Team BVI Youth Sailors Make Their Mark At Martin Luther King Regatta

The weekend of January 18, BVI Sailors once again travelled off island to compete in international events, this time visiting our close neighbors the US Virgin Islands.

BVI was represented in 4 classes of boats and 5 divisions at this competition and sailing for the first time without the support of their long time coach Omari Scott who has now taken up a position in the USA

Our youngest and newest racing sailors- and the driving goal of all our programs teaching sailing in the BVI is called the Green Fleet and they sail in the Optimist Dinghy which can be sailed up to 15 yrs of age.  This event showed two new and three total green fleet kids representing BVI including Noah Pierce, Hayden Saunders and Max Reshetiloff. The green fleet doesn’t focus on scores but the kids all had exception races and their enthusiasm is very hog for continuing their development.  I hope more kids join soon!

In the same class of boat but racing on the Opti Champ course out in the rougher waters south of St. Thomas the BVI was represented by sailors in two age divisions not having any older kids currently racing opti- but in the blue 11-12 age division Amelie Clark took 4th, Thad Lettsome took 3rd, Sam Child’s 2nd and Rayne Duff 1st ; all sailors having won one race overall as well. Nathan’s Haycraft took 2nd in the White 10-under division. The conditions were very challenging with relatively light winds on lumpy seas.

On the larger boats for older sailors we had Matthew Oliver representing our nation in the Laser class and he finished in 2nd place having sailed very consistently well.

Sam Morrell has moved from Opti to the two-man 420 Class in addition to working hard on his campaign in the Byte class preparing for the youth Olympic Games 2014 and sailed this regatta with Daniel Peteovic as crew, placing 2nd in the 420 class after 11 races having also taken a first overall in one race.

The BVI is going through a lot of transition for the racing sailors between aging into new fleets or classes of boats , and having lots their regular coaching for a short time until the new coach arrives from Ireland but they are persevering and showing they really know their stuff competing well all on their own and we look forward to a strong year ahead.

Stay tuned for news as the Opti Kids train and prepare for South and North American championships prior to worlds in October and also as Sam Morrell continues on his endeavor to represent the BVI at the Youth Olympics this summer.

Full results from this weekend can be seen at : http://www.regattanetwork.com/event/7586#_newsroom+results