The Sri Lanka Schools Yachting Association will field a 21-member National team at the Abu Dhabi International Sailing Regatta from October 13 to 19.
Comprising of a four-day intensive training camp, two days of competition and over 300 competitors from over 20 countries, the regatta promises to be the ideal challenge for the Lankan side that was selected in early August.
The sailors will be going into the regatta in high spirits after member Dhanika Nanayakkara bagged a bronze medal for Sri Lanka at the IODA Asian and Oceanian Sailing Championships in Oman just this week. This is also the first time Sri Lankan sailors will be competing internationally as a Sri Lanka 'Schools' National team - an initiative long overdue considering the exponential growth of the sport among the youth during the past half-decade.
The team made up of sailors from Royal College, S. Thomas' College and the Overseas of Colombo was selected by officials of the Sri Lanka Schools Yachting Association and is approved by both the Ministry of Sports and the Ministry of Education.
They share amongst them sailing careers starting as far back as 2013, Royal Thomian and National medals, and prior international campaigns to India, Oman, Thailand, Hong Kong, Myanmar, and Dubai. This experienced outfit will be jointly led by Kaif Sally (deputy skipper of Royal) and Akil Ismail (former skipper of S. Thomas').
"Sailing is a multifaceted, complex and exceptionally challenging sport that requires not only technical and mental skill, strength, agility and endurance, but also the ability to read the wind, tides and currents and use these forces to the competitor’s best advantage, constantly evaluating the options and changing course to get around the course in the quickest possible time. This is a great opportunity for our youngsters, to compete alongside the best in the world, and the experience they gain and bring back with them is invaluable for the development of the sport at the school and national level," explained head coach Krishan Janaka.
The sailors will be competing in the Optimist and Laser boat classes. The Optimist is a small single-handed sailing dinghy raced by competitive athletes up to the age of 15 and the Laser is a larger - faster boat designed for athletes aged 15 and above. They are both recognized classes at the World Championship level and the Laser class reserves permanent spots at the Asian Games and Olympic competitions.
"It is a matter of national pride to say that we can field 21 international regatta ready sailors so soon after the introduction of sailing as a sport to students in 2013. The Sri Lanka Schools Yachting Association can put forward these athletes because of the combined efforts of the Yachting Association of Sri Lanka, the Ceylon Motor Yacht Club, the Royal Colombo Yacht Club, the Sri Lanka Navy sailing team and member schools - and to them we are incredibly grateful. I do not doubt in my mind that they will perform well," said the Manager of the team Jayantha Gunasekara.
In a joint statement Kaif Sally and Akil Ismail outlined the immense onshore and offshore preparation required. "Unlike most sports, sailing isn’t a simple matter of gym, practice, cardio, eat, sleep and repeat: we have that as well, but we also had to focus on the tactical and mental aspects. A great deal of rules preparation, strategy sessions, psychological preparation, visualization, boat tuning and preemptive research on the race venues currents, winds, tides have been carried out by our athletes on their own schedules. All that’s left is to go out there, sail our hardest - fastest-cleanest and make our motherland proud,” they stated.
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