Vishnu Saravanan of India strikes a pose following a good performance at the Sail the Gulf, the International Regatta being organised by Qatar Sailing and Rowing Federation.
DOHA: Overnight leader Vishnu Saravanan of India has brightened his chances of winning the Optimist Class at Sail the Gulf, the International Regatta being organised by Qatar Sailing and Rowing Federation.
Yesterday at the Doha Sailing Club, Saravanan ended the penultimate day of the four-day championship with the least number of penalties to be on 17 points.
The 12- year-old sailor’s aim to clinch the top prize in Qatar will be challenged by two other Indians, his name sake Vishnu Sujeesh Areekara and Mahesh Balachander, who are in the second and fourth spot.
Norway’s Torstein Erlendsoenn Tenstad and Areekara are tied in the second place with 43 points, while Balachander has 45 points, as they head into the last three rounds on the final day of the championship.
The Indian sailors, who have dominating from day one for the championship also lead in two other categories, Laser Standard and in 29er. Gajender Singh (18) and Dharmender Singh Chauhan (19) are logged in a close tussle to lay hands on the top prize when the championship ends today in Laser Standard.
Yesterday, Chauhan displaced Oman’s Hussain Said Al Jabri (25) to the second spot to make it 1-2 for the Indians at the top, while Singh maintained his lead.
In the 29er, the Indian pair of Ganapathy K Chengappa Varun and Ashok Thakkar has the lead and is followed by Rasmus Andreas W Munter and Hylen Klippenberg, while the all-female pair from India of Varsha Gautham and Aishwarya Nedunchezhiyan are in the third place.
Competitions are held in nine categories comprising off Optimist, Optimist team, Laser 4.7, Laser Radial, Laser Standard, Hobie-16, 29ers, 420 and 470. .
Around 220 sailors from Bahrain, the Czech Republic, Egypt, Germany, Oman, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kuwait, Myanmar, the Netherlands, Norway, Palestine, Qatar, Romania, Russia, South Africa, Singapore, the United Arabs Emirates (UAE) and the United Kingdom, are taking part in the event. THE PENINSULA
