Picturesque KRS backwaters to be dotted with 160 participating boats

Mysuru: The Royal Mysore Sailing Club (RMSC) will organise National Junior Ranking sailing event 2022 at the backwaters of Krishna Raja Sagar Dam in Mandya from July 29 to Aug. 4 and the winners of the championship can subsequently qualify for Asian Games, European Games and even the Olympics.

This is the third such championship being held at the KRS backwaters and the picturesque venue is slowly becoming popular for the sport. The RMSC conducted its first National Regatta Championship in August last year and soon after the event, Indian Army’s Madras Engineer Group (MEG) Madras Sappers conducted the ‘National-Level Multi-Class Youth Sailing Championship’ the KRS backwaters.

Addressing a press conference at Pathrakarthara Bhavan in the city this morning, RMSC Founder Captain Arvind Sharma, who is also Secretary of Karnataka State Sailing Association, said that the event will be purely wind-based one and motor boats will not be used. Over 150 to 160 champions from all over the country are participating.

 “The National Junior Ranking event will be a gateway for the sailors to enter the Asian Games, European Games and Olympics. The National Federation-Yachting Association of India (YAI) rewarded RMSC by granting it the National Junior Ranking event 2022. Races would be held in various classes of sailboats from Dinghys like Optimist Class, Laser Class, and Enterprise Class to bigger boats like the Omega Class and the Seabird Class,”  Captain Arvind Sharma said.

While participants in the age group between eight and 15 can participate in Optimist Class, sailors in the age group of 15 to 19 years can participate in the Laser Class.

He said that permission from the Karnataka Government has been procured and the RMSC has been recognised by Karnataka State Sailing Association to set up Karnataka’s only civil sailing centre at KRS Backwaters. “We are determined to bring Mysuru on the sailing map of India and we will produce champions. The National Junior Ranking event 2022 is being organised in this direction,” he added.

RMSC has received support from Royal Madras Yachting Club (RMYC), a 110-year-old sailing club, in terms of equipment and expertise. “We conducted a national sailboat championship (regatta) which was a first for Mysuru last year. Participation of sailors from across the country made it a successful event paving the way for Mysuru to be a destination for sailing and regattas,” he added.

The Mysuru Hotel Owners Association has come forward to support logistics like accommodation, transportation, food, etc. for the event. RMYC is pitching in with equipment, expertise and manpower for safe and successful conduct of the event.

Karnataka State Sailing Association is supporting the event by providing recognition to the event along with the Mysore District Sailing Association, Sharma said.

“RMSC is training a team of young sailors to qualify for the event and hopefully bring laurels to Karnataka and Mysuru. The event will also hopefully bring tourists to Mysuru to boost the tourism sector,” he said.

Ex-Naval Captain and former Director, Yachting Association of India Capt. Tribhuwan Jaiswal, member of RMSC and promoter, Siddharta Hotel and Windflower Resorts P.V. Giri, RMSC President Ajay Kumar Singh, RMSC member Mahindra Patwari and Mysuru Hotel Owners Association President C. Narayanagowda were present.