Lettsome wraps up BVI’s Pan Am Games action with best performance

August 9, 2019 by

Dean “The Sportsman” Greenaway
BVI Pan Am Games Media Contact

Laser Sailor Thad Lettsome wrapped up his sailing competition in Paracas, Peru on Thursday August 8, with the best day of competition. PHOTO: Dean “The Sportsman” Greenaway 

LIMA, Peru – Thad Lettsome wrapped up the BVI’s 18th Pan Am Games appearance by its four athletes, with his best performance during four highly competitive days of racing against the Americas’ best Laser Sailors in Paracas, Peru on Thursday, August 8.

In his final two races of the competition, the 17-year old debutant, who carried the flag during the July 26 opening ceremonies, finished 11th in his first race – after being in fifth place then capsizing – and 16th in his second run. He placed 19th overall.

“The best day on paper but also a better day than it showed, because, the first race especially, we executed the plan perfectly and ended up rounding the first three marks in fifth,” said Lettsome. “Definitely the best three legs of the race and the best race by far, then I capsized. I was in sixth after that – it didn’t affect a lot – but it did affect me distance wise. I was close to the back of boats behind me, I didn’t manage them well and, on the last upwind, some of them passed me and I ended up eleventh.”

The Games he said, has been a great learning experience and he knows what he has to work on everything to improve: fitness, how he steers the boat in different conditions, and sail trim.

“Everything needs to be better rounded,” said Lettsome, who has decided on the Laser as the boat he will sail into the future.

Coach Alec Anderson said Lettsome was able to put together the things they had been discussing about the process in the last race.

“That race alone proves that he can commit, keep his head down, work hard on the process and it was really cool to see,” Anderson said. “What I’ve been preaching here is, as long as we’re focused on the process of improving, getting as much out of this experience as possible, in four years, he can come back, give it a go and compete for a medal. That’s the most important thing and I think Thad has done a tremendous job with that. I’m very proud of him for sticking it out, keeping his head down, keeping the preparations the same, following the plan day in and day out, focusing on the process. He should be proud of himself too.”

Radio reports on CBN 90.9 FM, with Dean “The Sportsman” Greenaway, are aired 9.00 a.m., 2.00 p.m. and 9.00 p.m., through Sunday, with a 9 a.m. wrap up on Monday.

Filed Under: BVI Olympic Committee, Lima 2019, PanAM Games, Sailing, Thad Lettsome Tagged With: , , , ,

Eldred Henry places 6th in Pan Am Games Shot Put

August 8, 2019 by

Dean “The Sportsman” Greenaway
BVI Pan Am Games Media Contact

  • Eldred Henry releases the the 16 lb ball, during his shot put competition at the Lima 2019 Pan Am Games at Estadio Nacional. He had a best effort of 19.82m PHOTOS: Todd VanSickle



  • Ashley Kelly strides to the line in completing the 400m in 54.42 seconds at the Lima 2019 Pan Am Games. PHOTO: Todd VanSickle

LIMA, Peru – Eldred Henry brought the curtains down on the BVI’s track and field participation in the 18th Pan Am Games in Lima, Peru on Wednesday night, with a sixth placed shot put finish, after Ashley Kelly had a non-advancing time in the 400m final.

“I’m not pleased at all. I’m very disappointed,” Henry said after his best effort of 19.82m – his first meet of the season under 20.00m. “I’ll say under the circumstances, I can’t complain. I’m just thankful I was able to complete the meet without reinjuring my finger and move on from there. On a good day, I know I should be more than able to be in the medal mix, but it didn’t happen today. I just couldn’t get into my rhythm at all. That was the biggest issue.”

Henry who opened with an unlooked for 18.51m effort, hyperextended the ring finger on his throwing hand before the Games and was out of commission for a few weeks of training.

“Just couldn’t get into my rhythm at all, that’s my biggest issue right now,” Henry pointed out. “I had to take a couple weeks off throwing because I messed up my hand and finally got it back healthy, but, just getting back into the swing of things – it didn’t come together tonight.”

From his opening throw, Henry said he wasn’t feeling it on his left side. He said when he got a good set up, he feels it off the back side – something he wasn’t feeling last night – although he tried to work it, it wasn’t coming at all.

“In practice, it was touch and go,” he noted. “I would hit it and then, a couple throws later, not hit it again. It was coming, but not as fast as I would have liked it to.”

