Youth sailors on a mission

(CISC): A team of ten youth sailors pitted their skills against the elements in a 12 hour “sailathon” on April 20th. The sailors and their parents hadto get out of bed early on Saturday for the 6.00am start. Sailing is not just about arriving at the Cayman Islands Sailing Club and picking a boat. Excited sailors were rigging their boats at 5.30am in the dark to be ready to set off at 6.00am.The youth sailors have all come through the schools sailing programme and are experts at setting up their boats. They sail most week days and weekends and are popular members of the Club.

They are dedicated to improving their sailing expertise with punishing training programmes and competing at the regular club events alongside the adult sailors.

The sailors had elicited sponsorship from their friends, family and members of their community. They managed to raise over $4,000.00 for their efforts.  These funds are to be used for travel to overseas regattas so that they can compete against the best sailors in the region. You can still contribute by contacting the CI Sailing Club at admin@sailing.ky. There was a strong core group of supporters who encouraged the young sailors so they completed their designated hours while the coaches at the Club ensured that the sailors were safe on the water.

All 10 youth sailors achieved their goal of sailing non-stop for 12 hours. Conditions were perfect and having circumnavigated North Sound they visited Kaibo via Booby Key, Starfish Point and Stingray City on their way to Camana Bay before returning to the Club to sail the last couple of hours at home base. A flotilla of small boats encouraged them on the last leg of their journey.

Exhausted but exuberant they still had energy to celebrate on the giant trampoline donated by Compass Marine. The Youth Reps were on hand to provide luscious fare from the barbeque for all sailors and their supporters.

Many thanks to all those who gave generously towards the youth fund for overseas regattas. These sailors are the future of Cayman sailing and deserve our support as they are down at the club nearly every day. Florence Allan, Pablo Bertran, Jesse Jackson and Andreas McDermott have their sights on the Youth Olympic Games in China in August 2014.  Allena Rankine is hoping to attend the Optimist Worlds in Argentina next year and the remaining kids are gearing up and preparing for their first overseas regatta later this year.