They’ve raised the money and are going!
Three young sailors from the Anguilla Youth Sailing Club (AYSC) will be representing Anguilla at the 2008 Scotiabank International Optimist Regatta in St Thomas, in June. Excitement amongst the AYSC students is high!

Members of the Anguilla Youth Sailing Club (Story and photo - Penny Legg)

Maryse and Richard West, owners of Charm III, the 1925 Alden Schooner which is a pretty sight moored in Road Bay, have been running day sails for the last ten weeks to raise funds to send a group of youngsters to attend the regatta. The children crewed on the vessel for the sails.

Gabi Gumbs and Anne Parles have been co-ordinating the bookings, which saw fifty people taking trips on Charm III. “It was excellent,” said Gabi, “we had two times when we could not go out because of the weather, but other than that the people who went out on Charm III are very, very happy. They had a great experience.”

“We enjoyed it,” smiled Maryse. “The children are very good for us. They are great fun. Everyone is very nice, very well behaved. They learned a lot. Richard said to Noah (Gumbs, aged thirteen), ‘go and make the boat ready for sailing.’ In the morning the boat was ready. He did a good job.” “I lashed them into shape,” joked Richard, keeping his face straight. There is no doubt that raising the money needed to send the team has been a joint effort, with much input by all AYSC members.
The young sailors representing Anguilla in St Thomas are Kenny Richardson, recent winner of the Sailor of the Year Award, who will be fourteen when he competes, Ethan Lloyd, aged thirteen, and Romero Gumbs, also thirteen. They will be supported by Starlin Rosario, aged fifteen, who will assist William Ferguson, the AYSC instructor. Althea Lloyd will act as ‘mother’ to the four boys.

Asked how he felt about going to St Thomas, Kenny replied, “It is really good because it will give us a lot of experience in racing as there will be more than one hundred boats there; from St Martin, from here, Argentina... I am looking forward to it. It should be fun, tiring, but fun!”

“I think it will be an experience; how to sail a boat in an international racing regatta,” said Romero, known as Butchie to his friends.

“Going to St Thomas is very good,” stated Ethan, or Rumple, as he is known. “A good experience for all of us,” he continued.

“I am not taking part because I will be too heavy for the lightweight boats,” explains Starlin. “I am just going to help Will, make sure that all is prepared on time and make sure Will does not have a lot of stress. It will be a good experience.”

“Hopefully the kids will rise to the challenge,” says William Ferguson. “It is going to be a big regatta for them. I think that when they get there they will realise that competition is quite stiff, but it will be a good experience for them to be there and see the number of boats and see the level of sailing and to participate. Their growth in sailing will be huge because of this.

“We have been working hard. We’ve been doing physical training once a week, racing once a week as well as doing a training [sailing]session once a week, so most of these kids have been out on the water four times a week, sometimes five or six times. We are working pretty hard and they are out there a lot, so, hopefully they will do well.

“Kenny will be racing in the red fleet, the most advanced fleet, for kids at the end of Opti sailing, getting ready to move on. Kenny is just turning fourteen, so it will be challenging for him but it should be good. We will see when we get there but most likely the other two will also be in red fleet. They will learn more there.”

Ethan’s mother, Althea Lloyd, commented, “I am excited and I want them to do well when they go down there to represent Anguilla.”

The Regatta takes place 19 – 22 June 2008, with a three day sailing clinic running 16 – 18 June, which the Anguilla team will also take part in.

The Anguilla Youth Sailing Club is the youth arm of the Anguilla Sailing Association, which aims to teach sailing to tomorrow’s sailors. Members of the AYSC were part of the crew on Charm III at the Anguilla Regatta.

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