PANJIM: Top 40 sailors from all over the country are practicing hard at Dolphin Adventure Sports, at the Dona Paula bay, here, for the upcoming National Board Sailing championship which will commence on October 29, 3.30pm.
The championship is organised by the Board Sailing Association of India (BSAI), hosted by the Goa Yachting Association (GYA) and supported by the Sports Authority of Goa (SAG).
At a press conference held at the championship venue, on Monday, GYA general secretary Col Milind Prabhu said that three classes of boards will be sailed in the championship. The Olympic RS: X class; the Techno 293 class, which is sailed in the Youth Olympics; and the Raceboard Class (this include the Mistral One-Design class, which is sailed in the Asian Games). Age categories include youth (under-17) and juniors (under-15).
Race officer and GYA coach Mathew Gomes explained that a practise race will be held on Wednesday and thereafter, three races a day from Thursday to Sunday. The sailor with the best aggregate points from these 12 races will be the National champion in each class, he said.
General secretary of BSAI Donald Coelho informed the media that the event is also a selection event for international competition. He said that the top sailors in each class would be eligible for selection to represent India in international sailing competitions, subject to approval from the Yachting Association of India (YAI) and the Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports (MoYAS).
