2024 Back to School Regatta & ILCA Masters: A Day of Exciting Sailing in the BVI
The 2024 Back to School Regatta & ILCA Masters took place on a perfect BVI sailing day on Saturday, September 28. With 15 boats taking to the racecourse, the event provided some spectacular sailing as all fleets completed seven races.
Opti Fleet: Aerin Westlake Dominates the Races
The youngest sailor, Arun Bissoondutt, came out strong in the first race, securing the first win of the day in the Opti fleet. However, after that, Aerin Westlake took control, winning all six of the remaining races. Behind her, Henry Clifton earned five second-place finishes, while Arun ultimately claimed second overall. Henry finished third in the fleet.
Ashton Starkey and Maggie Nolan also performed well, with Ashton securing his best result of the day in the final race, finishing second. Maggie’s highlight came with a third-place finish in race five, earning her fifth place overall. It was fantastic to see the impressive skills of these young sailors, proving that their hard work at after-school sailing classes is paying off.
RS Feva Fleet: A Close Battle for First Place
Despite only two boats competing in the RS Feva fleet, it was one of the day’s closest contests. Defending champions Kay Reddy and Liz Buratti won the first three races, showing they meant business. However, the new pairing of Brianna Boele Van Hensbroek and Sansa Barnes found their rhythm, winning the next two races. They needed to win the final two races but came up just short as Kay and Liz won the sixth race. Even with Brianna and Sansa’s win in the final race, they finished second by a single point.
ILCA6 Fleet: Steady Victory for Marentia de Villiers
The ILCA6 fleet saw a smaller turnout, with Marentia de Villiers securing a steady victory. Despite having sailed an ILCA only a few times before, Will Barnes put in a strong performance, even beating Emme in race six, marking a commendable effort for a newcomer.
ILCA7 Fleet: A Close Contest for the Title
The ILCA7 fleet delivered some of the day’s most competitive racing. Andrew “Tubes” Thompson started strong, winning the first four races and seeming to have the title wrapped up. However, Nathan Haycraft found his groove, winning the next three races and taking first overall after an OCS (On Course Side) penalty impacted Tubes in race four. With enough races completed to discard the worst score, Nathan emerged as the overall winner, with Tubes finishing second.
The rest of the fleet fought hard, with Chris Haycraft overcoming a race-six penalty to secure third overall. The battle for fourth and fifth came down to the final race, with Gilbo Simpson and Aaron Gardner tied on points. Thanks to a second-place finish in the last race, Gilbo secured fourth on countback, while Aaron finished fifth.
Final Thoughts and Acknowledgements
The 2024 Back to School Regatta & ILCA Masters was a fantastic event, highlighting the talents of sailors across all age groups. Special thanks go to the volunteers on the race committee and mark boats, including Eddie, Julia, Stephanie, Adam, Mandi, Megan, and coach James. A huge thank you to Kevin Rowlette for providing the committee boat.
Be sure to check out the event photos on our Facebook page—click HERE to view!
Results
Opti Fleet:
- Aerin Westlake – 6 pts
- Henry Clifton – 13 pts
- Arun Bissoondutt – 15 pts
- Ashton Starkey – 23 pts
- Maggie Nolan – 27 pts
RS Feva Fleet:
- Kay Reddy & Liz Buratti – 8 pts
- Brianna Boele Van Hensbroek & Sansa Barnes – 9 pts
ILCA6 Fleet:
- Marentia de Villiers – 6 pts (Grand Master)
- Will Barnes – 11 pts (Apprentice Master)
ILCA7 Fleet:
- Nathan Haycraft – 9 pts
- Andrew “Tubes” Thompson – 12 pts (Grand Master)
- Chris Haycraft – 19 pts (Grand Master)
- Gilbo Simpson – 22 pts (Apprentice Master)
- Aaron Gardner – 22 pts (Apprentice Master)
- Kit Arton – 33 pts (Apprentice Master)
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