Indians maintain edge in Optimist Class

By Sports Reporter/Doha

Indian sailors continue to dominate the Optimist Class at the Sail the Gulf 2013 held at Doha Bay.

Three Indians are currently in the top three positions after six races. Overnight leader Mahesh Balachander, however, has slipped to the fourth spot behind compatriot Vishnu Sujeesh Areekara.

The top spot is currently occupied by India’s Vishnu Saravanan with a nett seven points. Norway’s Torstein Erlendsoenn Tenstad was placed second with 18 points.

Balachander, who started the day on a nett score of six had a forgettable race four where he finished 20th. Balachander finished 14th and ninth respectively in race five and six. And only after discarding the race four results he managed to hang on to the fourth place.

The day, however, couldn’t have been better for Saravan, who started the day on third place. Saravan had a second-place finish in the first race and followed it up with two first-place finishes in the fifth and sixth races. He then discarded his first race result, where he finished seven, to finish with a nett score of seven and conceded the lead.

In the Laser 4.7, Ruben Heard of South Africa has taken the lead from Norway’s Caroline Comiskey Olsen, who has slipped to fifth place after six races. Heard finished fourth in race four before going on to win the fifth and sixth races.

He then discarded his race one seventh place result, for a nett score of 13. The Laser RDL saw Egypt’s Ahmed Ragab take control of the proceedings with eight points. Ragab did not finish race five but his victories in the fourth and fifth race were enough to help him cling onto the top spot.

Kuwait’s Ali Bohamad is currently second with 11 points, while hosts Qatar’s Faris al-Bakri is third with 17 points.

India’s Gajendra Singh has jumped two places to snatch the top spot in the Laser STD with a nett score of 10. Singh won race four and five before finishing second in the sixth race. Oman’s Hussain Said al- Jabri finished the day on second spot, while Singh’s compatriot Dharmender Singh Chauhan was third.

Myanmar sailors are in total control in the 420 class. Moekhant Thadin Hlamyint and Thurein Tun Oo share the same points as teammates Wai Pwint Wabo and Theingi Win Shwe after six races. Qatari pair Abdelrahman al-Jinah and Yousef al Baker with 18 points are third.

India’s Ganapathy K Chengappa and Varun Ashok Thakkar have taken over the lead from their female teammates Varsha Gautham and Aishwarya Nedunchezhiyan, who are currently on second spot. Norway’s Rasmus Andreas W Munter and Astrid Hylen Klippenberg finished the day in third spot.        

The Hobie-16 category was dominated by Kazakhstan’s Anuar Kaldykozhaev and Magomet Dalakov. Bahrain’s Caabane Khemaies Mahdi and Abdulaziz al-Mahmeed is second ahead of Kazakhstan’s Galymzhan Darigul and Zhanserik Kuanyshov.