Caribbean Dinghy Championships
August 14th - August 16th 2009
The Barbados Sailing Association will welcome some of the top dinghy sailors from around the Caribbean to compete in the annual Caribbean Dinghy Championships from Friday, August 14th to Sunday, August 16th. Strong teams are expected from Trinidad and Tobago, Martinique, Antigua and St. Maarten.
This prestigious event for dinghy sailors throughout the Caribbean will be sailed on Saturday and Sunday in Carlisle Bay, where the uncertainty of the wind direction and speed and of the sea conditions will pose an exciting challenge to both local and visiting sailors alike.
Sailors will be competing for top honours in five different classes, Laser standard, Laser radial, Echo 12, Optimist senior and Optimist junior.
Leading the Barbados team will be veteran sailor, Charlie Gloumeau, who will be sailing in the Laser Olympic standard class. Gloumeau is no stranger to the event, having successfully represented Barbados on many occasions in both the Laser and Sunfish Classes.
Cyril Lecrenay, who represented Barbados in the 2003 Championships held in Martinique and the 2004 Championships held in the British Virgin Islands in the Laser radial class, will again be competing in this class.
The Barbados Sailing Association’s Head Instructor, Isaac Brown, will be at the helm of a two man Echo 12, with Matthew Alkins as his crew. This is the first time that these two have sailed in the Championships.
Barbados will be well represented in both Optimist classes. Leisl Brewster, last year’s representative in the Optimist junior class in Antigua, will this year sail in the Optimist senior class for young sailors aged 12 to 15 years
Scott Gittens, sailing in the Optimist junior class for sailors aged 11 years and younger, will complete the Barbados team. Gittens was the winner of the Dr. A.W. Trieloff Memorial Trophy for the most outstanding junior sailor in last year’s National Dinghy Championships and Barbados representative in the Caribbean Championships in 2007.
Members of the team expect to provide their fellow sailors from around the Caribbean with some stiff competition, having benefitted greatly over recent weeks from the expert coaching provided by Royal Yachting Association Coach, Jon Brown. This was made possible thanks to the continuing support from the Barbados Olympic Association and Virgin Atlantic Airlines.
The Barbados team will be going all out to improve on its position of third overall in the 2008 Championships held in Antigua.