Mahesh, Yadav snatch first-ever sailing gold

Incredibly, a high-flying naval pilot joined hands with a former sailing club store-keeper to win India its first gold medal at the Military World Games on Friday. Cdr Mahesh Ramchandran and Master Chief Petty Officer Girdhari Lal Yadav saw their ranks meet midway in the high seas to give the country one of its biggest successes at the world level in any Games over the last quarter century.

Cdr R Mahesh jets out in his sophisticated Islander maritime reconnaissance aircraft when on uniform-duty. While sailor Yadav from Madhya Pradesh, who first set his eyes on a sailing boat here in Mumbai 15 years ago while overseeing the maintenance of the club, has risen through the ranks on accelerated promotions owing to his sailing successes. On Friday, Yadav’s tiller moved in perfect tandem with skipper Mahesh’s simple hand cues as the Enterprise Class fetched India its first gold in four editions of the military games. Like a well-oiled team, little was spoken out in the seas between the two, and the helmsman’s mere movements guided the rudder of his crew.

At 4.50 pm as the final and only race of last day ended, the Indian flag was dropped into the winning Boat No 25, which had pressed ahead of the rest of the fleet to establish clear domination of its home-seas. “The idea was to win, and win it clean and seal it,” said Cdr Mahesh.

A relatively late starter at this sport at 24, the now 40-year-old pilot had tasted early success in the nationals to spur him onto bigger events, and wider Classes of boats. Yadav, on the other hand, has his favourite in the Enterprise Class, though he has been on the crew of the four-man Match Race in which the two had witnessed heart-break last December losing the gold medal to Singapore.