 Captain Johal picks up Rs 10,000
 On Thursday, it was the prize money race of the Open Sailing Championship '06 that caught everyone's eye. The sky being seeded with monsoon clouds, the wind hit a brisk 12 to 14 knots gusting up to 18 knots. On a triangular course, three classes of boats, Optimist, Cadet, and Laser, vied for the coveted first prize. Because of their different sizes, the boats were handicapped using the Portsmouth Yardstick Index. Brainchild of the US Sailing Organisation, it helps to compute finish times across different classes of boats to find out the overall winner. Eventually, it was Capt N S Johal from the Army Yachting Node who picked up the cheque for Rs 10,000.
 The winners of each class received their trophies from the chief guest, Maj Gen Shiv Shankar, Gen Officer Commanding, ATNK & K, and other dignitaries like Maj Gen R S Jamwal, vice-president Laser Class Association of India, Commodore T. Hari, the Naval Officer in Command, and IG Rajinder Singh, Comm CG. Addressing the gathering, Maj Gen Shiv Shankar, said that he was exploring the possibility of establishing a joint services sailing centre at Chennai. With such a facility in place, he felt that there would be mutual benefit to all sailors and organisations involved in the sport.
Commending the Tamil Nadu Sailing Association for its commitment and enthusiasm for the sport, Maj Gen Jamwal said Chennai had good potential for becoming a hub for sailing events and production of national level champions. Hony Secretary Mushtaqh Ali, proposed a vote of thanks.
R Rangaraj
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