Competitions are thrilling, exciting and full of adventure, but this year’s 19th Budget Marine Optimist Championship was the best yet. There was the introduction of Green Fleet, the larger group size of sailors and a new Reach course was set.
The St. Kitts and Nevis Sailing Association (SKNSA) sailors are proud to have participated in the much-anticipated 19th Edition of the Budget Marine Optimist Championship. This event featured 44 young sailors between the ages of 8 -14 years from Curaçao, Antigua, British Virgin Islands, Guadeloupe, St. Kitts and Nevis, St. Barts, Sint Maarten and Saint Martin.
On November 29th, Team St. Kitts and Nevis arrived and completed registration and a practice race out in Simpson Bay, St. Maarten. This was followed by the opening ceremony, where all sailors sailed their boats and hoisted their flags as they passed under the Bridge after completing their practice race. This was the highlight of the day!
Day 1 started with the 31 Optimist and Benjamin Fleet at the start. As the five-minute countdown ensued, fierce competition was there from the start. Favourable winds were at the start of the races but got shifty as they completed the six races for the day. Six hours of being on the water was testing all the green fleet sailors’ resilience and focus. It was in race three that Team St. Kitts and Nevis experienced their first setback of the day. Benjamin sailor- Greyson Burrell had an issue with his mast step, which hindered him from completing that race. Coach Nickhail and Nicholas quickly remedied the situation by switching the sails into one of our Green fleet sailor’s boats, who was out on injury. After lunch, there was one more challenge: there was a heavy downpour with increasing wind and gusts. There were mixed feelings among sailors as, for some, this meant more speed, while for the beginners and lighter sailors, it was less in their favour. During the races, toward the end, the winds were a bit shifty, but this did not stop one of our youngest sailors, Clijae Christmas Mulley. He was determined to do his best after sitting out a couple of races after his injury. He came back in full force and placed third for the second time for the day. The day culminated with a prize-giving ceremony for the top three sailors from each group, and a yellow, blue and red vest were given, respectively.
On day 2, Saturday, November 30th, there was much anticipation building up as all sailors felt more comfortable on the waters and with their respective race courses. The top three sailors wore their bibs so they could be seen and tracked from afar. As Deputy Race and Result Officer Elija Van Der Horst said: “The energy and enthusiasm I saw on the water today is inspiring.” This statement describes perfectly how the SKNSA felt to see our 8-year-olds battling out on the waters and riding the waves with much confidence.
Day 2 was not short of excitement as the day started with an average wind of 13 knots and gusts of 18 knots in conjunction with huge waves and swells. This made for another tough day for all sailors, including Team SKN, who had a few capsizes during their races. This unfavourable condition was evident as the Benjamin and Optimist fleet had a false start, with four sailors crossing the line ahead of the whistle.
This caused the committee to issue a U flag, which cautioned the sailors of a potential disqualification if there was another false start by anyone. These conditions, though, were better suited for our senior sailors Abhijith and Skyla, who continued on their path while staying abreast with the top group of sailors at the start line. As the day progressed, the winds died, and it was yet another test of the skills, resilience and quick thinking. In the final race, there was another false start, with the Benjamin and Optimist Fleet having approximately 75% of sailors crossing the lines again before the whistle. These unexpected conditions brought out the best in some.
For Team SKN, for the first race of the day, Green Fleet sailor William Guy had an impressive second-place finish. Elijah was consistent in most of his races, placing in the middle of the group. Six races were completed again, with different winners for some categories. Prizes and bibs were reissued.
Day 3 was the clincher. At this point, everyone knew that there were only three more races to complete, and this would determine their faith. Fifteen races in total were to be completed, and three were disregarded over the course of the three days. The sailors had blistered hands and fingers and sore calves and thighs, but this did not stop them from completing the day. Team SKN was ready to put their best foot forward.
The last day was yet another challenging day, not because of the 10-12 knots but because they had to contend with the Mega Yachts docked in the bay blocking their wind. In addition to that, a new course was introduced. For the first time, the race committee introduced a REACH course at the Budget Marine Optimist Championships. This unusual race course created an uneasy feeling for all sailors. This resulted in changes in the top positions. Team SKN sailor Greyson Burrell was able to secure a 1st place finish for the last race of the day, which afforded him a 6th place finish overall.
Our sailors have come a long way without having the necessary training facilities, up-to-date equipment and extended experience in Regattas, but both Coaches and sailors are determined to succeed and work even harder next time around.
Team St. Kitts and Nevis results are as follows:
Green Fleet:
Emijah Maynard – 9th
Clijae Christmas Mulley – 10th
William Guy all – 12th
Benjamin Fleet:
Greyson Burrell – 6th
Optimist:
Skyla Connor -10th
Abhijith Srinivasan – 11th
We want to extend our congratulations to Ethan Blanchet, Axel Vanden, Eynde Saul Claus Laroche of the Green Fleet, Stanley Haes, and Oskar Jarrett.
Versteegden and Léo Favreau of the Benjamin Fleet, Magras Thomas, Nathan Sheppard and Tao Carmona Bouvrais of the Optimist Fleet and all the sailors who competed at the 19th Budget Marine Optimist Championship.
Congratulations to Sam and the entire Sint Maarten team for hosting yet another successful event.
We would like to thank our main sponsors, the St. Kitts and Nevis Olympic Committee, for their invaluable contribution to the development of sailing in St. Kitts and Nevis.
A huge thank you to President Nicholas Dupre for having the vision, drive and determination to expose our sailors to such high-level competition as this – a world qualifier. To the Commodore of the St. Kitts Yacht Club, Nickhail Rogers, a big thank you for your unwavering support, patience, guidance, dedication and positive, reassuring attitude on and off the water during training.
To Danielle Connor, Chairperson of the Nevis Aquatic and Sailing Center, and our chaperone, thank you for your coordinating skills and ensuring all sailors were well taken of. Dr Stones and the entire SKNSA Executive, we say thank you.
Sailors, we are so very proud of your accomplishments. Our Green Fleet sailors are to be commended for their excellent behaviour on and off the water and for giving it their all. You all made us proud. To our lovely parents who travelled with us and those at home, we thank you for your unwavering support. To our well-wishers, thank you for supporting our SKN sailors.
Last but not least, we would like to extend our heartfelt thank you to our sponsors from the Caribbean Dinghy Championships.
Thank you, ACF, Taiwan in St. Kitts and Nevis, Nevis Style Realty, and St. Kitts and Nevis Olympic Committee.
Nevis Aquatic & Sailing Center
St. Kitts Department of Sport
St Kitts Department of Youth Empowerment
Department of Marine Resources St. Kitts and Nevis
Taiwan in St. Kitts and Nevis
Writeups 24
Associates Times
Caribbean Sailing Association
The Sint Maarten Yacht Club
The St. Kitts-Nevis Times