Selvam, Gautam take Laser Standard races

By Our Sports Reporter

HYDERABAD, MAY 16. D.P. Selvam and Gautam Dutta of India won Wednesday's two races of the Asia Pacific Laser Standard championships at the Hussain Sagar here. In the BPL-open Indian Laser Radial competitions, Rajesh Chaudhary and Sandeep Kapoor clinched the third and fourth races.

Clear blue skies and winds of five to six knots speed, enabled a timely start to the third race of the Laser full rig, with Australia's Richard Scarr leaving the rest of the fleet in his wake. Interestingly, the first leg, which sets off to a beat, turned out to be a reach with the winds changing direction. Most of the top sailors however turned the first marker on a single tack, with eventual winner D.P. Selvam lying at sixth position.

On completion of the inner loop, the winds picked upto about eight knots. It was Selvam to the fore on the second downwind leg and the rest of the fleet simply could not match his pace. The EMESA yachtsman got the gun a clear four boat lengths ahead of Dane Jacobsen. A consistent performer representing the Royal Varuna Yachting Club, Thailand, Jacobsen seems to be biding his time before he makes a splash.

Scarr again shot off to a sizeable lead in the day's second race. On the second upwind leg, Gautam Dutta lifted well towards the windward mark, covering the fleet well to take a good 15 boat- length lead over Scarr and Arjun Pradipak. Shortly after rounding that buoy and due to an abrupt wind shift, Dutta capsized on the reach. He recovered pronto, without losing any of his advantage.

Thereafter, Dutta was on song, perhaps planing on the reach. The seasoned EMESA sailor made it to the finish and the shore much before the motorised media boat, circling around the course could catch up. His finish was by far the most authoritative, almost an entire leg and over a minute and a half ahead of second placed teammate P. Madhu.

The order of Rajesh Chaudhary-Soma Pradhyumna-Naresh Yadav remained from start to finish in the third Laser Radial race. While Chaudhary finished five boat lengths before Pradhyumna, the latter left Yadav behind by about 25.

In the day's concluding contest, Chaudhary strayed to the right. When winds picked up on the second beat to about 10 knots, he showed his proficiency in heavy wind conditions, covering lost ground to finish third. Sandeep Kapoor of Corps of Engineers Sailing Club (CESC), Pune emerged first, followed by Tirumal Rao of EMESA.

The races would resume on Friday after a day of rest.

The results:

Laser Standard: Third race: 1. D.P. Selvam (India), 2. Jacobsen (Royal Varuna Yachting Club, Thailand), 3. Arjun Pradipak (India). Fourth race: 1. Gautam Dutta (India), 2. P. Madhu (India), 3. Under protest.

Laser Radial: Third race: 1. Rajesh Chaudhary (EMESA), 2. Soma Pradhyumna 3. Naresh Yadav (NSC). Fourth race: 1. Sandeep Kapoor (CESC) 2. Tirumal Rao (EMESA) 3. Rajesh Chaudhary.

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