“Ajay Rau” first Indian to race The Rolex Sydney Hobart

“Ajay Rau” first Indian to race The Rolex Sydney Hobart

Sydney: December 26, 2009, will be a historic day for Indian Yachting as Ajay Rau becomes the first Indian to crew in one of Yachting world’s most prestigious Ocean Races. The Rolex Sydney Hobart.

The Rolex Sydney Hobart 628 mile course is often described as the most grueling long ocean race in the world. There is always a high element of risk involved when sailing this race. In the 65 year race history there have been numerous casualties from boat damage to death. The lineup has always been impressive with world class sailors taking part from the Volvo Ocean Race to the America's Cup crews. It is encouraging to see an Indian among the legends of the sport. A fleet of 100 yachts will compete in this year's race, which starts at 13:00 AEDT, 26 December 26, 2009.

Team Merit

Ajay Rau is crewing for team “Merit”, a Volvo 60 ( 2001 Volvo Ocean Race Yacht). The Team is skippered by Leo Rodriguez (Aus). The 18 member Squad is dominated by sailors from Australia. However there are a few sailors from Great Britain and one sailor each from New Zealand, India, Holland, Finland and the USA. . The team has retained most of its victorious crew from last year’s race where it won the PHS division.

Earlier this month Ajay trained on the Merit; sailing 386 nautical miles (50 hours) from Southport to Sydney. The team has been making constant changes to the boat and training hard in Sydney in preparation for the big race. For the Start Ajay has been assigned the job as the head sail (Jib) trimmer and grinder.

“ I would like to thank my family, well wishers and Sponsors, without whom none of this would have been possible. I am also very fortunate that Leo Rodriguez has given me this opportunity to be part of the team, despite my inexperience in this kind of racing.”- says an elated Ajay.

Media Information

Rigorous Preparation, Single minded determination, Superlative timing. Welcome to the 2009 Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race.The Rolex Sydney Hobart has become an icon of Australia’s summer sport, ranking in public interest with such Australian events as the Melbourne Cup horse race, the Davis Cup tennis and the cricket tests between Australia and England. With spectator numbers on Sydney Harbour and the Sydney Harbour foreshore expected to reach around 500,000 people, together with Seven Network’s Australia wide television audience of 500,000 viewers, and the addition of Yahoo !7’s national and international audience reach (for more info visit http://au.sports.yahoo.com/) it is predicted that the start of the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race will be one of the most viewed sporting events in the world in the month of December.

YouTube - Interview with Ajay Rau, the first Native of India Participating in a Rolex Sydney Hobart

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MwMQCWUy__M

You can watch India’s Ajay Rau and his team live in this incredible race through the following feeds:

Log onto www.svsvideo.tv and view live coverage of the race. This is one of the rare opportunities where viewers will be able to communicate with the team during the race, making the experience very personal. Additionally fans will be able to keep track of all the boats by accessing the Yacht tracker program and receiving mobile updates. (For more information visit http://rolexsydneyhobart.com/ )

Merit has been declared race ready.

Sydney: Merit has been given the nod by Race organizers to go ahead with race preparations. The former Volvo ocean race going yacht passed the mandatory safety requirements.

India’s Ajay Rau started his training with team “Merit” (Volvo 60), sailing 386 nautical miles (50 hours) from Southport to Sydney.

The official 18 member squad headed by Leo Rodriguez is now training hard from CYCA (Cruising Yacht Club Australia). The team has retained most of the victorious crew from last year’s race where it won the PHS division.

The team will be practicing every possible maneuver at the Sydney Harbour before the race starts. The Rolex Sydney Hobart 628 mile course is often described as the most grueling long ocean race in the world. This is the first time an Indian is taking part in this land mark event.

The race starts on the 26th of December from Sydney Harbour.

Ajay Rau Impresses during Sail Sydney

Ajay shocked the international star studded fleet by rounding the top mark in first place during race number 8 at the 2009Sail Sydney International regatta. He started on the left hand side of the line and executed his plan to perfection. The wind worked in his favor and the spot light was on the young Indian. He managed to finish 10^th in what was a very long and challenging race.

“ It still cannot believe I was ahead of these world class sailors.(World number 3,5,7,10,15 ) Javier (ESP),Matias (CHI), Thomas (AUS), Mike (CAN) and Daniel (CRO) to just name a few. I would have been really pleased if I finished the race in 4^th or 5^th position, but the race was to long.”

There were at least 10 sailors who competed at the 2008 Olympic Games and a large amount of very high ranked laser sailors in the 42 odd fleet during the regatta. This is a good boost for Ajay's confidence as it is a stage in his Olympic campaign where he needs to get the self belief that he can beat these world class sailors. He ended the regatta finishing in 34^th place.

