2017 BVI Dinghy champions crowned

May 25, 2017 by

By Royal BVI Yacht Club

Winners of the 2017 BVI Dinghy Championships. Photo: © Royal BVI Yacht Club / Clair Burke

The 2017 BVI Dinghy Champions were crowned this weekend with 53 boats racing across four fleets. Hosted at Nanny Cay, visitors were welcomed from Antigua, St Croix, St Thomas and Puerto Rico and treated to two days of spectacular BVI sailing.

Optimist Championship Fleet
29 boats in the Championship fleet sailed twelve races out in the Sir Francis Drake Channel and it was Rayne Duff (IVB911) who took the overall win. Not once did Duff finish a race outside the top four and he finished the regatta with seventeen points, a whopping fourteen points ahead of second place finisher Mia Nicolosi (ISV624).

After receiving a Black Flag penalty in race two, Nicolosi took three straight bullets but could not find the consistency of Duff over the weekend. A reversal of fortunes from 2016, Duff was delighted to take the title as this will be his last Dinghy Championships racing in the Optimist class.

In third was Caroline Sibilly, from St Thomas Yacht Club and this also gave her the win in the blue fleet in which Nathan Haycraft took second and Winn Majette third, finishing sixth and seventh respectively.

In the white fleet, Tanner Krygsveld from St Thomas was the winner, finishing an impressive twelfth place overall. Robert Richards also from St Thomas was second and the BVI’s Kael Chalwell third.

Also racing for the BVI were Ryan Lettsome who finished in 20th place, Samuel Allen who finished 24th and Antonio Cisneros. Competing in just his second regatta in the Championship fleet, Cisneros rounded out the weekend with an exceptional sixth place finish in the final race.

Optimist Green
Twelve green fleet sailors had a fantastic weekend, completing a total of 16 races. For some of these sailors it was their first ever regatta and they all did an outstanding job, returning to the beach with lots of smiles and asking for more racing!

Sebastian Medina from Puerto Rico was first overall with Gian Marco Piovanetti taking second and Ben Thill from St Thomas third.

Top BVI boat was Amanda Plaxton who claimed her first ever regatta race win and finished just three points behind Thill in fourth. Next up for the BVI was Victoria Rowlette in sixth, Wil Seddon in seventh and De’Sani Thomas in eighth.

Racing for the first time were Aidan Catterall, Jayde Fanord and the youngest competitor in the event, Xavier Johnston.

Laser Radial
Six competitors raced in the Laser Radial fleet and it was an intense duel for first and second place throughout the weekend. Daniel Smit from Antigua and Mateo di Blasi from St Thomas exchanged first and second place in every race but it was eventually Smit who prevailed and took the overall win by just one point.

Stephon Ganga finished in third overall to take the BVI title and he was followed by Alex Rambarose, Jerome Parkins and Noah George.

The RBVIYC thanks its partners and host for the weekend Nanny Cay Hotel and Marina, West End Yacht Club, Sol, Clearwater, CBN and the BVI Tourist Board. and acknowledges the hard work and dedication of the club’s volunteers..

The next BVI Dinghy Champioships will take place  May 18-20, 2018.

Results (Top Three)
Red Fleet (age 13 and over)
1. Rayne Duff (IVB911) – 1st overall
2. Mia Nicolosi (ISV 642) – 2nd overall
3. Jose Arturo Diaz (PUR 1207) – 4th overall

Blue Fleet (age 11 and 12)
1. Caroline Sibilly (ISV715) – 3rd overall
2. Nathan Haycraft (IVB864) – 6th overall
3. Winn Majette (ISV94) – 7th overall

White Fleet (age 10 and under)
1. Tanner Krygsveld (ISV 1955) – 12th overall
2. Robert Richards (ISV 14) – 16th overall
3. Kael Chalwell (IVB 91) – 21st overall

Green Fleet
1. Sebastian Medina (PUR 1404)
2. Gian Marco Piovanetti (PUR 1408)
3. Ben Thill (ISV 8008)

Laser Radial
1. Daniel Smit (ANT 165456)
2. Mateo di Blasi (ISV 199123)
3. Stephon Ganga (IVB 183771)

IC24
1. RIP, Richard Wooldridge (IVB 37)
2. Latitude 18, Colin Rathbun (IVB 35)
3. INTAC, Graeme Maccallum (IVB 39)

Click here for full results.

