Sailors Kick Off Season at Regatta
Local youth and veteran sailors launched the new sailing season at the annual Back to School Regatta and ILCA Masters, hosted by the Royal BVI Yacht Club. The event featured thrilling competition across multiple classes, from Optimist beginners to seasoned ILCA racers.
The Royal BVI Yacht Club officially kicked off the new sailing season with intense on-the-water competition at the Back to School Regatta and ILCA Masters. Featuring a fleet of youth contenders and seasoned veterans across ILCA, RSFeva, and Optimist classes, the regatta delivered tight finishes and standout performances across the board.
Racing got underway on the trapezoid course, highlighted by a dramatic showdown in the ILCA 7 fleet between Samuel Allen and Colm Crilly. After trading leads across five closely contested races and entering the final heat tied on points, Allen narrowly edged out Crilly to claim the Back to School title.
Despite the narrow second-place finish in the open category, Crilly took home the ILCA 7 Master trophy. The fleet also welcomed back Ethan George and Thor Downing after several years away, alongside debutant Richard Brown. In the ILCA 6 division, Emme de Villiers clinched both the Back to School and Masters titles following a fierce five-race battle.
Kelsie Foley pushed hard with two race victories, finishing just two points behind de Villiers in second place. Kit Arton secured third place with strong finishes, while Yegane Guley rounded out the fleet in fourth. The Optimist fleet witnessed potential farewell performances from Aerin Westlake and Henry Clifton, who are set to age out of the class at the end of the year.
Westlake dominated the field by winning all but one race to take first overall, followed by Clifton in second, Piper Bailey in third, Arun Bissoondutt in fourth, and visiting sailor Eden Iversen of St. Meanwhile, the Optimist Green Fleet highlighted the rapid growth of the territory's newest sailors.
Bobby Hensley, who took up sailing just one year ago, swept all five races to win the division comfortably. Fellow BVI sailors Toby Evans and Sean Stacey claimed second and third, while St. Thomas visitor Serena Iversen took fourth and Jervis Tucker-Davis finished fifth. Father-daughter duo Gilbo and Zephyr Simpson also participated, cruising to the RSFeva category victory.
Organizers commended all competitors for their dedication, sportsmanship, and notable progress heading into the rest of the racing calendar.
Primary source: VINO