Caribbean Compass Yachting Magazine January 2017

— Continued from previous page
Sunday we were able to use a race course designed here on St. Maarten for the
Optis based on the America’s Cup that provided for spectacular starts and kept all
the competitors sailing together for as long as possible.”
will prepare them for their future. “In previous years the goal was to train for the St.
Maarten Heineken Regatta, after which students received a certificate. This year we
want to look beyond that and get students excited about continuous sailing and racing
and adapting it as a sport they love. This will include classroom sessions and practicing in
smaller groups to teach more comprehensive boat handling skills individually. To add to
the experience, we have included knowledgeable youth sailors who will act as mentors,
in addition to the sailing instructors who have been involved in the previous years. The
interaction with experienced peers will have a beneficial effect on the motivation of the
students involved,” said Garth Steyn, founder of the Kidz At Sea Foundation.
International Judge David DeVries from St. Maarten, back from being a judge at
this summer’s Olympics in Rio, was the Chairman of the Protest Committee.
Taking home second place in the Orange Class was nine-year-old Shanoy Malone
of Antigua, with Justin Pieterse (age 12) of St. Maarten capturing third. Ten-year-old
Rhys de Rooij of St. Martin took home the Sportsmanship Trophy for the event, as
decided by the Race Committee for his outstanding performance after only starting
to sail in September and displaying true and honorable racing throughout the weekend
in the Orange Class.
Kidz At Sea Foundation Gears Up for New Season
Dozens of students from the Milton Peters College attended orientations in
November, organized by MPC and the Kidz At Sea Foundation, to get introduced to
the sport of sailing. A new sailing season has been launched and, with that, Kidz At
Sea’s recruitment of students for its Sailing Program and the Build Your Future Project.
With the start of the new school year the Boat Building Program commenced and
the Sailing Program has been signing up students that were keen after attending the
recent orientations. On November 20th, these students participated in the first keelboat
race of the season.
The partnership between the Milton Peters College and the Kidz At Sea Foundation
will be taken to the next level after last year’s successes in the Sailing Program and
the completion of the sailboat Purple Heart, a Didi 26 sloop-rigged racing boat, the
first of its kind ever built in the Caribbean by students, teachers and volunteers without
any previous boatbuilding experience.
This year, twice as many students as last year have enrolled in the Boat Building
project. In this program, emphasis will be placed on addressing more aspects of the
marine industry, including visits to relevant businesses and going sailing more often
to experience the joy of this sport. Intensifying this program will provide the students
with a clearer overview of jobs available in the marine industry and a better understanding
of the required skill set.
The Sailing Program will place more focus on teaching the students valuable skills that
During the summer months Kidz At Sea started cooperating with the Ujima
Foundation. These youths will remain part of the program and currently organizers
are reviewing how to implement this in the schedule. The Kidz at Sea Foundation is
looking forward to signing up a group of approximately 40 to 50 students to participate
in both its programs.
The Kidz at Sea Foundation was founded in 2012 as an initiative to introduce St.
Maarten youth to all aspects of the marine industry by means of boat building and
sailing. Furthermore the two programs will teach the students specific industry related
skills and encourage personal development, giving them an advantage when
applying for a job. Kidz at Sea is not-for-profit and could not be successful without all
of its sponsors and supporters.
Visit www.kidzatsea.com for more information.
First Annual Domino’s Interschool Dinghy Sailing Championship
The first annual Domino’s Interschool Dinghy Sailing Championship will be held at
the Sint Maarten Yacht Club on January 14th. This competition is open to all schools
on the Island and there is no entry fee or cost involved, thanks to the sponsorship by
Domino’s Pizza.
Each school may have one team representing their school, with as many students
who can sail from each school participating. This includes all students who currently
know how to sail ages seven to 18 and who have some racing experience.
Racing will be divided into three classes: Optimist Class, ages seven to 15; RS Vision
Class, ages 12 to 18; Laser Class, ages 12 to 18.
Boys and girls will compete against each other and individual trophies will be
awarded to first, second and third place in each class. Overall team trophies will be
awarded to the top three schools based on points scored.
Contact Reinier at youthsailingsmyc@gmail.com for more information.
JANUARY 2017 CARIBBEAN COMPASS PAGE 21