VIODA Triple Crown

The 2017 VIODA Triple Crown also wrapped up this weekend with the results added to those from the Crucian Open in February and the VIODA regatta in April.

Leading going into the weekend was Caroline Sibilly and she kept control of the leaderboard to take the title with 93 points from the three regattas. In second place was Jose Arturo Diaz from Puerto Rico and third place was Katherine Majette from St Thomas.

With 31 races sailed, the scores from each race are added together and a discard applied after every six races so they don’t count their worst scores.

Top BVI finisheres were: Rayne Duff in fifth, Nathan Haycraft in seventh and Samuel Allen in 18th place.

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White Gold For Team BVI at VIODA

April 11, 2017 by

By Royal BVI Yacht Club

The BVI was represented by five sailors at the 2017 VIODA regatta in St Thomas. Photo: RBVIYC

The BVI was represented by five sailors at the 2017 VIODA regatta in St Thomas. Photo: RBVIYC

The BVI was represented by five sailors at the Virgin Islands Optimist Dinghy Association (VIODA) regatta in St Thomas during the weekend of April 8 – 9.

Samuel Allen came home first in the white fleet (age 10 and younger) and Rayne Duff was third in the red fleet.

Ten races were sailed in Great Bay with a pleasant 10 to 12 knots on Saturday, decreasing on Sunday to 7-8 knots.

Samuel Allen topped the podium in the white fleet, with steady results that included his first ever bullet in the Championship fleet in race three. Finishing tenth overall is an excellent achievement since graduating from the green fleet in January this year.

Rayne Duff finished in fourth place overall and 3rd in the red fleet for sailors aged 13 and over. With two bullets and three second place finishes it was a mixed event for Duff who has won his division at the past two editions of this event.

Ryan Lettsome had a challenging weekend at his first regatta racing in the blue fleet. Lettsome finished in 18th overall with three top ten finishes. Just two places behind was Kael Chalwell at only his second regatta in the Championship fleet, his best finish a ninth in race eight.

Antonio Cisneros finished 23rd, racing in the Championship fleet for the first time and continues to make great improvements at every regatta he competes at.

VIODA is the second of the three regattas in the Triple Crown – the winners will be decided at the BVI Dinghy Championships on 20-21 May.

The RBVIYC thanks the organizers and hosts, St Thomas Yacht Club, The Moorings for the team mother-ship, and all the parents who helped with loading, unloading and meals as well as John Puig and Taylor Penwell for looking after the team for the weekend.

Results
4. Rayne Duff (3rd red fleet)
10. Samuel Allen (1st white fleet)
18. Ryan Lettsome
20. Kael Chalwell
23. Antonio Cisneros

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Chalwell, Duff & Morrell head clean sweep for Team BVI in St Thomas

January 16, 2017 by

By Royal BVI Yacht Club

Team BVI at the 2017 MLK Regatta in St Thomas. Photo: Provided

Team BVI at the 2017 MLK Regatta in St Thomas. Photo: Provided

Ten Team BVI Sailors raced in St Thomas at the 2017 MLK Regatta, January 14 – 15. It was a tough two days for all the sailors with the chill northerly wind gusting up to 30 knots across the race courses. Kael Chalwell, Rayne Duff and Sam Morrell all topped their classes, Opti Green, Opti Championship and Club 420 respectively.

Optimist Championship Fleet
Back with a vengeance after some time away from competition in the Optimist Championship fleet was Rayne Duff. Thriving in the windy conditions he was on form throughout the weekend. With nine races sailed, Duff took the bullet in seven, posting six consecutive race wins and finished on top of the podium ahead of arch rival Mia Nicolosi.

It was a less successful weekend for the other Championship fleet sailors… Nathan Haycraft finishing in sixth and Kyle Roose in ninth to give them second and fifth in the blue fleet.

