Qatar’s Amro and Ali excel at Qatar International Regatta

by Suman Malla, Gulf Times on 4 Feb 2009 Qatar maintained their domination in Hobie 16, while Algeria put up some fine exhibition of sailing on the second day of racing in the 17th Qatar International Regatta yesterday. Qatar’s Amro Yousry and Ali M al-Safran added one more win yesterday to the two they had on Monday for a commanding 13-point lead in the Hobie 16.

Another Qatari pair of Fahad Adsani and Mohammed Ismail put their opening day’s disappointment behind to come home second to finish on 16 points, a point ahead of third-placed Iranian pair of Issa Pour Beshman and Majid Seyfisan Gachini.
Sailors in all six classes could race only once yesterday with winds picking up over 25 knots and even touching 30 knots at times in the afternoon.

“The wind was strong from the beginning today, which continued to build up,” said Capt AR Arshad, technical advisor to the tournament organizing committee.
“The race officers waited for 15-20 minutes to start the second race. But with the wind showing no sign of relenting, they decided to cancel the remaining races for the safety of the sailors and sailing equipment.” He informed that two races will be staged today, which was previously declared as rest day, to make up the lost time. A competition rule requires 10 races to determine a winner in each class.

The Optimist sailors were the first ones to head to the shores but it came only after Algeria’s Zakaria Khoualed pounced upon an early opportunity. Yesterday’s victory saw him jump from overnight seventh position to third overall.

Malaysia’s Muhammad Farhan finished second to climb up to fifth but there were no changes in the top two positions. Fellow Malaysian Ahmad Latif, who finished third yesterday, retains the pole position after three races, while Algerian girl Imene Cherif Sahraoui hangs on to her overnight second position.

In the Laser 4.7, Algeria’s Wassim Ziani continued his fine form for a second win that now puts him on two points, three clear of his closest rival Hassan al-Tamimi from Qatar. Al-Tamimi came home second yesterday’s to shift Bahrain’s Oman Abdualaziz Ahmed from the second position. And the 15-year-old Qatari now aims to move up a notch further. “I sailed with a much tidy line today and happy to finish second,” said al-Tamimi, who is racing Laser 4.7 here for the first time. “I was on the tail of Wassim but I think I can still improve on today’s performance. We still have three full days of racing and anything is possible.”

Another Algerian sailor Tahar Selmane started off from where he left on Monday to mount pressure on leader Rudy Lloyd McNeill in the Laser Standard. Selmane narrowed the gap to within a point after his victory in yesterday’s race, his second in a row over McNeill who has five points.

Four points behind Selmane is his compatriot Mohammed Ali Soukeur, who came home just behind McNeill yesterday after the overnight occupant of third place, Bahrain’s Kacem Benjemin, became one of the 10 victims of the speeding wind yesterday. The incident forced Benjemin four places down at seventh overall.
But there was still a piece of good news for the Bahrainis as Abdulla Rahim Abdulla maintained his dominance in the Laser Radial. He accumulated one more win to open a four-point lead over second-placed Adil Mohammed of the UAE, who has seven points.

Qatar’s promising young sailor Waleed al-Sharshani managed a second place to keep himself in striking distance from the two on eight points. “I lost my way as I pressed too hard yesterday [Monday]. But my concentration was much better today and I raced in tight line,” explained al-Sharshani, who is also racing in Laser Radial here for the first time. However, the 18-year-old is determined to prove himself. “They [Abdulla and Mohammed] have been racing in this class for a while now. But I will try my best and let’s see what happens in the next two days.”

Meanwhile, Malaysia maintained their hold in 470 class with interesting duel between Megat Ahmad and Ku Anas for the top position. Ahmad and his crew Muhammed Hanafi sailed consistently in their line to post a third successive second place finish to move two points ahead of Anas and his crew Mohammed Afiq who came in only fourth in yesterday’s race.

Kuwait’s Mohammed al-Hamdan and Ali Bohamad won yesterday to take up third place as its previous occupants Malaysia’s Nurul Elia and Siti Noorbaidurah. The Malaysian girls slumped to fifth after they failed to make it to the starting area.

Day 2 standings:
Optimist (Open): 1. Ahmed Latif (MAS) 4pts, 2. Imene Cherif (ALG) 6pts, 3. Zakaria Khoualed (ALG) 8pts
Laser 4.7 (Open): 1. Wassim Ziani (ALG) 2pts, 2. Hassan al-Tamimi (QAT) 5pts, 3. Omar Abdulaziz Ahmed (BRN) 6pts
Laser Radial (Open): 1. Abdulla Rahim Abdulla (BRN) 3pts, 2. Adil Mohammed (UAE) 7pts, 3. Waleed al-Sharshani (QAT) 8pts
Laser Standard: 1. Rudy Lloyd McNeill (RSA) 5pts, 2. Tahar Selmane (ALG) 6pts, 3. Mohd Ali Soukeur (ALG) 10pts
470 (Open): 1. Megat Ahmed/Mohd Hanafi (MAS) 6pts, 2. Ku Anas/Mohd Afiq (MAS) 8pts, 3. Mohd al-Hamdan/Ali Bohamad (KUW) 12pts
Hobie 16: 1. Amro Yousry/Ali M al-Safran (QAT) 3pts, 2. Fahad Adsani/Mohd Ismail (QAT) 16pts, 3. Issa Pour Beshman/Majid Seyfisan Gachini (IRN) 17pts