The St Lucia Yacht Club in conjunction with the St Lucia Sailing Association is hosting the National Dinghy Sailing Championships from June 16-17.
This is a two-day event in which four classes of sailing will be raced; Benjamin Optimist Class, Optimist Class, Laser 4.7 class and Laser radial class, by sailors between ages eight and 18 who sail in the St Lucia Yacht Club Youth Sailing Program. This year an invitation was extended to our neighbors in Martinique with whom the St Lucia Yacht Club has made ties and plans for ongoing sailing competition.
A total of 40 St Lucian and Martiniquian sailors are expected to participate in this annual regatta. Races begin at 10:00 am Saturday June 16 and 9:30 am Sunday June 17 on the race course set in Rodney Bay between Pigeon Island and Barrel O’Beef. CATS Catamaran Charter has kindly provided a spectator boat which will be available for boarding from 9:30 am on both days and once anchored a shuttle service will allow boarding throughout the days of racing.
St Lucia’s Marcus Sweeney who last month was the champion of the radial laser class at the BVI Regatta and also at the Schoelcher Regatta in Martinique in February, will once again take to the race course with fellow St Lucian and 2010 Youth Olympic Sailor, Stephanie Devaux-Lovell.
Both Sweeney aged 15 and Stephanie, 16, will represent St Lucia at the 2012 Volvo Youth Worlds in Ireland this July and will use this regatta as a necessary training opportunity.
In the Optimist class, Luc Chevrier, 13, in preparation for the Optimist World Sailing Championship Regatta in the Dominican Republic in July, is expecting good competition from Martinique sailors.
For information and/or registration for the 2012 National Dinghy Championships please contact the StLucia Yacht Club. Skippers must attend a skipper’s briefing on Friday for race instructions. A prize giving ceremony will be held on Sunday from 4:30pm.
The regatta committee and the StLucia Yacht Club Youth Sailing Program wish to thank all of its supporters and especially the sponsors of this year’s National championships; IGY Marina, Island Water World, Ferrand’s Dairy, Jonathan Everett, Chris Renwick, Ted and Mary Ann Bull. Regatta Director and Administrator of the Youth Sailing Program at the St Lucia Yacht Club, Lily Bergasse, thanked coaches, Max Todd and Jono Rowland for their work in preparing for the event and in addition the regatta organizing committee and friends of sailing who have made the event possible.
The members of the public are hereby notified that that the beachfront in front of the St Lucia Yacht Club on Reduit beach will be used for the launching and landing of dinghies on June 16 and 17 and therefore, asks for consideration and cooperation in allowing for this. All those interested in seeing races from the water are invited to board the spectator boat or view races from the St Lucia Yacht Club where cold drinks and great lunches will be offered.
