It's Gautam, Madhu and Rajesh's day

By Our Sports Reporter

HYDERABAD, MAY 15. Gautam Dutta and P. Madhu of India shared the opening day's honours in the full rig category of the Asia Pacific international Laser championships at the Hussain Sagar here on Tuesday. Rajesh Chaudhary started off with an impressive double in the National Open Radial competitions by convincingly winning both the races.

Late arrival of favourable winds put off the start by about four hours. Surprisingly the girls led the pack in the opening leg with seasoned hands gaining ground only in the second beat. On the second loop, frontrunners Dinesh Boorugu and Sandeep Kapoor strayed to the extreme left of the trapezoid course.

Favourite Rajesh Chaudhary never deviated although he did a 720 in the initial stages. Deftly ducking under the swivelling boom to take neat turns around the markers, he touched the finished line a comfortable five boat-lengths ahead of Naval Sailing Club's Naresh Yadav.

Despite a poor start in the second race, the top fleet consolidated its position on the inner loop run. A lull in the winds saw a standstill of sorts, which steadily segregated the sailors. Chaudhary underscored his authority in the prevalent light wind conditions, after his triumph in the late April trials off the Mumbai coast.

The top fleet of Gautam Dutta, Naresh Yadav and Richard Scarr was off to a clear start in the standard rig's opening race. Presently, local sailor Selvam, who upstaged the top trio, saw Dutta squeeze into the inner path around the last leeward mark. In the process, Dutta's boat grazed Selvam's, leaving the latter to do a 720 for the violation. Dutta's experience and gamesmanship paid off and he went on to claim the race.

In the day's concluding race, the race committee, taking into consideration deteriorating visibility, shortened the course, laying out the finish line after the outer loop's run. P. Madhu of EMESA, who broke away from the top fleet after the first leg, maintained his lead, stretching it to eight boat lengths over Thailand's Jacobson.

Secunderabad Sailing Club's Dinesh Boorugu was disqualified in the second Laser Radial race, for `pumping,' which violates rules to derive artificial advantage out of sail and boat maneuvering.

The results:

Laser Radial Open Nationals: First race: 1. Rajesh Chaudhary (EMESA), 2. Naresh Yadav (NSC), 3. Soma Pradhyumna (SSC); Second race: 1. Rajesh Chaudhary, 2. Dharmender Singh (CESC), 3. Tirumal Rao (EMESA).

Laser Standard: First race: 1. Gautam Dutta (Ind), 2. Richard Scarr (Aus) 3. Jacobson (Tha); Second race: 1. P. Madhu (India), 2. Jacobson, 3. Naresh Yadav (Ind).

Gautam Dutta of EMESA acknowledging the cheers after being placed first in the first race of the Laser Standard category of the Asia Pacific sailing championship at Hussain Sagar Lake on Tuesday.

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