Haycraft, forced to skip the first race after breaking his mast step, was luckily able to switch to a spare boat and get back into the action for the remaining four races of the day. A better second day saw him climb back up the leaderboard but not quite clicking into his recent top form. Roose posted consistent middle fleet results with his best finish of sixth coming in race six.

White fleet sailors Ryan Lettsome and Samuel Allen finished 17th and 18th overall respectively, both sailors challenged by the strong winds. Allen, the newest sailor to the championship fleet, could not quite match his excellent first day when he showed outstanding downwind speed in the breezy conditions. Just two points ahead was team mate Lettsome who secured fifth in the white fleet but like many of the lighter sailors found the conditions a major challenge.

Club 420
The BVI’s Sam Morrell, currently at school in St Thomas, was dominant in the five boat Club 420 fleet with crew Caroline Teare. Finishing first in five of the nine races he racked up a six point lead to take the overall win from Teddy Nicolosi of St Thomas. Morrell is looking ahead to a busy high school racing season, so we will be hearing more from him soon.

Optimist Green Fleet
The Green Fleet were wisely held ashore on Saturday but completed six races on Sunday under the watchful eye of Guest Coach Danny Petrovic. Kael Chalwell took the fleet by storm, finishing first in four of the six races by comfortable margins to secure an emphatic win.

Racing at his first overseas regatta was Antonio Cisneros. After not finishing the first race he went on to post confident results, including two 7th place finishes and rounded out the weekend in ninth overall.

Just two points behind in tenth place was Amanda Plaxton who stormed out of the blocks to finish fifth in the first race and went on to post consistent results through the remaining races. The youngest (and smallest) sailor in the team, Wil Seddon, struggled with the strong winds and after solid finishes in the first two races sat out the rest of the weekend.

The RBVIYC thanks the organizers for putting on a great weekend, the Moorings for the mothership, all of the parents who helped load / unload, prepare meals or chaperone the team, skipper Chris, Coach Taylor, guest coach, Danny Petrovic and all the sponsors and supporters of the BVI Youth Sailing Team.

Click here for full results

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Strong BVI Sailing Team Performance at Back to School Regatta

September 20, 2016 by

By Royal BVI Yacht Club

Photo: Provided

Photo: Provided

The 2016 Back to School Regatta presented by Cedar International School took place over the weekend of 17-18 September with 45 entries racing in five classes.  It was an excellent weekend for Team BVI with a total of 24 home team entries and overall victory in five of the seven divisions.

Competitors from Antigua, Puerto Rico and the USVI joined BVI sailors at the Youth Sailing Centre in Nanny Cay for the 2016 edition of the regatta.  Saturday delivered a glamour day on the water but Sunday was not so kind with thunderstorms and rain bringing blustery conditions before the wind turned off altogether, forcing an end to racing.

The Optimist Championship fleet saw 23 sailors racing hard for the overall prize and their red, blue and white division awards.

It was a full house of bullets for Mia Nicolosi (ISV), taking the overall win for the second consecutive year.  With overall honours, she also took the red fleet win.  Rayne Duff and Nathan Haycraft were tied for second overall after Saturday’s racing so the pressure was on for the two BVI sailors on Sunday. Haycraft finished the only race sailed in 5th place ahead of Duff and with no further races completed he took second overall and the blue fleet win.

Sixth for Duff in Sunday’s race was enough to hold third overall and second in the red fleet with Julian van den Driessche (ISV) taking third. ISV sailors Caroline Sibilly and Winborne Majette took second and third in the blue fleet.

The white fleet, the youngest age category for sailors 10 and younger, was won by Ryan Lettsome (IVB) ahead of Tanner Krygsveld and Robert Richards, both representing St Thomas Yacht Club.

In the Optimist Green fleet eight BVI sailors raced for the honours completing 13 races over the two days.  Samuel Allen was first overall after taking a clean sweep of first place finishes.  The RBVIYC extended congratulations to all of them, particularly those who raced in their very first green fleet regatta – Kael Chalwell, Victoria Rowlette, Sophia Jara, Antonio Cisnero, Martha Killourhy, Amanda Plaxton and Felix Thorp.

