International Optimist Regatta - British Virgin Islands' Duff wins

by Carol Bareuther on 23 Jun 2014

Optimist sailors line up on the St. Thomas Yacht Club beach ready to launch. Dean Barnes

Shifting strategies to match wind speed and direction, staying out in front of the fleet and remaining calm provided successful strategies for 11-year-old Rayne Duff. Duff won the 22nd International Optimist Regatta (IOR) hosted out of the St. Thomas Yacht Club, St. Thomas, USVI, from June 20 to 22.

At the conclusion of today’s final two races, the Tortola, British Virgin Islands-based sailor continued to lengthen his lead and comfortably finished with 33 points separating him from his closest competition. That’s quite a feat considering the keen level of competition in the 59-boat Advanced Optimist fleet and wind conditions blowing a brisk 10- to 15- knots, plus higher in gusts.

'I still need to work on my starts,' says Duff, who along with his other team members will be representing the BVI in the Optimist North American Championships, in Riviera Nayarit, Mexico, July 9 to 16. 'But being consistent, in the top three in every race, is really what helped.'

Left, the USVI Teddy Nicolosi (second overall), gains on the BVI's Rayne Duff (first overall). © Dean Barnes

Duff not only won the overall championship, but also the 11- and 12-year-old Blue Fleet.

In the 13- to 15-year-old Red Fleet, it was 13-year-old Teddy Nicolosi, from St. Thomas, USVI, who finished first in spite of poor scores at the beginning of the regatta.

'The first day I was too nervous, I couldn’t think straight,' says Nicolosi, a member of the USVI National Team that will also compete in the Optimist North Americans in Mexico. 'The second day I relaxed and told myself I didn’t care about the results, that it was just practice. Then I started sailing better.'

The USA’s Stephan Baker won the age 10 and Under White Fleet.

'I played the left side of the course. That’s what my coach recommended and he has a lot of experience here. It really paid off,' says Baker. Baker is coached in Miami, Florida, by Antigua native and former BVI coach, Omari Scott.

83 Junior Sailors from 10 Nations sail in the International Optimist Regatta. © Dean Barnes

The trophy for Top Girl was awarded to 11-year-old Isabella Casaretto from the USA. Casaretto also finished an impressive seventh overall.

'I sailed here last year and didn’t do well,' says Casaretto. 'This year, I got clean starts, clear air and kept up with the top of the fleet. I like it that there’s a lot of wind here.'

Twenty-two junior sailors competed in the Green or Beginner Fleet, which bodes well for the future of the sport. In the end, it was nine year-old Caroline Sibilly from St. Thomas, USVI, who emerged victorious.

'My strategy was to get away from the others and into clear air so I could go fast,' says Sibilly.

Spain’s Elisenda Rahola Codina won the Pete Ives Award, given for a combination of sailing prowess, sportsmanship, determination and good attitude both on and off the water.

Meanwhile, it was the USA’s Brooke Shachoy who earned the Chuck Fuller Sportsmanship Award.

'I was very impressed with the level of skill here especially in the top sailors,' says David Campbell James of Southampton, UK, who served as the IOR’s Principal Race Officer.

A total of 81 sailors competed in the Advanced Red, Blue and White Fleets and beginner Green Fleet. The Advanced Fleets completed 10 races and the Green Fleet a total of 18 races over the three days of competition. Sailors hailed from 10 nations – Antigua, Argentina, the British Virgin Islands, Cayman Islands, Germany, Puerto Rico, Spain, the Netherlands, U.S.A, and all three USVI.

The IOR is organized under authority of the Virgin Islands Sailing Association and it is a Caribbean Sailing Association-sanctioned event.

Optimist sailors line up on the St. Thomas Yacht Club beach ready to launch. © Dean Barnes

The week started off with the Sea Star Clinic, run by local coaches and coaches from OptiSailors.com, and included the one-day Sea Star Team Race. The team race was won by STYC 1, made up of Teddy Nicolosi, Christopher Sharpless, Mateo DiBlasi and Robert Hunter.

Major IOR sponsors include the USVI Department of Tourism, Sea Star Lines and Seven Seas Water.

For more information about the IOR, visit website. Also visit the International Optimist Regatta on Facebook!

