Dreams are being realized by the Anguilla Youth Sailing Club (AYSC) this week. On July 10th and 11th, Team Anguilla captured 2nd place in the ANNUAL Premier's Cup International Youth Regatta in Tortola. With hard competition from 6 other teams from neighboring islands and the USA, the seven member team from Anguilla proved themselves to be contenders worth paying attention to.

Anguilla's representatives

With the wind blowing steady at 18 knots, Team Anguilla captured a second place win in that first race. They continued to race well all morning, capturing three 4th place finishes. In the afternoon, the wind lightened up to 6 knots, and the team rallied with two more 2nd place finishes and a 4th place finish in race 7. However, the last race of the day proved a bit more difficult for the team and they sailed to a discouraging 5th place finish.

A gusty 26 knots of wind was in store for the second day of racing. Having shrugged off their disappointing final race the day before, Team Anguilla showed up on the final day with renewed determination and positive energy. This strong team attitude paid off immediately as evidenced by their 1st place win in the first race. They continued to be strong contenders with a 3rd and 4th place finish in the second and third race of the day. The final race was the deciding factor for a 2nd place medal in the regatta. Tied with Tortola, Team Anguilla needed to win that race to take 2nd place honors, and once again, they proved their skill and seamanship by doing just that.

The youth are in tremendous spirits after the regatta. The entire race committee as well as the other coaches and spectators all expressed how impressed they were at the skill level of the Anguilla team as they raced against some of the top youth sailors in the Caribbean. This experience has given the kids a greater confidence in their ability to compete as sailors on an international level. Racing against other islands has brought great exposure to the sailing culture of Anguilla and many of the young Anguilla sailors also sail on the local racing boats - both A and B class - and have had great success and great fun participating in Anguilla's national sport.

“To have our students be so successful in an international regatta like the Premier's Cup is exactly what we imagined when we started the AYSC”, says Anguilla Sailing Association president, Peter Parles. “These young sailors are gaining more and more skills, and greater confidence in their abilities. In competing in events like this, they have opened the door for greater opportunities for themselves as they reach adulthood. This was the purpose of the school, and it’s very gratifying to see the dream being realized. We at the ASA are extremely proud of our youth sailing team and we would like to thank the Anguilla Rotary Club for their sponsorship of this event year after year and for seeing the value in making sure a team from Anguilla is able to travel and compete each year.”

The Anguilla Sailing Association is the parent organization of the AYSC. Their mandate is to provide all Anguilla children with the opportunity to sail while learning seamanship, boat safety, environmentalism, and leadership skills. The children of Anguilla today are growing up in an environment that offers a limited number of wholesome activities that foster confidence and self-worth. Having an opportunity to participate in what is an international sport as well as embracing the national sport of Anguilla is vital to the future of our youth.

When asked about the great showing from Team Anguilla, ASYC sailing instructor, Lisa Pratt said, “These guys have been sailing together for the last five years. They have been part of the sailing school since we opened our doors, and sail at least 3 times a week together. They are great sailors and they have developed great instincts. This isn't just a team, these are best friends. When they're not sailing, they're hanging out and doing other things together. These guys know how to work together and they have that energy and chemistry of best friends. It gives them an edge.”

As a result of their outstanding placing, Team Anguilla has been invited to another youth regatta in St. Croix in the USVI. As the AYSC survives solely on donations, board members are working hard to ensure that the team has the opportunity to compete in this competition and in others like this.

If you would like to make a donation, please call Peter Parles at 264-235-8300, Laurie Gumbs at 264-476-7867 or Fred Porter at 264-584-4636 or send an email to regatta@sailanguilla.comto pledge your donations as soon as possible.

- Press Release

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