PANAJI
The Goa State Sailing Championship 2021, organised by the Goa Yachting Association (GYA) under the aegis of Sports Authority of Goa (SAG) and in collaboration with National Institute of Water Sports (NIWS) Goa, concluded at Dolphin Adventure Sports, Hawaii beach, Dona Paula, on Thursday.
Windsurfers competed in the RS:X and Raceboard Category and the Junior and sub Junior sailors in Optimist category. Pleasant windy conditions on all three days of the championship ensured ideal racing conditions for all sailors.
Dayne Coelho of GYA started strongly with all 3 guns on the first day and finished strong with all guns on the last day to win the gold in the RS:X men’s category, while Imtizulu and NS Rawat of INWTC, Goa clinched silver and bronze, respectively, with consistent performances in all the races.
In the Raceboard Open category, Katya Coelho of GYA -- who is making a comeback after her injury at the Asian Games in 2018 -- clinched the gold, ahead of Pearl Colvalkar (GYA) who claimed silver and Adarsh Chunekar (GYA) who won bronze.
In the Optimist Junior Boys category, the Navy Boys School Company, Vere (NBSC) made a clean sweep with gold going to Vikram Singh Bhati, silver to M. Vikram and bronze to Karralla Karthik. In the Optimist Junior Girls category, Maithilee of GYA clinched gold.
In the Optimist Sub Junior Boys category, there was tough competition with the top 3 separated by only one point each at the end of day 1, with 9-year-old Kalyan Kohli in the lead with 2 guns, Tanmay Chunekar close behind with 1 gun and Samik Satardekar in hot pursuit in the 3rd place. The final day results brought them even closer with Tanmay Chunekar finally managing to clinch the gold ahead of Kalyan Kohli with silver while Samik Satardekar had to settle for bronze. These are the future prospects for Goa at the Nationals in the coming years.
Prof Sutheeshna Babu, Nodal Officer of NIWS, Goa was the chief guest at the prize distribution ceremony and encouraged all the sailors to give their best to the sport and promised all the help and support to GYA and Goan sailors once the new NIWS facility at Caranzalem is operational.
