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Captain
Aung Gyi, M.N.(Rtd). |
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My official
duties as President of the Rowing and Yachting
Federation commenced in 1965 and lasted till
1975. While sailing races on the Inya Lake
we suddenly received an invitation to participate
in the yachting event which was included in
the Fourth SEAP Games, to be held in Thailand
in 1967. The participating countries were
Malaysia, Singapore, Myanmar and the host
country Thailand. The venue of the Regatta
was off Pattaya Beach. The participants had
various methods of preparing for the event.
The Malaysians were physically very fit, jogging
most of the time. The Singaporeans had an
English Instructor who was giving lectures
to his team most of the time. We spent most
of our time trying to see what the Thais were
doing with their boats. By the time boats
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allocated
to us, we were not familiar with these Olympic
Class Dinghies nor with the Olympic Course
laid out at sea. But in the spirit of "Ours
not to question why, ours but to do and die",
we took on the formidable Thai Team headed
by His Majesty the King of Thailand and which
included his elder daughter H.R.H. Princes
Ubolrattna. Soon, we found we were Tail End
Charlies battling for the lower scale medals.
The King and the Princess sailed the Super-Mod
(designed by the King himself) and won joint
gold in this event. We made friends with the
King and Queen and the King's Uncle: Prince
Birabongse, who used to be a Grand Prix Racing
Car Driver in Europe, but now had taken to
the sea. Anyway, let us say we were trounced
thoroughly by the King and his merry sailors.
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Determination
is what makes people climb mountains or walk
to the North Pole. So we formed a strong-minded
team to work out the requirements to be the
best sailors in the next SEAP Games. The first
thing to do was to have Olympic Class Boats,
and not having sufficient funds we decided
to build them ourselves. The Defence Services
Rowing and Sailing Club were formed for this
purpose and staffed with naval boat builders.
We bought the drawings from the respective
Class Societies. We conformed strictly to
the measurement rules for shape, weight, size
of scantlings etc. Soon O.K. Dinghy, International
Enter-prise and the scow type of Fireball
Class Boats were racing on the Inya Lake.
We imported only the sails and the aluminum
masts for the boats. |
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Then
came the famous one hundred races to give our sailors
the maximum expertise and endurance, and the objective
"GO FOR GOLD". Each race consisted of
the usual seven events of which the best five were
selected. The sailors were allowed to select their
own boats and class. No complaints of his or her
boats being slow were accepted once they had made,
their selections. The sailors soon learnt the art
of tuning their boats to make them go faster. On
strong windy days drills such as gybing around a
buoy, spinnaker work, capsize etc. were practiced
over and over again. The break consisted of a light
lunch and then a game of volley ball and rowing
to strengthen their stamina and fitness so that
there would be no case of "the mind is willing
but the body is weak". We insisted on top physical
fitness, so much so, that our sailors were mistaken
for weight lifters (the senior ones), especially
with the amount of free good food they consumed
during the Game. There were the tactical games played
on a board with model boats and mock protests made.
Every helmsman had to be able to make his own case
or defense of a protest, since in an actual regatta
no out side party is permitted to help him.
Last but most
important since we were to compete at sea we had
to train at sea. The sailors were taken to Mali
(Tavoy) Island Naval Base and the Olympic Course
set up off the island. How to crest the waves, maximize
speed down slopes of waves, running free with the
swell behind the boat and make it surf etc. were
practiced repeatedly. Then, the final aspect of
the training was off the Ngapali Beach course to
get used to the tides and winds.
The
final selection was made with no favours given,
and we found we had sea-babies on our hands. The
final choice of helmsmen was William Nicholls (Rater),
George Tun Thein (fireball), Victor Khin TIlein
(0.K.) and Htoo Aung Gyi (Enterprise). All 13 to
15 years of age. Fortunately, there does not seem
to be an under-age limit for the competitors. We
bagged GOLDS from the bay of Bengal in all the four
events. They won against the veteran sailors from
Thailand who had participated in many international
regattas. We had achieved objective of "Go
for Gold" based on the will to win and our
tough and correct training programs, both practical
and theoretical. Not to rest on our laurels we proceeded
to the Sixth Asian Games held in Thailand in 1970.
The veteran Thais on their home course were touted
as hot favorites to sweep the gold from the Pattaya
waters. Yachting was for the first time included
in the Asian Games and Thai sailors, who sailed
all the year round in these waters, considered themselves
the best in Asia. Nineteen nations participated
in this Game. The Enterprise Class was helmed by
Lieutenant Sombat Chalyasap who, for the last three
years had proved second to none in this class. There
was a youngster (nit-noi in Thai) named Krirk, who
was considered a sailing prodigy. Veteran sailors
like Prince Bira, Professor Rachot were also representing
the Thai Team.
We
had brought our own home-built boats, which were
the O.K. Dinghy, Fireball and Enterprise. For the
Super-Mod and the Flying Dutchman, we had to charter
them. Predictions can be wrong as our "Golden
Boys", as they were dubbed by the Thai newspaper,
showed their skills in the First Race. In the Enterprise
(Htoo Aung Gyi / Tun Kyi) easily out sailed Lt.
Sombat, the Thai National Champion, William Nicholls
in the Super Mod hammered the Thai prodigy Krirk.
Meanwhile we won our First Gold when Jimmy Crampton,
a student from St. Paul's High School, broke the
Asian Games record in the 800-metre track and field
event.
As
the race progressed the newspapers came out with
raves such as Burma’s sea-babies make their
raids on the yachting medals. The Japanese yachtsmen,
regarded as very experienced, came to inquire about
the training methods from us. They frankly expressed
great surprise and admiration for the youthful Burmese
sailors and the confident way in which they handled
their boats.
For
instance, when the mast halyard wire came adrift,
young Tun Thein and his crew Than Sein, instead
of climbing the mast to fix it, capsized their boat
and fixed the halyard in the water. They then took
of after the leaders and came in a close second
for that race. Amazing agility and quick quick reaction
was the praised heaped on them: Htoo Aung Gyi in
his fourth race was recalled over |
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