Army duo win NDA Inland sailing championship in Pune

MUMBAI: They are not from the Navy but the land-based army duo sailed comfortably to beat all competition, on water, in Pune on Wednesday. Satish Kumar and Irshad Ali from the Army Yachting Node won the 4th NDA Inland Enterprise Championship held at the scenic Peacock Bay in Khadakwasla. Suraj Singh and M Gavade of the Colaba Sailing Club, another Mumbai team came a close second. Blue sails bedecked the greenish blue lake with Cormorants, and misty mountains in the backdrop, blue skies above completed the picturesque scene.
Captain Tribhuvan Jaiswal of Indian Navy from Mumbai, a very hands on juror for the race who along with twice world sailing champion Captain Vipul Meherishi helped organise it, spoke with TOI at the lush green lawns of the naval sailing training centre at Peacock Bay. He said the race held from June 2-6 is “very popular”. “It has attracted 78 teams or almost 160 participants from across India, representing all three defence services and civilian sailing enthusiasts some as young as 10 years old, the oldest 56.”

A young girl of 12, from Goa, Pearl Colvauar, Who teamed with Bhavana C, from the Naval NCC directorate in Karnataka was awarded youngest woman helm. There were very few women participants. Captain Jaiswal said, “sailing unfortunately has not caught the popularity it deserves as a scintillating sport, which requires skills and love of water.” There was another young sailer, 11-year-old Adhwait Menon.

“It is certainly a popular racing event among sailers because it is open to all and sweet water lake forms an idyllic setting. National Defence Academy which organises the championship gives their boats, the Enterprise-class, small two-sailed boats, international sailing boats, made in India,” said Rakesh Varadkar, a former India sailing team coach, who also participated as a helm with Rahul Deshpande, a law student from Symbiosis law school, as his crew.

Havaldar Nithin MK and Lt Colonel A K Kashyap another Army team from Maharashtra came in third. A two time gold medalist Vikas Kapila a businessman from Mumbai helmed to a top five position. There were teams from Watermanship training Centres of Kochi, Vishakapatnam, Goa and Hyderabad were among the teams. A team of seven serving in various positions on naval ships in Vizag said they come together to participate.

Commander ML Sharma and Amit Kumar came from Kochi and Sanketh V paired with Lakshmi Venkatesh from Goa.

As the boats sailed, almost appearing to glide, in tandem, at times, on the lake, it was magical and in the Naval sea cadets present evoked pride in great achievements of Indian Navy ship Tarangini, a three-masted barque circumnavigating the globe in 2004 and more recently the six all women crew on INS Tarini which set sail from Goa last September.