Indian sailors competing at J/80 Worlds.

Ananya Chouhan (left) and Alekhya Maharaju © Deccan Chronicle

Hyderabad sailors Ananya Chouhan and Alekhya Maharaju have been recruited into the first-ever Indian teams to participate in this year’s J/80 Worlds in Spain. To be precise: Real Club Maritimo del Abra, 13-20 July 2019.

Ananya states that her selection is the result of several years of hard work. “I fell in love with sailing when I was 11. At 12, I was the youngest sailor participating in a regatta in Kochi. After that, I participated in several sailing championships, and my love for the sport just grew. My school (Gitanjali Devshala) was very supportive of my ambitions, and that gave me the push that sent me forward,” Ananya recalled.

“I am really thrilled about the upcoming championship! I have won international tournaments earlier, yes, but I’ve never sailed outside of Asia and competed against world teams,” she added. Ananya qualified for the IND team via selection trials conducted by the Royal Madras Yacht Club (RMYC) in association with the Yachting Association of India (YAI).

Ananya will be racing in a mixed team of six sailors – two girls and a boy from Chennai, two boys from Mumbai, and Ananya from Hyderabad. 18-year-old Ananya is currently in the first year of her studies in mechanical engineering in Vellore, and says she has been sailing in Chennai to prepare for the Worlds event. “As part of my preparation leading up to the event, I sail for up to four hours and work out at the gym for an hour every day. Chennai is the only place in India with a J/80 fleet, so that is where I practice with the rest of the team.”

Ananya was greatly inspired by her father’s friend, Commander Dilip Donde, who is the first ever Indian to complete a solo circumnavigation under sail.

Alekhya Maharaju, on the other hand, is bracing for her comeback to sailing after a hiatus of nine years. She is part of an all-female team that will be competing at the J/80 Worlds. Alekhya, who has already won several national and international championships, is a doting mother as well as a sailor. She states that her passion for the sport is what has brought her back to sailing. “I remember how excited I was when I learned to sail at the Secunderabad Sailing Club. I was 10 years old then. I am so happy to be back in a boat! I’ve been passionate about sailing since forever, so when I asked my husband for his opinion on my participation, he welcomed my decision. He believes it is an ideal opportunity for me to stage a comeback. In preparation, I’ve been hitting the gym and practicing sailing for four hours every day,” she said.

While sailing itself is a fairly niche sport, Alekya says that finding female sailors is even more daunting. “It’s been a tough task, finding women who love sailing. However, I have come to find them in Chennai,” Alekhya said, adding, “The team is looking to raise funds for the travel. The sports scene in India is dominated by cricket, but it’ll be nice to have some financial support for alternative sports like sailing. Perhaps then we will be able to pursue our passion and make it big,” Alekhya concludes.