Results (Top three)

Red Fleet (25 boats):

1. Teddy Nicolosi, USVI, 46
2. Thomas Rice, USA, 54
3. Luke Arnone, USA, 63

Blue Fleet (31):

1. Rayne Duff, BVI, 13
2. Zane Rogers, USA, USA, 60
3. Isabella Casaretto, USA, 86

White Fleet (three):

1. Stephan Baker, USA, 125
2. Nathan Haycraft, BVI, 288
3. Vanessa Lahrkamp, USA, 423

Green Fleet (22 boats):

1. Caroline Sibilly, USVI, 26
2. Thommie Grit, USA, 30
3. Jose Diaz, PR, 33

Complete Results:

Optimist (59 boats) (top)

Series Standing - 10 races scored

Sail	Skipper	Yacht Club	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Total	Pos
IVB911	rayne DUFF [Blue]	RBVIYC	1	3	1	1	2	2	1	1	[8]	1	13	1
ISV 720	Teddy Nicolosi [Red]	St. Thomas Yacht Club	[32]	13	3	14	4	1	3	3	3	2	46	2
16686	Thomas Rice [Red]	SailStrong Youth Racing / Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club	2	7	2	9	1	[17]	12	7	2	12	54	3
USA18303	Zane Rogers [Blue]	Lakewood Yacht Club	[20]	4	10	20	3	7	2	6	1	7	60	4
19781	Luke Arnone [Red]	CERT/SPYC	4	6	6	8	7	9	4	10	9	[15]	63	5
19597	Jack Brown [Red]	Seaside Park Yacht Club	14	5	4	2	11	6	15	5	[25]	23	85	6
15771	Isabella Casaretto [Blue]	Lauderdale Yacht Club	10	10	5	10	9	[20]	10	8	18	6	86	7
ISV 6	Christopher Sharpless [Red]	St. Thomas Yacht Club	8	[23]	11	11	19	3	11	14	7	10	94	8
19404	Severin Gramm [Red]	Coral Reef Yacht Club	3	16	13	4	17	13	18	2	12	[22]	98	9
14618	Luke Welker [Red]	Team 4	29	9	18	3	15	8	14	4	[39]	3	103	10
GER 13129	Leonardo Honold [Blue]	BYCUe Bodensee-Yacht-Club Ueberlingen	6	14	12	5	14	10	21	11	15	[26]	108	11
USA 20123	Hayden Earl [Blue]	Stage Harbor Yacht Club / FAST	16	12	20	6	32	[34]	7	9	6	4	112	12
ANT 2	Rocco Falcone [Red]	Antigua Yacht Club	7	1	24	[27]	6	23	17	16	13	18	125T	13
USA20797	Stephan Baker [White]	CRYC	5	2	14	25	26	15	[40]	26	4	8	125T	14
ISV 642	Mia Nicolosi [Blue]	St Thomas Yacht Club	23	17	7	17	16	[24]	6	17	16	9	128	15
GER 13426	Jonathan Steidle [Blue]	BYCUe Bodensee-Yacht-Club Ueberlingen	25	18	15	[30]	10	4	24	21	14	5	136	16
ISV224	Julian van den Driessche [Blue]	St Thomas Yacht Club	22	11	23	15	5	11	8	20	27	[60/BFD]	142	17
15436	Julia Johansson [Blue]	CRYC	17	20	21	19	18	21	5	15	19	[27]	155	18
IVB 1701	Thad Lettsome [Blue]	Royal BVI Yacht Club	28	19	17	16	13	16	16	19	[30]	17	161	19
15510	NICOLAS MARTIN [Red]	Lakewood Yacht Club	19	15	16	22	31	[33]	23	13	10	16	165	20
19187	Mariner Fagan [Blue]	Annapolis Yacht Club	9	24	9	7	[45]	5	26	24	21	41	166	21
ANT 3	Louis Bavay [Red]	Antigua Yacht Cub	12	22	8	26	28	14	22	28	[35]	28	188	22
15784	ian Jezak [Red]	SailStrong/LLSC	18	[38]	19	21	29	18	33	30	23	19	210	23
ISV 616	Robert Hunter [Red]	St. Thomas Yacht Club	13	37	29	39	8	12	13	49	11	[60/BFD]	211T	24
IVB955	Sam Childs [Blue]	Royal BVI Yacht Club	11	25	22	31	20	28	29	25	[43]	20	211T	25
ISV 1999	Mateo Di Blasi [Blue]	STYC	15	30	28	28	21	40	9	[43]	17	33	221	26
