From caribbeanracing.com
With registrations for Race Cayman now closed, the Club is in final preparations for this showcase sailing event, which features the Youth Olympic Games Regional Qualifier, the Byte CII North American Championship and the CISC International Invitational J/22 Regatta. Over 80 sailors are registered in the event with 17 countries represented from around the North American and Caribbean region and Europe. A total of 25 races will be held over the six day event. In addition, a large contingent of visiting officials, coaches, team leaders and families will add to the international mix. With an army of volunteers and a fleet of race committee and support boats, the North Sound will be action packed for the period 11th - 15th March. The Minister of Sports, the Hon Mark Scotland commented, "We are really excited about the Race Cayman sailing event and particularly Cayman being chosen to host the North American and Caribbean Youth Olympic Games qualifier. This event builds on both Cayman's sailing heritage and helps to promote sports tourism in Cayman. We wish all the teams fair winds and may the best team win." Thirty-six young sailors, aged between 14 and 17 years will be competing in the Byte events, hoping to qualify their nation for the Youth Olympic Games in Singapore in August this year. Lizzy Wauchope, Chris Delaney, Oliver Fogarty and Ben Williams will be competing for Cayman in the Byte class against the best young sailors in the region, including strong teams from Bermuda, Canada, Netherland Antilles, Barbados, Jamaica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Guatemala, Spain, St Lucia, USVI and USA. "Local support for the event has been tremendous," commented Regatta Organiser Jane Moon. "We are most grateful to the CI Government and in particular the Ministry of Sport, the Department of Customs, Department of Immigration and the CI Airport Authority and also to the Cayman Islands Olympic Committee who have all given generous and helpful support to the event. A wide range of local businesses have come on board and company logos will be featured on many of the competing boats. It promises to be a very exciting sight to see the sailing competition on the water featuring so many of our local sponsors." The youth are also well represented in the J/22 class where the DMS/CISC youth sailing team of Thomas Hanson, Thomas Bishop and Kayla Ramos will be taking on the local and international competition in that event and 2009 Most Improved Sailor, Dejean Solomon will be joining one of the two visiting J/22 crews from the UK. Cayman J/22 teams which have qualified for the event are current local champions Compass Marine (Mike Farrington, Matt Diaz and Sam Dawson), together with the Mayhem crew of Jo Richards, Mark Edmunds, Ken Holland and Jennifer Deacon and the Ciao! crew of Tomeaka McTaggart, Paul Johnston, Nick Taylor and Lindsey Macfee. They can expect some tough competition from the visitors from Bermuda, Bahamas, Canada, Jamaica and the UK with 11 boats in the fleet. As well as a full schedule of racing, the club is hosting a number of social events ranging from a happy hour BBQ featuring steel pan music, to a disco party, to a formal prize giving dinner. The club encourages everyone to come and watch the most exciting sailing regatta to be held in the Cayman Islands, either from a boat in the North Sound or on the land from the club, and also to enjoy some of the social events. The organizing committee of volunteers has been working since September 2009 last year to put this exciting event together and so will be fun for all the family. Further information is available from the Cayman Islands Sailing Club www.sailing.ky or from the event website www.bytechamps.org © Copyright 2001/2002/2003/2004/2005 caribbeanracing.com |
