While India is definitely on the stopover destination list of the Volvo Ocean Race, in one of the firsts for the country, it will participate independently in the sport of yacht racing with IMOCA Formula1 Ocean Racing, scheduled to take place next year.
IMOCA is the International 60 feet Monohull Open Class Association. It was established in 1991 and was recognised by the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) in 1998. IMOCA is the governing body for the Ocean Racing World Championship, which includes events such as the Vendée Globe, the Route du Rhum, the Transat Jacques Vabre and the Transat. F1 yacht racing is carried out in Open60 Monohull yachts.
India competing on a private party basis is considered an achievement. Till now, India has never participated on a private party basis. The Indian Navy has participated in various international yacht races with the official support of the Government of India.
The turning point comes at a time when India is on the brink of being tagged as a cricket crazy nation, even though other sports exist and survive with due credit to the endeavours of the respective players. The business of yacht racing is a multi-billion dollar industry and according to a report, is the third highest recipient of European sports sponsorship spending.
To focus on the prospects of sailing as a sport, the Elite Sports Management Group has stepped into India. It has appointed Bhavik Gandhi, an experienced yachtsman, as the spokesperson for its Indian counterpart as well as the Indian team which will participate in the F1 yacht race. The senior management team will be put into place in some time.
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