Asia’s highest ranked match racing skipper Ayaz Shaikh, who is also the reigning national champion and top seed at the Monsoon Regatta, triumphantly concluded the racing with his first title at Hyderabad.
The first match of a five setter saw Atool winning giving Ayaz a penalty and led the entire first leg and rounded the top mark first. On the downwind leg with a twisted genneaker Atool Sinha compromised and Shaikh blasted past him leaving him in the dust. The story repeated in the second match with Sinha winning the start and Ayaz behind with a penalty. Shaikh showed top form by crossing ahead during the first leg itself and thereafter extended his lead, completed his penalty during the last leg and led by 2 to 1.
Sinha had everything to lose during the third match and turned to his aggressive best in the do or die situation and trailed, encircled, hooked and covered and shoved Shaikh to the coffins corner and
finally managed to give Shaikh a penalty giving him yet one more advantage at the start.
Shaikh lost his mainsheet block within a few moments of the start leaving his crew Sandeep
Jain to work the boat with all his strength and limped along and rounded ahead in a spectacular
performance. Sinha closed in on the second leg and only then realized that sheikh had gear failure and
went past Shaikh on a shifty upwind leg with Shaikh unable to match him tack for tack with Sinha now
trailing 1 : 2.
Sheikh change his boat leading to another do or die for Sinha. Bot top seeds started even with
Shaikh having a marginal lead for the first two legs when Sinha los his Jib halyard slowing him down
by at least 20 percent. Shaikh headed on to the gold while Sinha had to settle for a silver leaving both
seeds in absolutely the same ranking as they entered the championship. The petit finals to decide the
Bronze medal will be sailed on Saturday between Trunal Helegoankar and Manoj Kumar.
Asia’s highest ranked match racing skipper Ayaz Shaikh, who is also the
reigning national champion and top seed at the Monsoon Regatta, triumphantly concluded the racing
with his first title at Hyderabad.
The first match of a five setter saw Atool winning giving Ayaz a penalty and led the entire first leg and rounded the top mark first. On the downwind leg with a twisted genneaker Atool Sinha compromised and Shaikh blasted past him leaving him in the dust. The story repeated in the second match with Sinha winning the start and Ayaz behind with a penalty. Shaikh showed top form by crossing ahead during the first leg itself and thereafter extended his lead, completed his penalty during the last leg and led by 2 to 1.
Sinha had everything to lose during the third match and turned to his aggressive best in the do or die situation and trailed, encircled, hooked and covered and shoved Shaikh to the coffins corner and finally managed to give Shaikh a penalty giving him yet one more advantage at the start.
Shaikh lost his mainsheet block within a few moments of the start leaving his crew Sandeep Jain to work the boat with all his strength and limped along and rounded ahead in a spectacular performance. Sinha closed in on the second leg and only then realized that sheikh had gear failure and went past Shaikh on a shifty upwind leg with Shaikh unable to match him tack for tack with Sinha now trailing 1 : 2.
Sheikh change his boat leading to another do or die for Sinha. Bot top seeds started even with Shaikh having a marginal lead for the first two legs when Sinha los his Jib halyard slowing him down by at least 20 percent. Shaikh headed on to the gold while Sinha had to settle for a silver leaving both seeds in absolutely the same ranking as they entered the championship. The petit finals to decide the Bronze medal will be sailed on Saturday between Trunal Helegoankar and Manoj Kumar.