Indian Navy wins international sailing regatta

KANNUR - Braving the high seas, trainee Indian Navy officers Monday trumped their foreign counterparts to win the inaugural Admiral’s Cup at a four-day regatta for naval academies of friendly foreign countries that concluded here Monday.

The azure blue waters of the Ettikulam Bay, at Ezhimala in north of Kerala witnessed intense sailing during the event, an Indian Navy spokesman said.

The Indian Naval Academy team (INA 1) won the cup. Whilst Commandant Nitin Prakash’s consistent performance powered the INA team to the winning position, Midshipman Onoli Paulo Maria of the Italian Navy stood first in the individual positions, an Indian Navy statement said.

Navies from Bangladesh, Brazil, Britain, Egypt, Italy, Maldives, Oman and Sri Lanka participated in the regatta.

The Indians, as the hosts, fielded three teams, two from the Indian Naval Academy (INA1 and INA2) and one from the Naval Engineering College, Lonavala.

Each team was represented by two boats. The participants included two women officers, one each from the Indian Navy and the Royal Navy.

The Dec 10-13 regatta was conducted in the laser class of sailboats, which are one-man Olympic-class boats.

The opening ceremony was conducted at Waterman Ship Training Centre, Ettikulam Bay.

The regatta was declared open by INA Commandant Vice Admiral Anurag G. Thapliyal, who emphasised the role of sports in general and sailing in particular in developing key qualities in naval officers.

Yachting and sailing are sports that build team spirit, stamina and mental and physical endurance - the building blocks of future naval officers.

Battling with the elements and braving the high seas is a challenge that transforms the very character of a man.

Sustained efforts of the Yachting Association of India (YAI) and the Indian Navy have seen naval officers consistently doing well in international regattas and championships, a navy spokesperson said.

The event was conducted under the aegis of the YAI, which has been closely associated with promoting the sport in India.