SUR supports revival of marine all-round competition in Saint Petersburg

On 27 May,  the sailboat racing named Admiral Makarov Memory Cup took place  in waters of Neva, adjacent to Saint-Petersburg River Yacht-Club. The competition attended  young sportsmen from Saint Petersburg universities and visitors from  Nizhny Novgorod River Fleet University and also the team from Estonian Young Sailors Club from Narva. There were eight teams. Three crews were notable  among them - their uniforms and sails had a logo of the Seafarers' Union of Russia (SUR).

With the SUR backing, the  Admiral Makarov State University teams  managed to make the  uniforms, to purchase the sails and the equipment  needed for boats. Although in the day of the event the weather was cool, as usual for St. Petersburg, the competition was hot. As the result of tense competition its winner became one of the Admiral Makarov University crew, which included Nikita Zubov as the  captain and  helmsman. The second place had  Denis Karpeyev's team, who is  also the cadet of Makarov University. The teams from Estonia and  Nizhny Novgorod shared the  third place of the contest.

Marine all-round competition  is a “specialized” kind of sport for future seafarers. Among  the rowing  and yawl  racing, this kind of sport  also includes swimming, running and  shooting. In the Soviet times, this sport  was widespread and even conducted annual Spartakiad competitions. But  after the breakdown  of the  Soviet Union, the traditions have been forgotten.

“At present maritime universities return to all-round contest gradually,” says Victor Kurys, senior instructor of Physical Education Department  of  Admiral Makarov State University. Victor Kurys is getting train the sportsmen of all-round events. “And our Academy is among them,” he added.

The Decision on foundation of the  sport class  made in last year.  However improperly financial support  forced the rector of  Admiral Makarov University Sergei Baryshnikov asked for the SUR's help. The union supported the initiative readily.

“Without the SUR's help, the sport class wouldn't have started to work,” tell Victor Kurys. “The life  jackets and uniforms have been bought and modern sails  have been sewed with the union support. There are  cadets from the University's navigation faculty. The core  of the team is the students  of the second and third courses. Much of them had become the union's members  prior  to the sport class setting up”.

The all-round events develop the commitment  to well-being as well as characters needed for future  profession, especially stability to rolling and develop the  habit to work in team  and in enclose space conditions. During the summer time the guys conduct their training on the open water and  during winter their  trainings go at the special concept exercise machines which leverage almost all  muscle groups. According to Victor Kurys if the ships have been equipped with such training devices, they would bring more benefits than  the simple running machines and they would  make it possible to conduct the competitions. Installed special programme allows to output the rowing velocity data to the computer screen. For easy of use, each concept is shown as  conditional “boat' on the screen, and then two or more sailors simulate the rowing and in the monitor you can see who overrun the others.  The  exercises enable them to be in good shape and be prepared to the  open waters. Recently results of  regatta approve the efficiency of the method. It should be noted that Nikita Zubov and Denis Karpeyev went in marine  all-round two years ago, during their practices not  far from Zapadny Berezovy Island. At the time Zubov and Karpeyev already became  the winners and achieved  the high places in the municipal contests.

“When I first time going through  practice  on the  board of the Mir,  my exercises  in the  sport class help me,” tells Nikita Zubov. “I knew how to handle  the sails and realize for  what purpose I should  do one or  another actions. Another words, I haven't  been already a beginner and I felt the ship”.

In the near future the guys will take  part  in the summer and autumn competitions. The contest titled  Down oars! will be conducted on 4 June and then the  Russian championship  and the   championship of the city will be held in September. For the  training Nikita Zubov' s team  will go to Zapadny Berezovy Island.  The seven-weeks boat practice  of the first-year  students will be hold in the same place.

“I really hope that the SUR  now and further will provide support to the sport class,” Victor Kurys says. “Because it is  not just the sport, it is primarily a  means of  popularization of   seafaring and the   chance for  cadets to feel what the sea means”.