, 3, 4 DNF, 4 NSC, 3, 3, 2, 3, 2, 4 DNF, 4DNF, 4).
Image (top): Vishnu Saravanan (Courtesy: Vishnu Saravanan Instagram)
