Olympics 2008 Sailing : Will China Sailing Team Grab Gold?

Sailing as a sport began in China in 1978 and developed rapidly. More than 20 provinces, cities and regions now plan to start sailing competitions. Although there is still a long way to go for China's 470 and Tornado-class sailors to catch other world-class teams, the Olympics provides the Chinese athletes a great opportunity to learn.


As the host, China is directly qualified to enter all 11 sailing events. Sailors competing in Yngling, 49er and Finn events were selected from Qingdao.
The Chinese team also has gold medal chances in men's and women's windsurfing and the Laser Radial sailing class.


Ben Ainslie of Britain (L) and Zhang Peng of China competing in Finn class sail upwind during the first race of the sailing competition at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games in Qingdao, Shandong province,August 9, 2008. (Above)

Women's windsurfer Yin Jian won a silver medal at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games. Determined to give her best performance at home, Yin has been training hard.

Laser Radial competitor Xu Lijia, currently ranked second in the world by the International Sailing Federation, is another one leading China's bid for a sailing gold.

Young and talented, Xu won the 2006 Laser Radial World Championships and took a silver medal at the 2008 Worlds. World No 1 Anna Tunnicliffe of the United States and Tania Elias Calles Wolf of Mexico are Xu's strongest rivals.

Tiantai is a local Qingdao team that is representing China in the Yngling event. It won third and sixth place respectively in the 2006 and 2007 Qingdao International Sailing Regatta.

To prepare for the Games Wang Yong, coach of the team, invited foreign coaches to help the athletes improve their skills and strategy.

Experts also gave psychological guidance to bring out a top-notch performance.

"We undertook physical training and studied competition rules in the morning, and went out on the water in the afternoons to familiarize ourselves with the venue," said Song Xiaqun, a competitor with the Tiantai team.

China has taken first place many times in the Asian Games. The women's windsurfing team has won five world titles. China won two silver medals in Barcelona in 1992 and the same in Athens four years ago - but never a gold.

According to this report by the China Daily, lets wait and watch if China grabs gold! Read more...

One Tough Gazookas- Personality of a Sailor Man !

His first words were in response to the question, "Are you a sailor?" Popeye smartly replied, "Ja think I'm a cowboy?". Popeye the sailorman, with his muscles and his spinach, has since then, become a cultural icon.

It was an eventful Sunday evening when Team Giira got talking to a couple of sailors from around the world at the Vasco da Gama Rally party. We chatted up with the hearty lot about all the many adventures they’ve had to what it takes to be a true sailor!

“Sometimes God calms the storm, sometimes He calms the sailor”…


“No Expectations!...... and a Desire to Explore………. new lands, foreign cultures and of course the winds in the deep blue seas!”

Sailors are simplistic people who enjoy the simple pleasures of life. Highly spirited, they love the adventure of facing the uncertain, the indefinite and the challenges that await them. Overcoming obstacles is their greatest thrill, for beyond fear… lies victory! Sailing across the deep seas, these men are full of depth and a philosophy of their own.



“He is the best sailor who can steer within fewest points of the wind, and exact a motive power out of the greatest obstacles. “ – Sir Walter Scott

Sailors are full of humor and guess what else… superstition too, well may be a couple few. For sailors, it is goodluck : to smash a bottle against the boat just before sailing !
to throw an old pair of shoes overboard just after launch !to touch the collar of a sailor !
to step aboard using the right foot first!
Sailors believe the seabirds carry the souls of the dead.

Here’s a sailor joke:
"Why such long face John?" asked the other seaman.
"I don't know," said John "maybe It's just that we have been at sea for so long and I'm so depressed I cant seem to do anything right. Most of the time I feel so alone and useless!"
Smiling and nodding in an understanding way, the other seaman said, "John, I don't know if this helps but let me assure you; you are not alone. Most of us on the ship feel you're useless too."

Being a sailor adds to self growth. Many of the boaters we spoke with had taken up sailing at a much later stage in their lives! Sailing… can serve as a great learning experience and do wonders where acquiring soft-skills are concerned! It was nice to see so many women boaters too. In fact the ratio was almost equal.

Popeye the sailorman has become world famous. Whether it be from his addiction to spinach or the lyrics to his song, people of all ages imitate, collect, and aspire to be like Popeye. Popeye served as a hero to many. With his stylish sense of humor and his positive outlook on life, he was a role model to young children too.

Stay tuned in as Giira covers more on sailors and their special relationships with their vessel, wind and the sea!