The new BVI Laser fleet completed seven races with two classes in action.  In the Laser 4.7, the honours went to visiting sailor Mateo di Blasi from the US Virgin Islands.  Second place was claimed by Noah George, who made the switch from Optimist green fleet to the Laser just this season, followed by Stephen Ganga in third.

Five sailors fought for the Laser Radial honours and it was tight at the top.  Tied after the first day of racing, Jerome Parkins and Stephon Ganga were both counting three first place finishes and two second place finishes so it was all on for Sunday.  With just one race sailed it was Parkins who came out on top after taking the win in race seven.  Alex Rambarose came in third with consistent third and second place finishes throughout the weekend.

Five IC24s also took to the race course with Latitude 18 skippered by Colin Rathbun taking the win with an impressive scoreline of seven bullets and a discarded third.  The only boat to take a win from Latitude was Richard Wooldridge on RIP and they finished second overall ahead of Graeme Maccallum’s team on Intac.

Organisers thanked presenting sponsor,  Cedar International School, and hosts and youth sailing partner, Nanny Cay Hotel and Marina and all of other supporters. Acknowledgement was also extended to all the sailors, coaches and support teams who took part and the many volunteers who gave up their time to help make the weekend a success.

Results – Top Three
Optimist Overall
1. Mia Nicolosi (ISV)
2. Nathan Haycraft (IVB)
3. Rayne Duff (IVB)

Red Fleet
1. Mia Nicolosi (ISV)
2. Rayne Duff (IVB)
3. Julian van den Driessche (ISV)

Blue fleet
1. Nathan Haycraft (IVB)
2. Caroline Sibilly (ISV)
3. Winborne Majette (ISV)

White fleet
1. Ryan Lettsome (IVB)
2. Tanner Krygsveld (ISV)
3. Robert Richards (ISV)

Optimist Green fleet
1. Samuel Allen (IVB)
2. Kael Chalwell (IVB)
3. Victoria Rowlette (IVB)

Laser Radial
1. Jerome Parkins (IVB)
2. Stephon Ganga (IVB)
3. Alex Rambarose (IVB)

Laser 4.7
1. Mateo di Blasi (ISV)
2. Noah George (IVB)
3. Stephen Ganga (IVB)

IC24
1. Latitude 18 Colin Rathbun (IVB)
2. RIP Richard Wooldridge (IVB)
3. Intac  Graham Maccallum (IVB)

Click here for full results

Click here for more photos

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Team BVI cruz onto the podium in St Croix

April 20, 2016 by

By RBVIYC

BVI Optimist sailors at the 2016 St Croix Yacht Club Crucian Open. Photo: RBVIYC

BVI Optimist sailors at the 2016 St Croix Yacht Club Crucian Open. Photo: RBVIYC

7 Optimist sailors from the Royal BVI Yacht Club traveled to St Croix April 16 -17 to compete in the 2016 St Croix Yacht Club Crucian Open with all 4 of the Championship fleet sailors reaching the podium in their divisions.

The regatta hosted 72 competitors racing in the 420, Sunfish and Optimist classes on Saturday and Sunday.

Unpredictable 2-7 knot southerly winds brought light and shifty conditions that challenged the competitor’s patience but all of the RBVIYC racers finished well in their respective fleets.

In the 24 boat Championship fleet, Ryan Lettsome finished 21st overall, winning third place in the Under 10, White fleet.

In the Blue fleet for the 11-12 age group, Nathan Haycraft took second place and seventh overall, with Kyle Roose placing third in group and twelfth overall.

Rayne Duff held the lead after the first day of racing with 3, first place finishes under his belt and never finishing outside the top three. A less successful day two saw him drop to second overall but retaining the Red fleet honours in the 13-15 age group.

Samuel Allen was top of the pack for the BVI Green fleeters, finishing fifth overall. A consistent weekend for Allen included 2 second place finishes and just one result outside the top 10. Noah George made a blistering start to his regatta with third place in the first two races of the weekend. Not quite able to maintain that level, he continued to finish inside the top half of the fleet throughout and ended his regatta in eighth overall.

A solid first day for Nici Haycraft saw him take the race win in race 7 but, sitting out Sunday, he slid to 15 overall.