17949	Teagan Cunningham [Red]	Barnegat Light Yacht Club	24	21	33	18	35	22	[38]	35	28	11	227	27
17665	Madeleine Rice [Blue]	SailStrong Youth Racing / Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club	30	28	30	12	25	30	[37]	22	24	30	231	28
13987	Chase Carraway [Red]	CYC-NC/SailStrong	37	26	32	13	[40]	35	39	12	26	32	252	29
ESP1800	ELISENDA RAHOLA i CODINA [Red]	CN EL BALIS	27	33	25	[60/BFD]	33	37	20	33	22	24	254	30
ISV204	Victoria Flatley [Blue]	STYC	[52]	27	36	43	12	31	50	48	5	13	265	31
5699	J.J. Smith [Blue]	St. Petersburg YC	26	8	37	36	30	38	25	[40]	31	35	266	32
17785	jojo bolduc [Red]	CRYC	47	29	31	23	44	32	19	27	20	[60/BFD]	272	33
USA 14440	Brooke Shachoy [Red]	Beverly Yacht Club/FAST	21	35	26	[60/BFD]	24	25	43	29	42	29	274	34
IVB864	Nathan Haycraft [White]	RBVIYC	34	[42]	27	29	22	26	42	39	33	36	288	35
IVB109	James Dawson [Red]	RBVIYC	35	39	35	33	34	[60/DNF]	30	32	38	14	290	36
15756	Berta Puig [Blue]	Coral Reef Yatch Club	33	34	[47]	34	38	19	32	36	40	25	291	37
18313	Chase Burwell [Red]	Team FOR - Carlouel Yacht Club	38	41	39	[48]	27	29	34	34	34	37	313	38
IVB115	Amelie Clark [Blue]	RBVIYC	44	53	[55]	41	36	27	48	18	32	21	320	39
19291	Grace Austin [Red]	Belle Haven Club	46	36	45	38	37	41	27	38	29	[48]	337	40
20802	Nat Edmonds [Blue]	Wianno	45	32	40	40	39	43	28	[47]	36	38	341	41
17115	Seth Rizika [Blue]	Wianno/FAST	31	43	46	37	[50]	36	46	31	41	31	342	42
18058	Connor Nelson [Red]	Team FOR DIYC	39	31	42	32	42	[48]	35	37	48	39	345	43
18310	Matthew King [Blue]	Team FOR	41	[52]	34	24	41	52	45	23	46	46	352	44
19308	Andrew Florio [Blue]	Sarasota Youth Sailing/ Team FOR	42	49	50	[51]	43	44	41	44	37	43	393	45
USA 19411	Reed Shachoy [Blue]	Beverly Yacht Club/FAST	36	44	44	49	49	45	[54]	42	44	45	398	46
20252	Polk Baggett [Blue]	CYC NC	49	[51]	41	35	46	42	44	50	47	49	403	47
1616	rider odom [Red]	Noyl Odom	54	46	38	45	[56]	39	49	45	51	44	411	48
17077	Elizabeth Shanahan [Red]	Team FOR/SPYC	40	47	[56]	42	47	47	51	51	55	34	414	49
18923	Vanessa Lahrkamp [White]	SailStrong Youth Racing	43	40	52	46	55	54	[56]	41	52	40	423	50
ISV312	Mathieu Dale [Blue]	SCYC	50	50	43	50	53	46	31	[54]	54	51	428	51
20058	Brooke Schmelz [Blue]	Surf City Yacht Club	[57]	57	57	55	23	55	36	55	50	50	438	52
14246	Brandon Geller [Blue]	Team FOR	51	48	49	44	48	50	[55]	52	45	54	441	53
1847	Cade Morris [Red]	King Harbor Yacht Club	48	45	48	47	[57]	51	57	53	49	47	445	54
20490	Kyle Jezak [Red]	LLSC/SailStrong	55	58	[60/DNS]	60/DNS	51	49	52	46	53	42	466	55
PUR5637	Joaquin Lopez [Blue]	City Gardener Sailing Team	56	54	51	54	54	56	47	[57]	57	52	481	56
CAY717	will jackson [Blue]	St. Petersburg/Cayman Island Sailing Club	[58]	55	54	53	52	53	53	56	56	53	485	57
9430	Kassie Jezak [Red]	LLSC	53	56	53	52	[60/DNF]	60/DNS	60/DNF	60/DNS	60/DNC	60/DNC	514	58
17356	Christian Ehrnrooth [Red]	SFYC	[60/DNC]	60/DNC	60/DNC	60/DNC	60/DNC	60/DNC	60/DNC	60/DNC	60/DNC	60/DNC	540	59