Ashley Kelly’s 400m
Ashley Kelly had a non-advancing time in her 400m semifinal, finishing in 54.42 seconds.

“I really tried to get out, put myself in the race and really finish the last 150 the way I know I had to, make the final by coming in the top three, things didn’t pan out how I wanted it, but, I’m really grateful of the opportunity to be here,” she said. “I felt good during the race but my footspeed isn’t where I want it to be. I’m still l bit uncomfortable in the race but, it is what it is. I’m happy that I made it through and didn’t give up, that’s what important to me right now.”

Laser Sailing
Thad Lettsome had his best race of the Laser competition in Paracas on Wednesday, finishing 15th in his first race of the day. He was 19th in the second race and had an 18th place finish in his last race. He’s currently ranked 19th overall.

He wraps up the BVI’s participation in the 18th Pan American Games today with two races.

Radio reports on CBN 90.9 FM with Dean “The Sportsman” Greenaway are aired 9.00 a.m., 2.00 p.m. and 9.00 p.m., through Sunday, with a 9 a.m. wrap up on Monday.

Filed Under: Ashley Kelly, Athletics, BVI Olympic Committee, Eldred Henry, Lima 2019, Panam Sports, Sailing, Thad Lettsome Tagged With: , , , , , , ,

Lettsome sets sail as Malone jumps into Pan Am Games action

August 6, 2019 by

Dean “The Sportsman” Greenaway
BVI Pan Am Games Media Contact

Laser Sailor Thad Lettsome heading down wind during the first full day of Pan Am Games racing in Paracas, Peru PHOTO Dean “The Sportsman” Greenaway

LIMA Peru – Laser sailor Thad Lettsome finally got the wind in his sail and made his debut in the 18th Pan Am Games sailing competition in Paracas, Peru yesterday, where he had two races, after the first two days of racing and four races were cancelled.

Lettsome, the youngest in the competition at age 17, was 16th in his best race and completed the first series on 37 points. “The start of the first race was great, 10/10, executed the plan perfectly, exactly what I wanted to do, but a few mistakes and a bit of an unlucky shift, put me way in the back and made it hard to come back up,” he explained. “The breeze got really light and shutting off. For the second race, we got back into it, had another great start – I had two good starts today – then I was in mid fleet for the whole race doing quite well in the new breeze. Then I lost probably three boats in the last leg of the race and that’s how I ended up 16th but I was racing quite well up until the end, so it could only get better now.”

Considering missing the first two days of racing, going out on Sunday and spending hours on the water, Coach Alec Anderson said he thought Lettsome did a good job, with his age and experience to stay level headed.

“We did a great job of preparing for that first race and we did a wonderful job and he was right next to the person from Guatemala who ended up winning the race,” Anderson noted. “He had a couple bad breaks. It was a very light and tricky race where one mistake – especially against some of these guys who are the top Laser sailors in the world it costs you a lot – so he paid the price on those small mistakes which we discussed afterwards and let it got.”

Anderson said another good start in the second race, saw him rounding the mark in 12th position which was excellent with this fleet and his second race in the regatta, and lost a few on the final leg of the race. “It was a bad moment for his boat speed but ultimately a good rally,” Anderson stated. “We know where he stands, we know there’s a lot of potential and we know he has the ability to climb up the leader board every day, so that’s the plan.”

Chantel Malone hits Long Jump runway
Long Jumper Chantel Malone will make her 2nd Pan Am Games appearance at 6:30 p.m. BVI time, in the second busiest day for BVI athletes in the Games. Malone finished fourth in 2015.

Tomorrow, Ashley Kelly will make her debut at 4:20 p.m., followed by Eldred Henry at 7 p.m.

Reports through Sunday will be made by Dean “The Sportsman” Greenaway on CBN 90.9 FM at 9.00 a.m., 2.00 p.m. and 9.00 p.m., with a 9 a.m. wrap up on Aug 12.

Filed Under: BVI Olympic Committee, Lima 2019, PanAM Games, Sailing Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Laser sailor Thad Lettsome patiently awaits Pan Am Games debut

August 5, 2019 by

Dean “The Sportsman” Greenaway
BVI Pan Am Games Media Contact

Laser Sailor Thad Lettsome works on a drill as he awaited the start of racing on Sunday afternoon, in Paracas, Peru. Races were called off for a second day at 4:55 p.m. because of unstable winds PHOTO Dean “The Sportsman” Greenaway

PARACAS Peru – Laser Sailor Thad Lettsome is having a tough time making his debut in the 18th Pan Am Games Laser sailing competition in Paracas, Peru.

