Yacht a learning experience for Mumbai teenager Adhvait Menon

The water is Adhvait Menon’s world

It has been sailing and learning for Mumbai's Adhvait Menon, 15, who is in Italy competing at the Optimist World Sailing Championships, which began on June 30 and will go on till July 10.

The teenager is representing India at Italy's Riva Del Garda along with four other sailors. "This is one of the most prestigious sailing venues in the world," said his mother, Akhila Menon. The team has a coach, ace yachtswoman Ramya Saravanan with them in Italy. Ramya's brother Vishnu Saravanan has qualified for the Tokyo Olympics.

Fierce contest

More than winning or losing, "it is the invaluable experience that he has gained competing in Italy with world class sailors, which is going to stand him in very good stead." Adhvait's mother added, "There are 12 races. The last race is on July 9. The virus severely curtailed training time and schedules. Even getting to Italy was long-winded. Adhvait had to take a flight to Paris, then Amsterdam and finally to Verona (Italy)."

The family is following the Championships and Adhvait's progress through calls and the Internet. Menon said, "To be able to contest at the world level against the best, is a tremendous opportunity and the takeaways from here are what counts. There are 260 young sailors from 55 countries in this U-16 event, a pointer to the depth of talent and diversity, plus the fierce competition. Withstanding that kind of pressure is hugely beneficial," stated Menon, giving credence to the phrase, ‘only the test of fire makes fine steel.'

Adhvait had a set physical training schedule in preparation for the Optimist Worlds with an accent on cardiovascular fitness. The yachtsman, who started sailing at 10, "took to it like a fish to water", laughed his mother, and said that he trains at the Indian Naval Watermanship Training Centre (INWTC), Mumbai, along with the members of the Navy sailing team.

Coach Xerxes Bamboat, who represented India at the Asian Games in 2006 in Doha (Qatar) in the Optimist class, said, "Sailing has been so challenging in these times like other sports because of the pandemic. Competitors here have been unable to get too much practice in the water. It has also called for great reserves of mental strength. I think Adhvait will be like a sponge, soaking up the experience in Italy and learning from it. He has always been very strong on theory, extremely well-researched and really deep dives into the subject of sailing. In fact, because of his height and weight, Adhvait has already been sailing the Laser 4.7, a larger boat, but for these Championships of course, he had to go back to the Optimist."

12
No. of races one has to compete in at the Championships