Danish duo finishes way ahead in Regatta practice races

Danish duo of Kristian and Mathias warded off brittle challenge from seven Indian pairs as they finished way ahead of other sailors in the '29er' Class in the practice races of the Volvo Indian International Regatta here today.

With a north easterly wind at 14 knots and racing up to 16 knots at the end of the race, Danish pair, who have been sailing for the last over four years, showed their mastery in this class.

The Indian teams of Hussain and Nishanth and Varan and Keshub suffered rig failures and could not complete the race.

The duo of Xerxes and Krishna from RBYC (Mumbai) finished behind the Danes, while the girls' team of Shweta and Aishwarya from the hosts club finished third in the practice race, according to a press release by the organisers.

The Optimist fleet started off first with the favourites from TNSA having a distinct advantage in their home waters.

The Singapore team, consisting of very young sailors, many of them lightly built, displayed great skills to get themselves ready for competitive racing from tomorrow. Other Indian sailors, who have been practising for the past two months in preparation for the regatta were unfazed by the conditions.