Team Herald
PANJIM: Katya Coelho of GYA who will represent India at the Asian Games in China in September 2023 won the gold in the IQ Foil Women’s Category at the State Sailing Championship organized by Goa Yachting Association at Hawai beach, Dona Paula.
Adarsh Chunekar won the gold in Raceboard Youth category ahead of Rudra Palekar and Vinay Kulabkar who won the silver and bronze respectively.
The windsurfers competed in the IQ Foil and Raceboard Category while other sailors participated in the ILCA and Optimist category. The Championship was conducted by Capt. Prashant Menon, National Race Officer, assisted by Arjun Singh and Measurer Russell Lobo.
Strong windy conditions and massive swells on all three days of the championship ensured that all the sailors were pushed to their limits.
In the ILCA 4 Youth Boys Category, Adhvait Menon of INWTC Mandovi, who will represent India at the Asian Games, China, won the gold while Vishwanath Padidala and G Mallesh of the Navy Boys School Company (NBSC), Verem, won the silver and bronze respectively.
Pearl Colvalcar, who is the reserve sailor to represent India in the ILCA 4 category at the Asian Games, China, won the gold in the ILCA 6 women’s category.
In the Optimist Junior Boys category, NBSC made a clean sweep with the gold going to Sharanya Yuvraj Jadhav, silver to Ajay Gajji and bronze to Vikram Singh Bhati.
In the Optimist Sub-Junior Boys category there was tough competition with the top two sailors separated by only one point. Siddhant Guttikunda managed to clinch the gold ahead of Neel Karmalkar. Azzuro Patrao had to settle for bronze. In the Optimist Sub-Junior Girls,Tara Manral won the gold while Saachi Guttikunda took the silver.
Cmdr. Sanjay Panda, CO, INS Mandovi, was the chief guest and gave away the prizes.
Capt. Donde, India’s first solo circumnavigator, was the guest of honour. Capt. Prashant Menon, Rainer Dias, President of GYA and Keith D’Souza Gen. Secretary GYA were among those present.