This class of boat is as competitive as Soccer. India has never qualified for the laser class during the Olympic Games. Since 2006 he is hoping to become the first Indian to do so.

Rolex Sydney Hobart preparations begin

Ajay joins a special club as he starts preparing for one of the toughest races in the world. To compete in this high octane ocean race is every sailors dream. Ajay is

flying to the Gold Coast early today morning to join Leo Rodriguez and team Merit aboard the Volvo 60. The crew will be sailing 386 nautical mile’s from Southport

to Sydney. They are expected to reach Sydney by 12^th December.” I cant wait to get to the Gold Coast. This is going to be an experience of a life time, I hope I will be able to gel and make an impression in the team”. says Ajay .

Ajay sets his sights on 2012 Olympic Qualification: “Yachting”

World ranked 15 Radial sailor has been forced this season to shift back into the Olympic Class after a gap of over a year. Tomorrow he will be racing in an ISAF Grade 1 – Sail Sydney. He last raced a Grade 1 in the July 2008 European Championships in Belgium

Ajay faced rig and sail damage at Sail Brisbane

He is back racing this class due to rig and sail damage he secured on the first day of racing during Sail Brisbane. He was lying in 3^rdposition when his mast snapped in half which later damaged his sail. He had to sit out for two races and raced in the Olympic Class, only completed 7 races of the 9 races sailed. He finished a respectable 18^th position out of a 28 boat fleet in the ISAF Grade 2 event. It has been tough going for him as he has had a disadvantage of having less body weight and power compared to his rivals.

Ajay now has his sights on putting on a good show in Sydney. It’s going to be really hard to get the results he is used to getting over the past year, as this is the clash of the Olympians. This is like the formula one in Sailing. Ajay is confident that making a come back in the laser standard will make him physically and mentally more prepared for the upcoming Asian Games. He is training to be flexible to race both the Laser and Radial class of boat.

A Whooping 222 entries for Sail Sydney

The Organizers of sail Sydney have received 222 applications for one of the only two ISAF Grade 1 events in the southern hemisphereand a strong level of commitment has come from the Olympic classes, especially the Laser and Laser Radial single-handed dinghies, which is not surprising considering the next summer Olympic Games is less than three years away. The Indian sailor is aiming to be an all round sailor, “I have been campaigning for the Olympics since 2006 and I am committed to making the Olympics come 2012 and hopefully a medal in 2016” -says Ajay. The commitment shown by the 21 year old to make it to the top in one of the toughest Olympic classes in the world, is proof that Indians are not afraid of challenges, sure he is an under dog but with hard work, determination and hopefully future sponsorship anything is possible.

Sail Sydney Profile

International representation is exceptionally strong three years out from the London 2012 Games, with competitors making their way to Australia from Great Britain, Ireland, New Zealand, the USA, Chile, Spain, Singapore, Greece, Canada, Japan, Finland, Hungary, Switzerland, Norway, India, Korea, Norway, Croatia, Poland and Italy.

The Laser class is headed by two-time world champion and Beijing Olympian Tom Slingsby (AUS) who has put in some strong performances since returning home from China.Slingsby will face some of those he competed against in Beijing inclusive of Matias Del Solar (CHI), Michael Leigh (CAN), Javier Hernandez (ESP), Jeemin Ha (KOR) and Andrew Murdoch (NZL), the best placed of the six with a fifth place finish in Qingdao. A second Kiwi competitor and Youth sailor, Josh Junior, could give the seniors some trouble. Robert Godwin, one of Britain’s many standout Laser sailors will also provide good racing, as will third place-getter here last year, Daniel Mihelic from Croatia. “We’re all ramping up for the Olympics again,” says Slingsby continuing, “It’s good to have such a good group at Sail Sydney. We’re all here to get ready for our next European season.”

YAI Selection trials in December to clash with Sydney Hobart Race

In an interesting development, The Yachting Association Of India only last week called for a selection of the Indian team during 26^th -30^th of December. Ajay during this time will be the first Indian to sail one of the hardest short Ocean racing classics in the World - the Rolex Sydney Hobart. He has been the only man from the Indian team who has been regularly taking part and performing at International events. He has been a standout performer for the country securing a bronze in the men’s radial in Australian waters and also India’s best place ever finishing 15^th in the 2009 world Championship held at Japan. He is hoping that the Yachting Federation will include him in the national federation team despite not being able to make the selection trials. It will be a shame if one of the most deserving Indian sailors will not be able to receive funding from the central government. Ajay has the rare chance of being based in Sydney because of his education and having exposure of training/ racing along side the best sailors in the sport

India's Ajay Rau to race 2009 Rolex Sydney Hobart & 2009 Down Under Series

India’s Ajay Rau confirmed his participation in the 2009 Rolex Sydney Hobart and Down Under series.

