It is often said that it is only a Naval Regatta which captures the élan of the seafarer and presents it to the sailing aspirant with the thrill of adventure and the allurement of the glamour. It has grown with Naval Tradition and has always inspired a nurturing zeal in the Indian Navy. Such an event had unfolded at the icturesque Ettikulum Bay in the Indian Ocean during the middle of December 2014. It was the fifth edition of the Admiral’s Cup Regatta, a prestigious annual international sailing event hosted by the Indian Naval Academy (INA), Ezhimala.
Trainees from seventeen international Naval Academies pitted their sailing skills with participation of teams from the Australia, Bangladesh, Bahrain, China, Egypt, France, Fiji, Germany, Mauritius, Oman, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Thailand, UAE, USA, United Kingdom, apart from India. The Admiral’s Cup Sailing Regatta 2014 had opened on 10 Dec 14.
The Regatta was being sailed under the aegis of the Indian Naval Sailing Association and conducted by the Marakkar Waterman-ship Training Centre, INA. The races, in Laser (Radial) class sailing boats, were scheduled over three days commencing from 11 December. The course was laid out in keeping with the international standards. The event has become very popular since its inception in 2010. A total of 36 participants including three lady participants from Australia and Germany fiercely competed for the coveted ‘Admiral’s Cup’.
With the news of first time participation from countries like China, France, Germany, Saudi Arabia, Thailand and USA, tremendous anticipation had built up..
The Indian Navy instituted the ‘Admiral’s Cup Regatta’ as a ‘Fleet Race’ in a single crew Olympic class ‘Laser-Radial’ sail boat in 2010. The participating eams
competed in nine races spread over three days with each country being represented by two boats. The coveted ‘Admiral’s Cup’ was awarded to the best team winning the championship on the basis of their combined performance. This year the honours went to the Indian team. In addition, individual medals were also awarded. The Admiral’s Cup Regatta 2013 was won by United Arab Emirates.
