Sport - Sailing

Good show by Indians

— Photo: Vivek Bendre

SOLID SHOW: Denmark’s John Bentze and Peter Wolff tackle a capsize in the Arabian Sea.

MUMBAI: Indian R. Mahesh, a bronze medallist in the Enterprise class at the Busan Asian Games, and Girdhari Lal Yadav won both races on day one in sailing at the 4th CISM Military World Games, held off the Indian Naval Watermanship Training Centre, Colaba on Tuesday.

Familiar with home conditions, the Indians overcame the handicap of a 720 degrees penalty turn in the first race and won ahead of Spain’s Jose Medina Ruiz and Francisco Soto Loureiro. The Spaniards finished second in both races.

Finland, third in the first race and fourth in the second, is lying third overall, followed by Turkey and Germany.

Mahesh and Yadav, champions at the 40th World Military Sailing Championships in Mumbai last year, are poised to finish among the medals at the MWG, though the Indians were cautious of the races ahead.

Earlier, the event was flagged off by Admiral Sureesh Mehta, Chief of Naval Staff, in the presence of Vice-Admiral J.S. Bedi, Commander-in-chief, Western Naval Command.

Sixty six sailors, including six womenare taking part.