Ajay Rau is scheduled to compete in the 2009 Sail Brisbane and Sail Sydney. He will be missing the last event of the Down Under Series (Sail Melbourne- ISAF World Cup event) as he will be joining Leo Rodriguez and his crew sailing “Merit” in preparation for the prestigious 2009 Rolex Sydney Hobart Race.

The world number 15 is just aiming to get in some good racing and is not under pressure during the 2009 Down Under Series, as his main focus towards the end of the year is the Rolex Sydney Hobart Race.

Event Schedule 2009

Sail Brisbane (ISAF Grade 2) - November 26 -29, 2009

Sail Sydney (ISAF Grade 1) - December 5 – 8. 2009

Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race- December 26, 2009 to January 1, 2010

Ajay is supported by:

Mittal Champions Trust

AMM Foundation

UNSW Elite Athlete Support Program

Sea Gear

SDAT

Ajay Rau to Sail Rolex Sydney Hobart Ocean Race 2009

Sydney: The Rolex Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race is regarded the toughest offshore yacht race in the world. Often described as 628 nautical miles of sheer torture, it is one of the most grueling long ocean races in the world. A challenge to everyone who takes part. Ajay will be part of the crew racing “Merit” on board the former Volvo 60 round-the-world racing yacht, taking on some of the most competitive race yachts in Australia and the world. In the Sydney Hobart 2008 edition Merit was 1st in her division and 16th overall on line honours. Ajay has the distinction of being the first Indian sailor to participate in this race. An impressive fleet of 116 has been nominated for the impending Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race .The start line set on Sydney's spectacular harbour represents an irresistible challenge for a wide range of sailors including Olympic Medalists, America's Cup winners, Volvo sailors and a group of equally determined club sailors who relish the chance to compete in one major blue water marathon every year. The top Indian and Royal Madras Yacht Club sailor – Ajay Rau is currently looking for companies to sponsor his various sailing campaigns after confirming his participation in the Rolex Sydney Hobart 2009. His Asian Games campaign is on track after achieving India’s all time best result, 15th at the 2009 Laser Radial Men’s World championship. His Olympic campaign is also on track in a bid to become the first Indian to qualify for 2012 in the Laser class. Recently he started crewing on keel boats. Now he is competing in the Rolex Sydney Hobart 2009 which is one of the most challenging yacht races in the world. The Indian sailor is currently based in Sydney and over a short period of time he has been making giant strides in the sport. About Rolex Sydney Hobart: The Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race is one of the toughest offshore yacht races in the world. From the east coast of Australia with its classic north easterly sea breezes that drive the fleet at breakneck speeds whilst surfing under Spinnaker, to the harsh conditions often encountered in the Bass Straight, the race is no easy ride. The strong ‘Southerly Busters’ bring big winds, and even bigger seas, ensuring that crews taking part in the Hobart face 630NM of extreme sailing. Teamwork and commitment are of paramount importance. The Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race 2009 will start on 26 December and will be conducted on the waters of Sydney Harbour, the Tasman Sea, Storm Bay and the Derwent River. The yacht: This former Volvo 60 round-the-world racing yacht has contested many offshore races since coming to Australia, sailing under various names, including Indec Merit, News Corp and Line 7, under which name she set a record for the then 408 nm Gosford to Lord Howe Island Race (the race distance has since been extended slightly. The boat was recently purchased and refitted in preparation for the race by its new owners in North Queensland). Sydney and Ajay Rau: A special bond Sydney seems to be where Ajay has always been reaching milestones in the sport. Among the top milestones before his inclusion into the Sydney Hobart Race, Ajay Rau took part in his first senior world championships which was also the last qualifier for the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. He is also a strong favorite to become the first Indian to race the Laser class at the 2012 Olympic Games. He has been campaigning hard since 2006 for the 2012 Olympic Games and has been proudly associated with organizations such as the Mittal Champions Trust, AMM Foundation and Sports Development Authority of Tamil Nadu (SDAT).

Ajay excels in his new venture - Ocean racing

Sydney: Top Indian laser sailor Ajay Rau made his debut last week in Yacht racing. Last Tuesday Team M finished 1^st, on Tuesday’s Twilight Race, sailing the Sydney36CR class. This was the young sailor’s first time racing for a professional team. On Friday he raced a 60 foot yacht –Kite Runner, and finished 2^nd.

