SF by Sonata India International Regatta - ASAF Youth Cup Leg 1 - Day 4

Racing on day 4 of the India International Regatta started in excellent conditions which got even better as the day wore on. The wind started at about 7 knots in the morning and went up to about 12 knots and stayed steady at 30 degrees. Current was negligible and the swells were less than a metre. Three races were held for the 29ers, Laser Radials and Laser 4.7s and 4 races for the Optimists.

With 12 races completed and 2 discards coming into play, there were some changes in the positions, though the Danes Caspar and Jakob held on to the lead easily winning all three races, and lifted the 29er trophy. Indian pair Anand Thakur and Alankar Suryavanshi won the SIlver and another Indian pair Naveen Kumanan and Aniketh Rajaram won the Bronze.

Both the Laser Radial and 4.7 fleet had a few general recalls and restarted as several boats were over the line at the start. Both these fleets completed 3 races each to complete their scheduled races for the IIR 2015. Both the leaders messed up the first Radial race of the day, Irish sailor Johnny Durcan with an OCS (on course side – over the line) and Indian Vishnu Saravanan with a disqualification for a penalty he earned from the jury on water. Vishnu Saravanan of India managed to lift the Radial trophy, leaving the Silver for Irish Johnny Durcan and Dheer Singhi, also if India, won the bronze. In the Lasrr 4.7 despite some great sailing by India's Rishab Nayar, Mohammad Abdulkareem of the UAE won by the so very slim margin on 1 point, with Vishnu Sujeesh finishing in third place.

Four races were held for the Optimists today and they were a rather aggressive lot on the line. Every race had to be recalled and started again with a Black Flag. Being over the line in a Black Flag start means instant disqualification for that race, but even that didn't curb the impatience of the Optis many of whom got disqualified in the first race of the day. But the top sailors are a lot cannier, and at the end of the day their positions were more or less the same, with the UAE sailor Saif Saeed lifting the Optimist trophy, and Indians Chitresh Tatha and Navyn Prabhakar, both of the TNSA, winning the Silver and Bronze respectively. Harshita Tomar, IODA Optimist Bronze medallist, managed to do enough to win the Optimist Girls trophy pushing Uma Chuhan, yesterday's leader to the Silver medal position with Nithya Balachander winning the Bronze.

The Green Fleet of Optimists who did not race yesterday also had a good day racing on flat waters and 8 to 12 knot winds inside the harbour, and finished 4 races. Having missed a racing day, they have finished only 9 races so far and will complete the remaining 3 races tomorrow.

Results after Day 4: (top three)

Optimist Boys
1. Saif Saeed, UAE
2. Chitresh Thatta, IND
3. Navyn Prabhakar, IND

Optimist Girls
1. Harshita Tomar, IND
2. Uma Chouhan, IND
3. Nithya Balachander, IND

Laser 4.7
1. Mohammed Abdulkareem, UAE
2. Rishab Nayar, IND
3. Vishnu Sujeesh, IND

Laser Radial
1. Vishnu Saravanan, IND
2. Johnny Durcan, IRL
3. Dheer Singhi, IND

29er
1. Casper Ladeford & Jakob Jensen, DEN
2. Anand Thakur & Alankar Suryavanshi, IND
3. Aniketh Rajaram & Naveen Kumanan, IND