With financial support from the VI Olympic Committee and VI Sailing Association and through the dedication of their parents and coaches our Junior Sailors are doing an excellent job representing our Islands on an international level.
Local sailors are also sailing on a very competitive level on the high school and college teams across the US. Antilles School finished 2nd in Team Racing and 8th in Fleet Racing in recent National Championships. The team should be even stronger next year.
Graceann Nicolosi was named a College All American and New England Crew of the Year representing Yale. Taylor Ladd received Honorable Mention All American honors from Harvard.
In addition the following sailors also competed:
- Paige Clark Dartmouth
- Amanda Engeman University of Vermont
- Caroline Teare – Georgetown
- Thomas Walden Boston College
- Colin Brego Boston College
- Ryan Hunter Kings Point
- Nico Gartner – Annapolis
- Sarah Hardee – George Washington
In Optimist beginning in 2018, our team has competed locally, but also in Puerto Rico (where Caroline Sibilly, Winn and Katherine Majette swept the top three places), Florida, and Montevideo, Uruguay for South American Championships. Our team took bronze in the Nations Cup in Uruguay. Caroline Sibilly competed in the invitational Renaissance Junior Gold Cup in May, finishing 14th. Tanner Krygsveld was overall winner at BVI dinghy regatta in late May.
IOR clinic and regatta is next week, with 107 sailors registered. This event draws some of the most talented coaching and competition from the mainland. After IOR wraps, our team heads to Vallarta Mexico to compete in North American Championships. The North American team has sailors from all three Virgin Islands registered. In July, members of our team head to Pensacola where they will compete in USODA Nationals, a weeklong regatta comprised of fleet, girls only, and team racing. At the end of August, our top 5 sailors (Winn and Katherine Majette, Tanner Krygsveld, Milo Miller and JJ Klempen) head to Cyprus to compete against the top sailors from 60 countries. Again, all 3 USVI will be represented at the event! Our season starts again in October when the team heads to Newport for New Englands. STYC Opti Team is coached by Agustin Resano. SCYC Opti Team is coached by Santiago Galan.
Teddy and Mia Nicolosi are campaigning a Nacra 15 with a 4th at Midwinters East in Clearwater, FL. They also had a 6th place finish out of 75 at Club 420 Mid Winters in Jensen Beach followed by a 6th at 2018 Nacra 15 World Championship, Barcelona Spain. Upcoming events include US Youth Champs, June 2018 (Nacra 15) Youth Worlds, July 2018 (Nacra 15) Hyannis Regatta, July 2018 (Nacra 15) CJ Buckley Team Race.
The Laser is again popular among local youth after a 4 or 5 year drought. Mateo Di Blasi finished 31st at Laser ACC’s, 9th at Gulf Coast and 6th at the Laser Mid Winters. He plans on attending, Brooke Gonzales Advance Racing Clinic, US Youth Champs, Nationals and Youth Worlds. Julian van den Driessche sailed at Laser Radial Youth European Championships in Hungary. He finished 10th in the under 17 age group and 67th overall. Mathieu Dale competed in a few US regatta this year qualifying for gold fleet in each event. He will be attending the Brooke Gonzales Clinic in Newport RI, June 14-17, Compete in the US Sailing Youth Champs in Wrightsville Beach, NC in June and ILCA Radial Youth Worlds Championship in Kiel Germany.
Sarah Hardee and Stephen Hardee have a big year planned in the 29er sailing Brook Gonzalez Clinic, US Youth Champs, Sail Newport Regatta, US Nationals, Europeans Aug 4-12. Steven will also sail at Orange Bowl Regatta.
In other sailing news, two former VI Sailors are actively running Olympic Campaigns for the USA. Ian Barrows is competing in the 49er and Nikki Barnes in a 470. Taylor Canfield continues his successful Match Racing efforts and is currently ranked 2nd in the World.
Very impressive results for our small country.