7 Responses to “Clarke wins but Morrell takes 2nd in Back to School Regatta!”

• my people (13/09/2012, 08:25) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply

  i am still not seeing our people in this sports
  • explain (13/09/2012, 10:56) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply

    here we go again??? please explain who "our people" are???
  • Brian Duff (13/09/2012, 12:34) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply

    Hi There,
    
    I agree, there is a demographic of sailors that is not relating properly to the demographic of these islands! The racing team practices Tuesday (330-dusk) and Saturday (230-dusk) , there is a Learn to Sail Class Wednesday (330-530) and a Girls Only Class Thursday (330-530) - we are also trying to get the Friday (4-dusk) IC24 teams going again for kids 12+ while on Saturday there is a 10 week Learn to Sail session from 830-11am (must sign up) and a Nagico Funsail Saturdays from 1130-2pm drop in anytime you can. Plenty of opportunity, and I personally invite you to come down to Nanny Cay Beach any Saturday from 1130-2pm with your kids and try it out!
• Let's get going (13/09/2012, 08:57) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply

  It is important that we give the young local kids an opportunity to experience this sport. The government needs to support sailing like they do track and field and basketball. It is very sad that this sport is not getting more attention from the government when we market ourselves as the sailing capitol of the world. Yes, it is a very expensive sport and therefore more government and private support is needed to help get the exposure to our kids. As a previous sailing parent, I can attest to the cost factors involved, with little or no support at all. It is also amazing as to the support that is often offered to the Caucasian sailors from the private sector. We need to do better as a Territory. We must do better as a Territory. The RBVIYC is not a bad institution, I just think that it's focus on the local kids is not as evident as it's focus on the Caucasian kids. Maybe this is because of it's member pool....however I still think there is much room for improvement. Good luck with the program Omari, I think you are good for the program and for the local kids.
  • Online Now (13/09/2012, 13:07) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply

    The courses/RBVIYC/private company funding are available to all who wish to be involved. Why make this a race thing?
• Brian Duff (13/09/2012, 12:16) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply

  Thank you very much to the past parent for your words of support. The best thing you can do for the local kids on this island is to spread the word that the Royal BVI Yacht Clubs new Youth Programme Director and Coach are focused on creating the opportunity for children in the BVI to get out sailing, in the name of promoting the sport of sailing on the whole and the BVI as well. Since joining the yacht club and becoming active as the Director of Sailing Development, I have worked very hard to build a full roster of programs and to find the funding needed to keep it running. Having Coach Omari here to help me has made it possible for us to get a great many more kids out sailing than were active when we started these new initiatives 2 years ago. For instance, one program that had a large group of local children out sailing was the IC24 Training Club after school on Fridays which lasted 20 weeks from March through to the Premiers Cup in late July - a group of 18 sailors were trained, and 12 selected to compete in the regatta at the end - all of these kids had great fun, and regularly though-out the summer they have called Coach Omari to ask when the program will start again, however the sponsor has not renewed their commitment and so the program has stopped. A new source of funding is being sought. Its a real shame when children want to sail, want to compete - but the money cannot be found to get them out sailing. I have recently also run offers in the 'Limin Times' making available free introductory sessions of sailing - yet only two new children tried it out.
  
  It is my understanding that we see so few families involved in this sport because it is expensive. It is going to take sponsors and dedicated government support to really make a difference. Consider please, that an instructor for sailing such as Omari Scott can only work with a group of beginner sailors that consists of 6-8 children -any more becomes a safety risk on the water. Then there is the fact that the Instructor must have a safe, small motor boat to teach from; as well as a shore side facility to store equipment and use for classes (currently donated by Nanny Cay)- add to this an Optimist Dinghy per child (the primary youth training boat) costs nearly $4000 landed here (many donated by West End Yacht Club, also by SOL Gas) - and these boats cost an additional $750 per year to maintain. These are also the cheapest boats in the program. Compare this to the cost of the programs we are running (approx $900 a year for one day a week after school ) and you see that even as expensive as it is to the families now, we are still heavily reliant upon donations, sponsors and the support of the Yacht Club members to keep kids involved in sailing. Hopefully articles like this, and the calls from interested BVIslanders such as 'my people' above will help us find the funding we need to expand the program to all the children of the BVI. As a mater of fact, I hereby personally invite you; 'my people', to please come and join us at Nanny Cay Marina any Saturday from 1130am to 2pm with your children, to get taste of the sailing available to the children here with the right support from parents , sponsor and the Royal BVI Yacht Club. visit www.royalbviyc.org/youthsailing.html for a full schedule of classes offered.
  
  
  
• Let's get going (13/09/2012, 14:37) Like (0) Dislike (0) Reply

  Brian, you are doing a good job and yes it takes some education on the parents side to get their children involved. I have seen the sailing program evolved over the years. On and on I think more government support for this program is greatly needed if we are going to be able to reach as many kids as possible. In addition to government support, parental support is also needed. Good luck with what you are doing.
  
  @ Online now - I am not making this a race thing, I am just calling it as I saw it at the time. I could only speak from my perspective and if you've noted, I've stated that more Government support is needed in this area.