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Regatta / Boat Show Update - March '08

March is one busy month for the International Yachting with as many as 14 boat shows happening within a span of 30 days - including the most prestigious ones like the Dubai International Boat Show (11th to 15th) and the Madrid Boat Show (12th to 16th).


Meanwhile, regattas and boat shows go hand-in-hand nowadays in order to hype-up a upcoming boat show - and thanks to the corporate backing nowadays, there is a lot of participation and awareness surrounding these.

BOAT SHOWS THIS MONTH

1) Mar 1-9 Stockholm International Boat Show (Stockholm, Sweden)

2) Mar 4-9 HISWA Amsterdam Boat Show (Amsterdam, Netherlands)

3) Mar 5-9 Yacht Vision ’08 (Auckland, New Zealand)

4) Mar 6-9 Austrian Boat Show (Tulln, Austria)

5) Mar 6-9 Japan International Boat Show (Yokohama, Japan)

6) Mar 6-9 Auckland International Boat Show (Auckland, New Zealand)

7) Mar 11-15 Dubai International Boat Show (Dubai, United Arab Emirates)

8) Mar 12-16 Madrid Boat Show (Madrid, Spain)

9) Mar 13-16 Wind and Water Boat Show (Warsaw, Poland)

10) March 19-23 World Match Racing Tour (Vitoria, Brazil)

11) Mar 27-30 Palm Beach Boat Show (West Palm Beach, Fla., USA)

12) Mar 28-30 International Rolex Regatta (St Thomas, US Virgin Islands)

13) Mar 28-30 Swan Maxi Trofeo Aurora Regate di Primavera (Portofino, Italy)

14) Mar 31-Apr 6 BVI Spring Regatta (Tortola, British Virgin Islands)


REGATTAS THIS MONTH

Two major Regattas - the Clipper Round the World Race, and the Brisbane to Gladstone Yacht Race are this month.

While another sailboat got dis-masted in the Clipper Race, Durban 2010 and Beyond, one of the ten yachts competing in the Clipper 07-08 Round the World Yacht Race has been dismasted during the race from Qingdao, China, to Hawaii.


Durban 2010 and Beyond’s dismasting is not thought to have been caused in the same manner as westernaustralia2011.com’s rig failure on Wednesday 5 March.

Meanwhile, challenges will come from several quarters for the eight Mooloolaba Yacht Club boats racing in this year’s 308 nautical mile 60th anniversary Brisbane to Gladstone Yacht Race.


The fleet of up to 90 monohulls and multihulls will meet on the two start lines at 11am on Easter Friday for the coastal dash to Gladstone.

A very important development in world sailing events is the annual Lion of Africa’s Yacht Race. South Africa’s women sailors are given an opportunity to take part in the only race of its kind in Africa at the Royal Cape Yacht Club on Saturday, March 15.


Only female skippers and crews are allowed to enter the race, which is a fairly familiar concept internationally but in its sixth year in South Africa, this has become a fixture on the local sailing scene.

If necessary, the yacht owner or their representative (even if it’s a man) will be allowed on the boats to observe only.

Watch this space for further updates and final results on the above events. Read more...

Nautica Samira Mumbai International Boat Show's Navy Cup Regatta - India's LARGEST Ever !

It's showtime folks !...

The Mumbai International Boat Show was commemorated with the Nautica Navy Cup Regatta held on Saturday evening. The organisers surely understand the importance of sailing and at the same time participation from all ages in all categories, as was seen in the regatta.


Team Giira covered the event live and there were so many snaps to share, that chosing on these four would be unjustifiable. With these ones we try to capture the thrill at the start of the race, the amazing and colorful competitive, spectator and media participation.

The SMIBS Navy Cup Regatta 2008 was held at the Naval Sailing Club. It was the largest sailing event ever in the history of Mumbai. Nautica was the partner for the SMIBS Navy Cup Regatta 2008. Approximately 350 participants of all age groups between six and 60, from sailing clubs in the city and outside participated in in this Regatta. Many of the sailors, who have been participants in the Asian Games as well as the Olympics, took part in this regatta.

Following are few pictures of the event :

Sailors lining up to make their start at the jetty. Note the Indian Training Ship INS Jawahar in the background.

Media and spectators all lined up at the pier to get on to their respective boats to have a closer look at the action.



Gusty winds saw sailors whizzing past our Media boat at breaknect (literally) speeds.

Crews of some of India's patented Seabirds and Lightnings balancing off the breeze over the sails by shifting all their weight on one side.

The race was rounded-up with finest of fashion shows displaying Nautica's latest and hottest line of clothes with a 'touch of water'. There was a quick ceremony to commemorate the winners in different classes of boats.