“It was a great experience being part of a professional team and racing in these massive keel boats. I have a long way to go and there is a lot to learn. This development is the beginning of chasing my dream of maybe one day competing in ‘Ocean Racing Regattas’ such as the ‘Rolex Sydney to Hobart’ or the ‘Volvo Ocean Race’.”- remarked an elated Ajay

The talented world no 15 Radial Sailor has again expressed interest in taking part in the 2009 Down under series. With the 2012 Olympics in London and 2016 in Rio, Sailing is going to be the centre of attention during the next two Olympic Games as both host countries are very strong in this sport and both the locations boast of some of the best racing conditions in the world. Ajay is one of the rare Indian sailors to make rapid progress in the sport in such a short time.

Looking back .... moving forward!

A welcome break I took a well deserved break after securing India’s best position at any Laser World Championships. In view of the fact that I am not on an Olympic campaign this year, I decided not to go to the UK to do the Sail for Gold Regatta (World cup event hosted at the 2012 Olympic venue). I took some time off to do a lot of thinking and to reflect on my current campaign. My mind and body have taken its toll. I desperately needed to make some serious decisions regarding my Sailing campaign. I escaped to the Blue Mountains to do some trekking and camping with my friend Ravish. I got to enjoy the great outdoors and it gave me the much needed rest from the rush of living a university / sailing life. It is unfortunate that I don’t have much financial support at the moment for my sailing campaign. On returning from the trek, Josh decided to take us white water rafting since my friend Mike Leigh (Olympic representative for Canada, Beijing) was getting married the following week. This was a whole lot of fun. The UNSW Sailing Club: my new baby! I have always enjoyed introducing new people to sailing and coaching. This led me to initiate the UNSW Sailing Club. To my delight this little venture has been rather successful. In a matter of 3 weeks our University sent a 14 member squad to the Australian University Team Racing Regatta. I managed both the teams and managed to secure a 6th place in the gold fleet and a 3 rd place in the silver fleet. A top result for a fledgling sailing club - barely 2 weeks old at the time of the Regatta! Seriously training I am now seriously preparing for the upcoming ‘Down Under’ series. It is my goal to better my personal bests of last year’s ‘Down Under’ series. This year has been exceptional in terms of results, barring the odd result in Europe. I hope to have some more top notch results this time and continue to improve as a sailor. I have started a heavy gym and fitness program which involves running, cycling, weights, swimming etc. I have resumed my training on my Laser. As the season draws closer there will be lots of sailors to train with. Only last week I took part in my first yacht race, sailing a 60 foot Yacht! Thanks to a last minute crew cancellation, I managed to get myself on a Sydney 36. We were way ahead of the pack and won the race in style. It’s a dream come true being able to crew on keel boats. Keel boat racing has always fascinated me. It has been one of my important goals. I am glad I was able to get this rare opportunity to sail these yachts. I hope this becomes a regular affair. Much needed support All in all, it has been a very tough year, despite being India’s best performing sailor at international Regattas this year. The funding hasn’t been great and sailing politics in India is scaling new heights! In a way I am glad I am in this situation, as being away from the Indian system has actually helped me yield better results. I am able to concentrate on sailing here in Sydney which is what I want to do at the end of the day. I will give it my best. I will sit and wait patiently for support to make my journey easier towards achieving my goals. I really hope to get the support I richly deserve. For the moment I will continue training and work with whatever resources I have now to become the best sailor I can be…..

Ajay Rau secures best finish for India at World Championships: Links

UNSW High Performance Scholar, Ajay Rau secures best finish for India at World Championships Karatsu, Japan.............

http://www.sportandrec.unsw.edu.au/news/UNSWsportupdateaug3

India's Best finish ever!Ajay Rau shares his experience battering an Indian record at the Laser Radial World Championships

http://www.isport.in/site/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=663:indias-best-finish-ever&catid=93:specials&Itemid=283

Ramji to be India trainer

CHENNAI: Ramji Srinivasan will be the Indian cricket team’s trainer for the forthcoming ODI tri-series in Sri Lanka. He has been asked to report in Bangalore on August 26 for the preparatory camp.

“I’m elated,” said Ramji, who received his letter of appointment on Saturday. “The BCCI and the Indian cricketers have shown a lot of trust in me. The onus is now on me, and I’m confident I will deliver.”

Ramji, who oversaw the fitness assessment of India’s cricketers at New Delhi and Mumbai earlier this month, said he would evolve a specialised regime for the team with a long-term view. “The cricketers were very enthusiastic during the tests, and the fitness levels were found to be satisfactory,” he said. “I’m looking forward to working with them.”

