Mumbai Ahoy!

Mumbai Ahoy!
Tuesday, 12 May 2009 09:12 Rohini Rau

After winning the Women’s Laser Radial title for the fifth consecutive year and finishing 4th overall at the Chennai Coastal Nationals last month, I am now off to Mumbai to take part in the Ocean Blue YAI Multi Class Regatta in the Laser Radial class.

This event is also the selection trials to select the top teams for foreign exposure for all the different classes. Winning isn’t enough. The final decision to send or not to send for foreign exposure rests with the selection committee.

I will be sailing the Laser Radial in Mumbai after nearly 2 years! It will be great to sail there again after all the experience I have gained. The monsoons are always challenging in Mumbai, so I am definitely looking forward to some good racing in the coming week. It should be an exciting event as there will be many different classes of boats competing at the same time.

Unfortunately the Laser Radial is an open category at the Asian Games 2010, so I will have to compete against veterans like Rajesh Choudhury from the Army Yachting Node who has already won 2 Asian Games medals. But no matter what the outcome of this regatta, I will be heading off to Denmark to take part in the Laser Radial Europeans slated for July and the Laser Radial World Championship in Japan to be held in August. So I am going into this regatta with no pressure. I know I just have to sail my best.

I am trying to make it a point to take part in all the national events that are being held this year: Chennai Coastal Nationals, YAI Multi class regatta – Mumbai, and the Laser Inland Nationals – Hyderabad. This will make sure that I get good racing practice in home waters which is crucial for important selection trials.

But for now my focus is the 2012 Olympics. I am systematically training towards qualifying India in the Laser Radial Class which is the women’s single hander dingy. It will not be easy but I am determined to give it my best shot!