Sailors grounded by winds

(CNS): Race Cayman 2010 ran aground on Friday when high winds prevented the sailors from racing in the second day of competition. With wind gusts of over 27 knots kept the sailors land bound at the event, which started Wednesday, 10 March. Hosted by the CISC it includes this year’s Byte CII Midwinter and North American Championships and the J22 International Invitational Regatta as well as a qualifier for the Youth Olympic Games. After one day of racing, Cayman’s Oliver Fogerty is in ninth place and Chris Delaney (pictured) is twelfth out of a total of 32 sailors in the Byte CII class. 

Cayman’s other Byte sailors are Ben Williams, and Lizzy Wauchope. Local residents Marina Maffessanti and Matthew Courtis are also competing. Although they train with the Cayman team, they are representing their home countries of Jamaica and Barbados respectively.  The J22 International Invitational Regatta is scheduled to begin Saturday, 13 March, and Cayman’s junior J22 team members are Thomas Hanson, Thomas Bishop, Kayla Ramos, and Dejian Solomon.

Minister with responsibility for Sports Mark Scotland met Race Cayman 2010 competitors and officials as they waited for more favourable conditions and congratulate the CISC on hosting Race Cayman 2010.

“The Sailing Club certainly deserves a round of applause for hosting Cayman’s largest ever international sailing event. I commend all members for their commitment toward, and their investment in, the future of this sport, especially evident in our joint school sailing courses, he said. “I hope that we will continue to be partners in one the most successful sport development programmes that my ministry supports.”

The J22 International Invitational Regatta is scheduled to begin Saturday, 13 March, and Cayman’s junior J22 team members are Thomas Hanson, Thomas Bishop, Kayla Ramos, and Dejian Solomon. Race Cayman 2010 concludes on Monday, 15 March. For more information and the latest results go to http://www.caymanactive.com/race-cayman.