Opti Green (22 boats) (top)

Series Standing - 18 races scored

Sail	Skipper	Yacht Club	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	17	18	Total	Pos
8008	Caroline Sibilly	STYC	2	3	1	1	3	1	1	3	3	1	2	1	[4]	1	[5]	[4]	2	1	26	1
7246	Thommie Grit	Sarasota Youth Sailing	1	2	[3]	2	[4]	2	3	1	2	3	[4]	2	1	2	1	2	3	3	30	2
pur 559	Jose Diaz	CNSJ	3	1	2	[4]	2	[4]	2	[4]	1	2	1	4	2	4	3	1	1	4	33	3
20818	Sebastian Spinelli-Sax	Minnetonka Sailing Club	4	4	4	3	1	[5]	5	2	5	4	[7]	3	5	3	4	5	5	[9]	57	4
11546	Devin Wade	Sarasota Youth Sailing	5	[23/DNS]	[23/DNF]	13	5	6	4	[17]	4	5	3	6	3	9	2	6	6	7	84	5
isv395	steven hardee	St. Croix Yacht Club	7	6	5	5	7	7	6	9	9	[11]	8	5	[11]	[11]	8	3	9	2/*	96T	6
isv642	Niquan Benjamin	STYC	6	5	6	7	8	3	[9]	6	7	6	5	[12]	[10]	8	9	8	7	5	96T	7
1220	Adelaide Jones	KATS St. John	8	9	7	9	6	10	7	[12]	8	8	[13]	[14]	6	10	11	11	4	2	116	8
13128	Anya Reshetiloff	None	[23/DSQ]	12	8	10	10	8	10	5	2/*	12	6	11	8	7	[15]	13	11	[15]	133	9
isv16	Gillian Perrell	STYC	9	8	9	11	11	9	8	8	[13]	[14]	12	9	9	6	[13]	10	8	8	135	10
ISV224	Max van den Driessche	St Thomas Yacht Club	10	7	10	6	[12]	12	[15]	10	12	7	9	8	7	12	6	[14]	12	11	139	11
17246	Luke King	Sarasota Youth Sailing	[14]	11	[23/DNF]	[23/DNF]	9	13	13	7	6	9	11	7	13	13	7	9	14	10	152	12
26919	zahrria thomas	styc	15	10	11	8	[23/DNS]	11	12	14	14	[17]	10	10	14	5	[16]	16	13	12	175	13
8	Carson Oakley	SCYC	11	13	13	12	[21]	15	16	15	15	10	14	[18]	15	15	14	[17]	16	13	207	14
ISV26919T	Tanner Krygsveld	St. Thomas Yacht Club	12	14	12	[18]	14	14	11	11	10	13	15	[19]	16	14	18	18	[19]	16	208	15
3331	Katherine Majette	styc	13	[21]	[23/DSQ]	15	13	18	14	18	16	18	16	17	[22]	18	10	12	20	17	235	16
ISV1999	Robert Richards	St Thomas	16	16	17	17	16	17	18	16	18	16	18	16	[19]	[19]	[20]	19	10	14	244	17
333	Winborne Majette	styc	[23/DNF]	18	15	14	17	16	17	21	[22]	[23/DNS]	17	15	12	16	19	15	18	18	248	18
1023	Arjuna Morris	kats	18	17	19	16	20	19	[21]	13	21	21	[22]	13	20	17	17	7	15	[22]	253	19
isv6	Coleton Coffelt	member	17	15	16	[23/DNF]	19	21	[22]	20	17	19	19	20	21	[22]	21	20	17	19	281	20
ISV2002	Alejo Di Blasi	STYC	[23/DNF]	19	18	[23/DNF]	18	20	20	19	19	15	21	21	17	20	12	[22]	22	21	282	21
ISV8	CRUZ LONSKI	STYC	[23/DSQ]	20	14	[23/DNF]	15	[23/DNF]	19	22	20	20	20	22	18	21	22	21	21	20	295	22