After races were cancelled on Saturday because of a lack of consistent breeze, Sunday’s first of two races was cancelled for the same reason.

“At least they’re waiting for consistent breeze to sail,” Lettsome said after the Sunday morning cancellation was announced. “The worst is to sail in shifty breeze. It’s up and down, you’re waiting out there in the cold or the heat, so this is the best that they can do. I was ready to go, same as yesterday, same time and we figured the same thing would happen today, but we still wanted to stick to the same schedule. I’ve never had it where I’ve not sailed the first day, I’ve had it happened on other days, but this is something new. ”

The cancellation of the first three races Lettsome said, doesn’t change the dynamics of the event. “You just need to make sure you’re not getting too anxious or too nervous or anything like that,” he noted. “Besides that, it doesn’t change much.”

Then about 1:25 p.m., word came from the Race Committee that there would be a race and a buzz was in the air as the various classes of boats were launched, rigs fixed, life jackets were strapped on and everyone was on their way to the course.

As he headed to the dock, Coach Alec Anderson said he hoped there would be a race. “They could be sending us out just to try to they don’t get complaints,” he said. “Yesterday we didn’t (have a race) it could go either way right now, but at least we’re trying and we’ll see what happens.”

All 22 countries – some with boats in the three classes on this particular course – hitched their crafts and headed out to the course just before 2:00 pm. They patiently waited and the Race Committee shifted further south hoping for the breeze to fill in but none came and, at 4:55 p.m., the second race on the second day was called off and sailors headed back to the Paracas shore, to park and dismantle their boats and hit the gym.

“As the Race Committee, it’s pretty hard to please everyone and a day like today, you’re gonna hear feedback, either which way we go about things,” Anderson said. “If we stayed on shore, you would have had coaches complaining that we didn’t try and go out and if you go out and don’t have racing, you’ll have coaches complaining that you went out. Either way, you skin the cat, the Race Committee going to hear something about it. I think they at least had to try. We were on the verge of getting a race off but there weren’t stable conditions. It was pretty light and just wasn’t good enough for us.”

From August 6-11, Dean “The Sportsman” Greenaway, will have reports on CBN 90.9 FM at 9.00 a.m., 2.00 p.m. and 9.00 p.m., with a 9 a.m. wrap up on Aug 12.

Filed Under: BVI Olympic Committee, Lima 2019, PanAM Games, Sailing Tagged With: , , ,

VI sailor Thad Lettsome competes at Hempel World Cup Series 2019

February 6, 2019 by

By RBVIYC

BVI’s Thad Lettsome placed 88th at the Hempel World Cup Series 2019, Miami, USA Jan 27 – Feb 3. Photo copyright: Sailing energy/World Sailing

Thad Lettsome from the Virgin Islands placed 88th in the Laser class at the Hempel World Cup Series 2019 in Miami, USA  (January 27 – February 3). The top three places went to Hermann Tomasgaard (Norway) 1st, Sam Meech (New Zealand) 2nd, and Tom Burton (Australia) 3rd.

Competing at his first elite regatta at just 16 years of age, Lettsome raced in a fleet of 101 Lasers (the equipment used at the Olympic Games) including Olympic medalists and world champions.  Conditions were tricky throughout the regatta with storms whipping through the course areas and dramatic wind shifts providing challenges to all.

The qualifying series consisted of four races over two days before the fleet was divided into gold and silver fleets.  In light shifty conditions, Lettsome posted consistent results with his best finish in 39th position.  Assigned to the silver fleet, he went on to impress with outstanding scores in races 8 and 9 when he claimed 7th and 5th place.

With an excellent overall position of 88th, Lettsome takes home some valuable experience from his first elite senior regatta. Upcoming challenges for Lettsome will include the Hempel Youth Sailing World Championships in Poland in July.

The Hempel World Cup Series is the annual series of Olympic sailing events for elite and professional sailors.  The multi-class regattas attract the best of the best with this year’s Miami event listing 101 Laser entries including 2016 Olympic gold medalist Tom Burton, and bronze medalist Sam Meech.

Filed Under: Sailing Tagged With: , , ,