A great weekend for the RBVIYC junior sailing programme and congratulations to the team on another excellent regatta.

Results
Blue Fleet
2 Nathan Haycraft (7 overall)
3 Kyle Roose (12 overall)

Red Fleet
1 Rayne Duff (2 overall)

White Fleet
3 Ryan Lettsome (21 overall)

Green Fleet
5 Samuel Allen
8 Noah George
15 Nici Haycraft

http://www.regattanetwork.com/event/12278#_newsroom+results

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Sailing news round up: Antigua Laser Open, St Thomas International Regatta, Optimist South Americans

March 30, 2016 by

By Royal BVI Yacht Club

Thad Lettsome won the Laser Radial class at the Antigua Laser Open Championship at the Photo: RBVIYC/Clair Burke

Thad Lettsome won the Laser Radial class at the Antigua Laser Open Championship Photo: RBVIYC/Clair Burke

Thad Lettsome Wins At Antigua Laser Open
Thad Lettsome added another prize to his trophy cabinet this weekend when he won the Laser Radial class at the Antigua Laser Open Championship.

As well as winning the Laser Radial class, Lettsome finished third overall behind local sailors, Olympian Karl James and Jules Mitchell. Just one point kept him off the second place spot, an outstanding achievement as both were sailing with a standard rig (a bigger sail than the Radial).

A great result for the 14 year old who will now turn his attention to the IC24 Black Pearl and the 45th BVI Spring Regatta.

St Thomas International Regatta
It was “fresh to frightening” at the 43rd St Thomas International Regatta over the weekend. Aaron Gardner’s  J24 Bravissimo finished in 5th place in the CSA non-spinnaker class after sailing a consistent series. Just one place behind them was Keith LeGreci’s Girasoli team. Chris Haycraft’s Pipedream suffered gear failure on day one and was forced to miss the second race of the day finishing in 5th place at the end of the three-day regatta. Sam Morrell, helming IC24 Lord Charlton, came in in tenth place overall.

Click here to see the full results and here for a selection of pictures.

2016 Optimist South American Championships
Rayne Duff, IVB911 finished in 10th place at the 2016 Optimist South American Championships in Ecuador.

Duff sailed a consistent series with a race win highlight in Race 8.

Click here for the full results.

Youth Sailing Raffle, BVI Spring Regatta
Regatta fever is well underway in the BVI this week as the 45th Spring Regatta is gearing up for kick off.

The Sailing Festival starts on Wednesday with a race to Scrub Island, Thursday highlights include the Sloop Challenge before the main event get’s underway on Friday. With over 110 boats entered, it’s set to be a fantastic regatta and we wish all the BVI sailors the best of luck and a warm welcome to all the visitors.

Keep an eye out for the BVI Youth Sailors racing Black Pearl in the IC24 fleet…

All the latest news and results will be at www.bvispringregatta.org

RBVIYC Youth Sailing Raffle – Tickets On Sale
We have a fantastic list of prizes this year from our very generous supporters so it’s time to show your support for our Young Sailors.

Prize donors include: Anegada Beach Club, Mi Amor, Sod’s Law, Allamanda Gallery, The Last Resort, Fish ‘n’ Lime, Blue Water Divers, Peter Island Resort, BVI Surf School, Tortola Express, Sunsail Sailing School, Arawak, Horizon Yacht Charters and many more.

We will be out and about selling tickets at the regatta venue so make sure you don’t miss out!

$10 per ticket of $40 for a book of five.

Email the office at admin@royalbviyc.org to get your tickets.

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The sun shines on Team BVI sailors in Miami

March 16, 2016 by

By RBVIYC

Team BVI (L-R) Rayne Duff, Nathan Haycraft and Ryan Lettsome. Photo: Provided

Team BVI (L-R) Rayne Duff, Nathan Haycraft and Ryan Lettsome. Photo: Provided

Rayne Duff once again stood on the podium in Miami, claiming the red fleet victory and third overall at the 2016 Sunshine State Championships held in Miami from 12-13 March.

Three Team BVI Sailors traveled to Miami for the regatta, Duff, Nathan Haycraft (blue fleet) and Ryan Lettsome (white fleet).

