News Scotiabank International Optimist Regatta

Scotiabank International Optimist Regatta

St. Thomas, US Virgin Islands
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USA's Wiley Rogers wins after 11 races

Sailing fast and hitting the wind shifts “just right” is what led 11-year-old, Wiley Rogers, from Houston, Texas, to win the 19th annual Scotiabank International Optimist Regatta. “The waves and wind are what I like about sailing here,” said Rogers, who led going into the last day and held his lead in spite of 2010 defending champion, Jorge Gonzalez from Puerto Rico, winning the last race and closing the score gap to a mere seven points after 11 races. “I also like meeting so many kids from other countries. Jorge is very good and very fast upwind. He has been like a brother to me the last three years I’ve sailed in this regatta.”

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Wiley Rogers

Gonzalez finished second, while St. Thomas’ Scott McKenzie placed third overall. McKenzie was also the top scoring U.S. Virgin Islands’ sailor.

Puerto Rico’s Miguel Monllor won the Pete Ives Award, given for a combination of sailing prowess, sportsmanship, determination and good attitude both on and off the water.

Meanwhile, Trinidad & Tobago’s Abigail Affoo won the Chuck Fuller Sportsmanship Award.

Many of these sailors will now depart for the IODA North American Championship, Cabrillo Beach Yacht Club, Los Angeles, where racing begins July 1st.

| Results |


June 23

79 Optimist dinghy sailors representing Barbados, the British Virgin Islands, Curacao, Canada, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, St. Maarten, Trinidad & Tobago, the United States and U.S. Virgin Islands will compete in this three-day regatta that ends on Sunday. Celebrating its 19th year and known as one of the first and largest regattas in the Caribbean to promote youth sailing, the 2011 Scotiabank International Optimist Regatta continues to attract Optimist sailors to its exacting format of Optimist dinghy training, team and fleet racing. The success of the event is due in no small part to great sponsors – Scotiabank and Sea Star Line, LLC and the tireless volunteers from St. Thomas Yacht Club.

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Sailors from 10 countries at the St. Thomas Yacht Club (Credit: Dean Barnes)

Yesterday ten teams of four sailors each, took to the seas off St. Thomas’ east end to compete in the 2011 Sea Star Team Racing Championships. Victory went to Team ISV1, made up of U.S. Virgin Islands’ sailors Colin Brego, Paige Clarke, Christopher Murphy and Scott McKenzie. This team are the same quartet of sailors who finished second in team racing at the IODA South American Championships two months ago in Chile. Team FOR (Florida Ocean Racing) with Nick Hernandez, Carolyn Corbet, Emmett Ward and Andy Burns finished second, while Team BVI & AHO made up of Mollee Donovan, Sam Morrell and Jason Putley from the BVI and Odile van Aanholt from Curacao, ended third in the Sea Star Team Racing Championships.

The Championship continues with the fleet racing.

| Event Website |