The event was a testimony of how people are hugely participating in regattas and people's acceptability to the same. Ultimately there was only one winner - the sport of sailing!
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Passion Unlimited !

How would you define passion? What if you could look at a race going on and you wouldn't see anything to let you know the sailors are blind? Well, that’s how I’d describe passion!

To sail. To spread a wing in the air and soar. No internal power. No fuel, just atmospheric energy. The only motion created by the elements of wind and water. To some humans, sailing calls as powerfully as the ancient lure of flight itself, and to those who pursue it, the passion only increases. Can you imagine the feeling for the sailor who is blind?

Where a sighted sailor might look up at the telltales - small ribbons on the aft edge of the sail that indicate optimum wind flow - blind sailors learn to use other senses, such as the feel of the wind on their faces to determine direction, intensity, and critical shifts.
Sailing promotes self-confidence, provides socialization, makes you mentally tough, and gives you the ability to multitask - there are all kinds of abilities that arise from the challenge of competition that go beyond sailing.

To enjoy sailing, blind sailors require no special boats or adaptive equipment. However, boats small enough to provide a responsive helm are recommended. Steering with a tiller rather than a wheel is preferable to improve a blind sailor's ability to "feel" the boat. Equipment such as talking compasses and whistles can be used to provide audio orientation and assure safety. Some blind sailors may also prefer tactile markings.

Blind Sailing International (BSI) Regattas include boats ranging from the 23 foot Sonar to the 36 foot Farr design. BSI prefers to use boats crewed by two blind and two sighted persons. Over the years, several attempts have been made to create aids for blind sailors: noise-making telltales, talking GPS. These would allow blind sailors to handle boats with a minimum of assistance from sighted crew.

Some have learned to incorporate such simple items as kitchen timers and pieces of tape on the sheets to give a sense of sail trim. Talking GPS and compass systems are developing, but are expensive and unnecessary, say some blind sailors!

So don’t be surprised if the next successful circumnavigation is completed by a sailor without sight. For where there is passion there is always a vision! Read more...

Regatta : The Ace Race

Any patron of the sailing community would come across the term Regatta in normal sailing conversations and would interpret it as just another boat race.

But Regattas are more than just that - they are a boat race organised just for the joy of competition, camaraderie, and general promotion of the sport.

MORE THAN SOMETHING SIMPLE

A regatta is a term used to describe either a boat race, or series of boat races. Although the term typically describes racing events of unpowered watercraft, some powerboat race series are also called regattas. Most commonly, a regatta is either a series of rowing, sailing or yacht racing. A regatta often includes social and promotional activities which surround the racing event, and except in the case of boat type (or "class") championships, is usually named for the town or venue where the event takes place.

Although regattas are typically amateur competitions, they are usually very highly organized, formally structured events, with complex rules precisely describing the schedule and procedures of the event; sometimes may be organized as championships for a particular area or type of boat.

Regattas are customized by their organisers based on the uniqeness found in the waters they are held or based on some special whims and fancies of the participants also. The Committee Vessel - a boat that of the organiser, overlooks the preceedings of the race and at the same time makes sure every competitor participates fairly to the spirit of the race. It's a lot like a Pace Car of Formula 1 races.

Regattas may be hosted by a Yacht club or a sailing association. In some western coastal towns and cities high school regattas or college regattas are held to promote the sport and participate in the joy of the event.

SIGNIFICANT REGATTAS

One of the largest and most popular regattas is the Henley Royal Regatta held on the River Thames, England. The oldest running regatta in the world is Cowes Week, which is held annually by the Royal Yacht Squadron in Cowes, England and usually attracts over 900 sailboats.

INDIA

Back home in India, Regattas are held during the sailing season by the Royal Bombay Yacht Club, Bombay Sailing Association, Colaba Sailing Club and other such local clubs and associations. The Madras Boat Club down south has its fair number of regattas held in the eastern coast of India.

Its a commonly held practice to celebrate the beginning and mark the ending of the sailing season with a special regatta in almost all of these clubs. Recent times have seen sponsorship and extensive media coverage and has increased the popularity of these.

Hence, Regattas are the real sailing races - they are held in the true spirit of the sport. Apart from being about speed and course, they are about taking the spirit of yachting to the hearts of the yachtsmen. Every yachtsmen would start his/ her passion of sailing with a Regatta.

An increase in the number of Regattas held and their publicity would be a definite start to the increase in the acceptance of the sport of sailing amongst both the masses and the classes here.

Read more...