A fleet of 195 boas descended on the Key Biscayne Yacht Club and the competition was fierce. Entries, whilst dominated by the USA, also included sailors from the BVI, USVI, St Lucia and Canada.

In the White fleet, Ryan Lettsome sailed a solid regatta to finish in ninth place, an excellent achievement at his first major regatta out of the region. A black flag in Race 3 for crossing the start line early sets the theme for the weekend for the Team BVI sailors but fortunately was one Lettsome was able to discard.

Nathan Haycraft had a challenging weekend with three starting penalties that cost him dearly in the overall results. Only able to discard one score, Haycraft was forced to count an additional 145 points to an otherwise consistent series of race scores.

The red fleet, for sailors aged 13 to 15 went down to the wire for Rayne Duff who also fell victim to the black flag but, finishing on a high, he pulled out a bullet in the final race to secure his position and third overall.

Team BVI congratulate Mia Nicolosi from St Thomas who took the overall victory, securing five bullets from the seven race series.

Team BVI Results
Position – Skipper
3 – Rayne Duff (1st Red fleet)
57 – Nathan Haycraft (30th Blue fleet)
111 – Ryan Lettsome (9th white fleet)

Full Results

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Trophies Galore For Team BVI Sailors at Pan Pepin International Dinghy Regatta, Puerto Rico

February 10, 2016 by

By RBVIYC

BVI Optimist sailors Ryan Lettsome, Rayne Duff and Nathan Haycraft at the Pan Pepin International Dinghy Regatta, Puerto Rico Feb 5 - 7, 2016

BVI Optimist sailors Ryan Lettsome, Rayne Duff and Nathan Haycraft at the Pan Pepin International Dinghy Regatta, Puerto Rico Feb 5 – 7, 2016

Six sailors representing the Royal BVI Yacht Club competed in the 2016 Pan Pepin International Dinghy Regatta hosted at Club Nautico San Juan in Puerto Rico from February 5 – 7.

The event comprised 72 competitors in the Optimist, Laser 4.7, Laser Radial, and Sunfish classes. Racers representing Puerto Rico, St. Thomas, British Virgin Islands, St. Croix and Antigua competed.  The regatta was the second largest junior sailing event in the history of Puerto Rico.

The three day event held challenging conditions for racers. The race course in San Juan harbor saw light and shifting winds all weekend. Wind conditions on Friday and Saturday ranged from 2-7 knots, while on Sunday the breeze increased to 15 knots in the afternoon.

Team BVI sailed incredibly well despite the variable winds, with 5 out of 6 sailors taking home trophies.

BVI optimist sailors included Rayne Duff, Nathan Haycraft, Ryan Lettsome, and Max Reshetiloff, along with Jason Putley and Thad Lettsome sailing in the Laser Radial class.

Thad Lettsome finished third overall in the Laser Radial class with Jason Putley one spot ahead in second place.

Optimist sailor Ryan Lettsome finished second place in the 10 year old and under white fleet. Nathan Haycraft finished second in the blue fleet and third overall.

Red Fleeter Rayne Duff stole the show with seven first place finishes over nine races! Duff finished first in the Optimist red fleet and first place overall.

Team BVI collectively sailed better than any other club in the event. Great job team!

Team BVI Results
Position – Skipper
Optimist Red and Overall
1 – Rayne Duff

Optimist Blue
2 – Nathan Haycraft (and third overall)
13 – Max Reshetiloff

Optimist White
2 – Ryan Lettsome

Laser Radial
2 – Jason Putley
3 – Thad Lettsome

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RBVIYC Hosts Green Fleet Youth Regatta

January 28, 2016 by
Photo courtesy Royal BVI Yacht Club

Photo courtesy Royal BVI Yacht Club

This past weekend the Royal BVI Yacht Club hosted a Green Fleet Regatta. This regatta was unlike any other as four race team members planned and organized the event as part of their school’s elective program. Kyle Roose, Nathan Haycraft, Scott Kirk and Rayne Duff pooled their skills and pulled off a regatta fully equipped with volunteers, chefs, coaches, race committee, media crew, and many competitors. The Saturday proved challenging for our newbie Green Fleeters and great practice for our well-versed competitors as the wind was a high 12-17 knots and the waves reaching 2 to 4 feet…..

