Sailing school to create a 'sea' of changes

The news of opening India’s first government-run sailing academy at Anna Square came as a pleasant surprise for many sailors in the city. 

After sailing amid the big ships at Chennai harbour, they can now train at Marina beachfront without any worries. The new academy would be opened on the land adjoining the Cooum behind the Anna swimming pool at Anna Square. 

Sailors and officials from the Tamil Nadu Sailing Association (TNSA) talk about this beneficial move that would generate more interest in sailing as a water sport and its various benefits. 

“Currently, we function within the Chennai Port Trust Complex and the port officials charge us commercial rent and don’t give any concession. Having our own facility it would save us from spending and we could use the money to bring in experienced coaches from abroad. 

Overall, our operating cost would come down immensely. Once the academy starts running, it would generate interest in sailing as a water sport, especially among youngsters. When more people see sailing at Marina Beach, 

their interest towards the sport will increase,” says Ashok Thakkar, president of the TNSA. 

Thakkar admits that sailing is one among the few sports that would help gain self-control and concentration. 

“Sailing is a beautiful sport and a great activity for your health and fitness. Hoisting, pulling and sail trimming add to your muscle strength in your shoulders and back.  Every race is about 50 minutes and you cannot let your mind wander or sleep. Sailing enhances a person’s ability to multi  task,” he assures. An international player at sailing events, Neelanand Ramakrishnan’s aim is to represent India at the 2020 Olympics. 

“The sport is scientific as the sailors have to know the velocity of the air and viscosity of the water. I am studying in Class 10 and this knowledge helps in my studies as well. My ambition is to become a world-class athlete in sailing and get medals for India in the Olympics,” says the young champion. Nethra Kumanan of TNSA was thrilled to hear the news of a new academy opening up. 

“I think it’s amazing to move sailing to a more accessible spot as it will make such a huge difference. Growing up, my parents let me try absolutely everything — all kinds of sport, music, art, dance, and even a martial art but nothing ever compared to sailing. Getting into sailing was one of the best things to happen to me because it’s a whole new world and now a big part of my life as well. Sailing is a sport where kids become twice as mature as others their age. It’s a great way to experience things, find solutions while braving the ocean and millions of other things.” 

The 2014 Asian Games bronze winner, Aishwarya Nedunchezhiyan, is gearing up for the 2018 edition to be held in Jakarta. 

She says, “This would be a great breakthrough for the sport in India. The main disadvantage that we have in Chennai is that our club is inside the harbour, so the people don’t really get to see sailing. Having the second longest coast in the world and to be able to showcase sailing to the public and get more people involved is the ideal way to make a mark in the international sailing world as well. For a country which is half surrounded by water, we definitely haven’t been putting it to best use but this will definitely bring about a change much needed.”