The Indian team hasn’t had a trainer since Greg King asked the BCCI to relieve him last February. Paddy Upton, the mental conditioning coach, doubled up as trainer under coach Gary Kirsten.

Ramji, widely considered among the best trainers in India, oversaw Sachin Tendulkar’s rehabilitation after shoulder surgery in 2006. His portfolio includes work with the MRF Pace Foundation, the National Cricket Academy, and the Mumbai Indians. — Special Correspondent

Ajay Rau secures best finish for India at World Championships

World Laser Radial Championship 2009

Karatsu,Japan: On August 10, 2009 when Ajay Rau completed race 12 at the Men’s Laser Radial World Championships he made history for India.He finished 15^thoverall (148.0 points), making it the best ever finish by an Indian sailor in the laser class at any world championship. In the country ranking India finished in the 11^th position.

The Royal Madras Yacht Club sailor beat previous best result 22^nd (222.0 points) by a big margin secured by Rajesh Choudhary in the 2006 World championships held at Los Angeles, USA.

The move to Sydney has paid off for Ajay, finishing 15^th in the Worlds is no easy feat considering India traditionally isn’t among the powerhouses in the World of Sailing.This performance has opened a new avenue for Indian sport and has given realistic belief to Ajay that one day he could be World Champion in Laser sailing which was unheard off till recently.

“My Coach Allan Julie deserves a lot of the credit for my performance. We really make a good team and it has shown in the results. He is one of the most experienced sailors I know (4 time Olympian from Seychelles).I couldn’t have asked for a better result. I am already itching to get back on the water to start training for the next world championship.”

This performance has also lifted the young sailor’s chances to win selection for the Asian Games, sending a strong message to his competitors for the lone spot for the Asian Games.The laser Radial is an open Class at the Asian Games.This is also a big boost for Ajay's 2012 Olympic Campaign.

He is sponsored by Mittal Champions Trust,AMM Foundation, Sports Development Authority Of Tamilnadu,UNSW Elite Athlete support program and Seagear.

Results Men - 58 Entries

FINAL 2009/08/10 Scores take into account 2 discards

No	Sailno	Name	Scores	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12
1	POL 191846	RudawskiMarcin	30.0	1	1	2	2	16	1	2	3	1	1	(dnc)	(dnc)
2	NED 192302	Koppelaar Ben	47.0	4	4	3	1	8	(ocs)	3	8	7	7	(ocs)	2
3	KOR 190947	Kim Insub	51.0	7	(ocs)	11	6	4	5	4	(dnf)	4	2	5	3
4	JPN 190317	Nagai Hisaki	52.0	(dsq)	2	1	(16)	13	14	1	4	5	4	2	6
5	MAS 193099	Muhamad MohdRomzi	59.0	8	9	4	4	3	(12)	10	6	(17)	6	4	5
6	GBR 193011	Emmett Jon	62.0	5	5	5	(11)	(11)	10	9	7	3	11	3	4
7	GRE 144359	TheodorakisDimitris	77.0	6	6	7	9	(22)	9	5	5	2	(dnf)	12	16
8	NED 194870	Hummel Yuri	78.0	11	7	8	(23)	(23)	4	8	12	8	3	7	10
9	ITA 187653	SabbatiniGiacomo	89.0	18	17	6	5	1	6	(dsq)	17	(23)	17	1	1
10	NED 193545	Ter Haar SierkJan	89.0	3	3	12	15	(31)	3	13	1	14	5	20	(24)
11	GBR 183239	Jessop David	94.0	14	10	10	(22)	10	11	14	2	(18)	8	8	7
12	CZE 192667	Teply Viktor	100.0	9	8	9	(26)	(36)	13	15	9	6	13	6	12
13	KOR 193840	Seo DongCheol	126.0	17	13	14	(25)	2	15	6	15	16	15	13	(22)
14	IRL 190753	MclavertyAidan	131.0	15	(ocs)	15	3	26	2	16	10	(bfd)	9	9	26
15	IND194964	Rau Ajay	148.0	10	25	(27)	12	6	(29)	21	18	13	12	16	15
16	KOR 190129	Kim Sangkyu	167.0	2	11	13	46	(dsq)	7	12	11	11	10	(dnf)	36
17	JPN 172892	FujimuraTomokazu	181.0	12	15	25	14	9	(37)	25	16	10	24	(32)	31
18	AUS 175987	Skulander Zac	183.0	21	19	19	19	(43)	17	11	13	(24)	22	21	21
19	NZL 190330	Webster Greg	188.0	19	21	23	13	(56)	25	18	24	12	(dnf)	19	14
20	JPN 166015	Katsura Ushio	209.0	(40)	27	17	18	(40)	23	7	37	30	19	23	8