Doha: Qatari trio of Abdulrahman Ajineh, Ali Al Muftah and Mohammed Al Sewaidi is on the verge of making a clean sweep in the Laser 4.7 of the Qatar Sail 2015 while another local sailor Waleed Al Sharshani is well positioned to clinch the Laser Standard title.
The sailors from the hosts nation is a third category with Faris Al Bakri leading in the Laser Radial class.
Yesterday on the penultimate day of the event, the local sailors continued from where they left on Sunday.
In the Laser 4.7, Ajineh goes into the final day race action with a Nett score of 7. The overnight leader is followed by Al Muftah (15) and Al Sewaidi (18). Amina Shah from Kuwait is the lone female competitor in the section and complete the four sailors competing in category.
In the Laser Standard, experienced campaigner Al Sharshani carried forward his impressive run on the third day of races. Al Sharshani has a seven-point lead over second placed Ruslan Jangazou (14) of Kazakhstan while Vladimir Chshankin (24), also of Kazakstan is in the third place.
Twelve sailors are vying for the top category in the Laser Standard.
There was more good news for the local sailors in the Laser Radial as Faris Al Bakri of Qatar bounced back to the top displacing overnight leader Ali Bouhamud of Kuwait.
Incidentally Bakri and Bouhamud are the only male competitors in the category while the other four sailors are females.
Kazakhstan duo of Karina Jangazova and Yelena Romanova are in the third and fourth place with 22 and 25 Nett score.
In the Hobie-16, Kazakhstan sailors have taken a strong grip holding on the top two places.
Kazakhstan pair of Kanat Mangubayev and Galymzhan Darigul, has the lead, with a score of 12, followed by compatriots Anuar Kaldykozhaev and Kuanyshdu Zhanserik, with two points separating them from the leaders.
The French pair of Quentin Rescamps and Clemence Bru are in third place with 21 Nett score. The Qatari duo of Hassan Al Baker and Mohammed Ismail are three ppoints from the third placed team.
Nine teams are competing for the title in Hobie-16.
Meanwhile, the Singapore trio continued their grip over the first three places going into the final day.
Overnight leader Daniel Hung of Singapore continued from very he left on Sunday to take his Nett score to 11 followed by compatriots Jodie Lai (17), Daniel Ian Toh (19). Sailors from 14 countries including Argentina, UAE, Australia, Belgium, Great Britain, Serbia, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Italy, New Zealand, UK, Singapore, Spain and hosts Qatar are vying for top honours in different categories.
The maximum number of competitors , 37 of them, are competing in Optimist class, in both individual and team events.
Hosts Qatar has 11 competitors in the Optimist class, the biggest among the countries competing in the Optimist class.
Singapore has sent ten sailors, while UAE and Kuwait have five sailors in the category.
The local squad in the Optimist consists of Kheireddine Bouchema, Ali Al Sharshani, Abdulla Al Sharshani, Mohcen Al Sharshani, Mohmed Al Sharshani, Ali Al Marhoon, Yacine Al Benzarti, Zaid Al Awamlah, Shahed Al Awamlah, Ghanim Al Sewaidi and Abdurehman Al Nasser.
Sail Qatar 2015 is one of the two races QSWSF (Qatar Sailing and Water Sports Federation) is hosting this month. From October 23 to 31, QSWSF will also host the IODA Asian and Oceania Championship at the Katara Beach.
The QSWSF said top sailors from Asian and world will be seen in action in the championships.
Elite Qatari sailors will be competing in the championship in line with QSWSF’s long term strategy to encourage Qatari youth participation in sailing and water sports.
The Peninsula
