CARIBBEAN SAILING ASSOCIATION

Photo by Kevin Johnson/kevinjohnsonphotography.com.

The Caribbean Sailing Association (‘CSA’) is delighted to announce that the Caribbean Dinghy Championships will be held in Antigua this weekend from Friday, November 15 through Sunday, November 17.  The Championships will once again be hosted by Antigua Yacht Club, and this year in conjunction with Antigua’s National Sailing Academy.

This is the third year running that the Caribbean Dinghy Championships have been held in Antigua and Barbuda.  Antigua and Barbuda was chosen as host country for several reasons including that it is central and easy for regional participants to get to, because it has a large and varied fleet of sailing dinghies ideally suited for this type of competition, and because it is easier for planning purposes to hold it in one location for three years running.  Following this year’s event the CSA will once again explore options for alternative host countries.

The Caribbean Dinghy Championships are restricted to one team each from six Caribbean countries.  Countries entered for this year’s event include host country Antigua and Barbuda, St. Maarten, Trinidad and Tobago, the British Virgin Islands and Barbados.  Interest was expressed by teams from the Bahamas and Guadeloupe but neither country has been able to confirm their participation.

Teams participating in the Caribbean Dinghy Championships are not made up solely of youth sailors.  Classes include Laser, Laser Radial, Laser Pico, Optimist and Zoom 8 with the only age restrictions being for Optimists (11 years of age and under) and Zoom 8s (16 years of age and under).  There are no age restrictions in any of the Laser classes and teams of two will race the Laser Picos.

Several sponsors have come on board in support of the 2013 Caribbean Dinghy Championships including Horizons Antigua (a large donation of food), Premier Beverages (10 cases of Oasis Water), Club Sushi (Friday cocktail party and event t-shirts), United Insurance Company Limited (cash sponsorship), Budget Marine Antigua (racing marks), and financial support from the Caribbean Sailing Association.  In addition, a large group of volunteers will donate their time both on the water and on the shore to ensure everything runs smoothly throughout the weekend.

The Caribbean Sailing Association, at its recent Annual General Meeting, reaffirmed its long-term commitment to both dinghy and youth sailing throughout the region and to the Caribbean Dinghy Championships.  A new CSA Sailing Development Committee has been established to ensure the future development of sailing throughout the Caribbean region.  The CSA fully supports the Caribbean Dinghy Championships both financially and by assisting with planning, organising and in-event volunteers.