Abhimanyu Panwar, an accomplished international sailor from Chennai, has made history by becoming the first Indian skipper to lead a team to a podium finish at the prestigious Fareast Cup, one of the world’s most challenging offshore sailing events.
Leading the international team ‘Sailing Inn’, which included fellow Indians Timothy, Sriram and Prem, Panwar secured a commendable third-place finish in the 7th edition of the race.
The month-long championship was a gruelling test, covering 2,500 nautical miles across the waters of China, Russia, and South Korea over four intense legs. The 12-member crew battled extreme conditions, ranging from frustrating windless periods to ferocious storms with wind speeds up to 40 knots, alongside multiple equipment failures.
Panwar, who has over 20 years of sailing experience and is the current J80 Ranking and Offshore Champion in India for 2025, called the achievement a “breakthrough moment for Indian sailing on the global offshore stage.”
This historic podium finish has earned Abhimanyu Panwar an optional invite to assemble an all-Indian team for the next edition of the Fareast Cup, marking a major milestone for India’s presence in international offshore racing.
Panwar is a resident of Neelankarai and can be reached at [email protected].