There were a couple of exciting moments in the day for everyone on the course. Due to the high winds, some of our competitors sailing the Open Bic capsized, losing a member off their boat! Luckily, the crews were always retrieved before the end of the race and supports boats were near and available for assistance. A couple of tight races were sailed by Noah George, Samuel Allen and Nici Haycraft/Ryan Lettsome who were close on the last leg, finishing only split second after each other. Other competitors, such as Amanda Plaxton, Felix Thorp and Farrari Khan had the luxury of having some of our best racers as crew and tactician on their optis for a race, helping boost them into the top of the fleet. Our other KATS sailor, De’Sani Thomas, and Girls-Only sailor, Victoria Rowlette, showed their stuff going it alone around the course being cheered on by family and friends – well done!

Overall, our optimist fleet consisted of eight; experienced ranged from those who have raced at other yacht clubs, to others who were racing for the first time. The fleet was lucky enough to be greeted off the water by barbeque and cupcakes as we celebrated Kyle Roose’s 12th birthday. Thank you to all parents who came and supported the green fleeters (support boats, barbeque chefs), board members who helped fill many other roles needed, and the competitors for coming out and racing with us!

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Morrell and Duff Claim Victories for the BVI at MLK Regatta

January 12, 2016 by

Photo courtesy of Royal BVI Yacht ClubTen BVI sailors raced in the MLK Regatta in St Thomas over the weekend of 9-10 January with two days of light, shifty and unpredictable wind.  It was a strong, sportsman-like performance from all of the sailors with the newest addition to the race team showing that he will be one to watch for the future.

Club 420
Sam Morrell, competing in the Club 420 fleet, sailed nine races winning one on the second day. Most results from Morrell and his crew placed him at the top of the fleet, easing into a first place victory overall.

Optimist Championship Fleet
Rayne Duff, competing in the Championship Fleet, sailed a total of 10 races with results ranging from first to mid-fleet. Duff placed first in his age group and second overall, just three points behind his St Thomas rival Mia Nicolosi. Unfortunately on the second day the black flag was raised on the Championship fleet weighing Duff with points he could not drop.

There were highlights from all the sailors in the Championship fleet throughout the two days and two more Team BVI sailors finished in the top 10.  Nathan Haycraft scored two third place finishes after the wind picked up on the second day and finished consistently in the top ten to finish in 8th overall.

Right behind him in 9th overall was Kyle Roose who saved his best to last, roping in two second place finishes and sticking with the top of the fleet on the final day.

Max Reshetiloff tucked a 5th place under his belt on the first day after catching a shift that helped lift him to the windward mark well in front of the pack.  Reshetiloff finished in 15 position overall. Ryan Lettsome weaved his way into a 7th place in one of the races after a tough morning of unpredictable winds. Unfortunately, Lettsome succumbed to the black flag in race 8 which, combined with two OCS scores on day one, put him out of the running and in 18 place overall.

Optimist Green Fleet
Four sailors competed in the Optimist Green fleet and all of them sailed well throughout the regatta.  Top finisher, at his debut regatta off island, was Samuel Allen coming in fourth overall.  Allen not only mastered the challenges of the light and shifty conditions on the first day, he went on to secure first, second and third place finishes on the second day.

Finishing in eighth place overall, Noah George also bucked the trend on the first day by securing two fourth place finishes, a great result for another of our newest racers.  Scott Kirk roped in a sixth place in race nine and sailed with confidence during both days to finish 15 overall. Connor Maccallum also sailed well at his first outing since October, getting a ninth as his best score and 16 overall.

In total the BVI had five racers in the Opti Championship fleet, four racers in the Opti Green fleet, and one in the club 420 fleet. Many thanks to St Thomas Yacht Club for organizing a wonderful event, The Moorings for providing the team with a ride and a place to rest up and all the parents for their help..

The next regatta for Team BVI is the Puerto Rico International Dinghy Regatta in San Juan from 4 to 7 February.

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