Every second of every race counts

The provisional entry list of the six Olympic classes racing at the ASAF Asian Championship 2016 counts 138 sailors from 21 nations in a crucial event in the run up to the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.

Taking place from 5 – 12 March 2016, the ASAF Asian Championships 2016 will be raced on the waters off Abu Dhabi, UAE with nine places on the starting line at Rio 2016 to be decided.

Whilst the biggest focus in ASAF Asian Championship 2016 is undoubtedly the Olympic qualification, success at the Championships and securing a podium finish in this event is equally key. Teams are drilling into their final weeks of training, maximising strengths and reducing weaknesses. It the teamwork and intelligence that will win the Championship and the week ahead will be a true test of sailing skills. To win teams need superior talent across all wind and sea conditions and they will be looking to assert their authority at this last Olympic qualifier.

Self-belief, mental toughness, precision manoeuvres will keep one ahead of their rivals. Skills, which many of the sailors on the start line at the Championships, have in abundance. Most of the sailors and their coaches have been in Abu Dhabi since early February in preparation. This has helped them learn a little about the local conditions.

“I have to fight it during this event to qualify,” explained Ahmad Ahmadi, representing Iran. “I have worked a lot over the years to reach my dream of representing Iran in sailing at the Olympic Games. It is no doubt hard work and I am always trying to be better than the day before.”

There is plenty of talent to make this Championship far from over until the last second of the last race, and there is most distinctly an air of unfinished business ahead of Olympics. Ahmadi will be in amongst a pack of 44 Laser sailors.

For Kamolwan ‘Bam’ Chanyim in the Laser Radial, the event is the climax of almost five years of training, the last three years focused on one ultimate goal, Olympic qualification.

“I’m feeling ready,” she said. “It will be a difficult regatta. Anything can happen. The conditions are quite tricky and the waves quite big, but I am looking forward to it. I will give my all to this event.”

The four time Thai national champion has been raking in the medals the last few years, winning bronze at the Asian Games 2014, silver at the Asian Beach Games 2014, and gold at the SEA Games 2015, the latter completing her set of SEA Games medals.

The Laser Radial fleet is made up of 17 sailors.

The 49er fleet is made up of ten teams from five countries including Japan’s 49er pairing from London 2012, Yukio Makino and Kenji Takahashi. In the women’s skiff, the 49erFX, eight teams from four nations will sail.

The RS:X fleets will welcome some exciting young talent to the mix in Abu Dhabi. Singapore 2010 Youth Olympic Games gold medallist Siripon Kaewduang-Ngam (THA) will be in the Women’s pack alongside nine other competitors from four nations. And in the Men’s RS:X, London 2012 Olympian Ek Boonsawad (THA) and Michael Cheng (HKG) will be hotly fancied in the 18 strong fleet.

Racing gets going on Monday 7 March.

Participating Nations
Teams from 21 Nations: Bahrain, China, Chinese Taipei, Cook Islands, Hong Kong, Germany, Great Britain, India, Indonesia, Iran,  Japan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Oman, Pakistan, Philippines, Qatar, Singapore, S Korea, Thailand and UAE.

Rio 2016 Olympic Qualification
Find out more about qualification for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games and details of nations already qualified at www.sailing.org/olympics/rio2016

Useful Links
Championship Website – www.ac2016.asiansailing.org

Social Media
Asian Sailing Federation on Facebook will bring you regular updates at https://www.facebook.com/asiansailing
The  @ASAFUpdates Twitter account will be following the action throughout the Championship.