(Mumbai, India)- The 16th of November saw an armada of sailboats sailing
out of Mumbai’s harbor (the Gateway to India) to participate in a
regatta organized by Commodore Rabi Ahuja in memory of his father. The
late Gokaldas Ahuja had set up the first “Sea Scout” group in 1938 that
came to be known as the Sea Cadet Corps- its goal was to introduce
Indians to the sea and sailing and to enjoy friendship and teamwork
together.Weather conditions on the land were the best Mumbai had seen all month – owing to the surprising showers a few days earlier. However, the sea had been rough the day before and several people at the jetty were discussing how the erratic wind conditions would affect the outcome of the race. The team members on the J/122E, were confident of the boat’s ability to adapt to the shifty wind conditions and out sail the competing boats.
The race spanned three fleets, including one for children under 15, and the J/122E’s course was a loop finish on the beat. We went out to sea an hour before the race was scheduled to ensure everything was working properly. Nandan (the proud owner of the boat he’s christened SKADOOSH) was at the helm discussing the strategy for the race with his crew. The position of the flags seemed a little worrisome since we weren’t sure the race course had the minimum seven feet depth that is needed for the J/122E’s keel. Nevertheless, we decided to start the race and sail away if it got too shallow.
The tactician Ayesha Lobo wasted no time arriving at a game plan for the races. Since they were sailing with 17 boats she figured it would be advisable not to start with the fleet and instead a running start a minute later was more beneficial (and safer!). The pre-start tactic worked and before they were heading to the windward mark at an average speed of 7.9 knots, striving to find a balance between speed and point. Halfway through the race, they had an altercation with another boat and had to “un-wind” themselves (admirably done by Nandan at the helm). Nevertheless, the team worked like clockwork and systematically played a number of shifts with some great crew-work to finish in second!
At
the start of the second race the same strategy was applied— steer well
clear of the chaos at the start gun! At first, it appeared this was a
smart move considering the fact that the race had three false starts
(general recalls). However, on the final start, we had an encounter
with another boat! As you can guess by now, the “ISAF sailing rules”
are still being learned in Mumbai’s offshore community! To avoid a
collision, they were forced to spin around 360 degrees and start behind
the other boats. On any other boat, this would have cost them the race.
However, SKADOOSH managed to catch up sailing high and fast with her
main and jib and managed to finish a very satisfying second place. As a
result, with two seconds they won the regatta!After the racing, the wind picked up speed and the crew enjoyed practicing tacks as they zigzagged their way through the mooring field. Ultimately, it was time to celebrate their successful outing aboard the beautiful SKADOOSH. They dropped anchor and sat back to enjoy a few sandwiches and refreshments while watching the beautiful sunset on-board the magnificent J/122E. “SKADOOSH is a perfect cruising and racing sailboat,” according to Nandan! "Plenty of room and light below and, on deck, great seating for everyone to enjoy themselves! Plus, it's fast!"
The regatta was an undoubted success – the Chief of Naval Staff for the Indian Navy was suitably entertained from his helicopter that hovered around the fleets as they raced! The prize ceremony convened at Jawahar- a giant ship-shaped concrete structure, named after our first Prime Minister- Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru- who laid the foundation stone for it in 1968. The large number of participants and the growing numbers of Sea Cadets and volunteers around Mumbai paint a wonderful picture of promoting the spirit of adventure through sailing. Hopefully, Gokaldas Ahuja’s aims and dreams are being realized now, one new sailor at a time! Thanks for the report from Ayesha Lobo of J/India.
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