Bermuda Parent Bermuda Parent Spring 2015 | Page 55

“Inspiring Socially Conscious Independent Thinkers”
The donation will go towards developing a
catamaran sailing programme for young adults
aged 15 to 21 and the purchase of SL16 catamarans,
the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) youth
pathway catamaran boat for the next five years. The
RYA believes ISAF pathway boats most effectively
develop the necessary skills, knowledge and
experience sailors require to successfully progress
into youth and Olympic racing. Right now, the youth
sailing Optimist programme ends at age 15, and
the addition of the SL16 catamarans will give young
adults an option to progress their racing skills in a
pathway boat other than the Laser and RS Fevas.
With our help, promising young sailors can
continue to pursue the sport with RBYC’s excellent
RYA instructors. We believe it will be an excellent way
to fill the gap for those young people who want to
continue sailing in a SL16 catamaran. It also pro-
vides a way for teenagers who are interested in trying
catamarans to test them out. We’re providing an
additional racing option for our next generation of
sailors and providing another extracurricular activity
for adventurous, young adults.
Also, once the youth get to their mid-teenage
years, the existing boats cannot accommodate their
sailing needs as they are too small. The SL16 catama-
rans share some similarities to the boats that will be
racing in the Great Sound during the America’s Cup
given that they are catamarans and are better suited
for young adults. Although they don’t foil like the
America’s Cup boats, they are very fast and will be
great learning vessels. And, these boats will display
CableVision’s red and blue logo for the next ten
years, so look out for them in the harbour!
Sailing Director Thomas Herbert-Evans is
organising the programme along with the help of
Sailing Committee member Charles Penruddocke
of the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club. To start off the
new boat class, three catamarans will be purchased
from Europe and we hope they will be on the water
in the next few months. An additional three boats
will round out the fleet in a years’ time.
We hope this donation will allow the inspiration
of the America’s Cup to pass to our youth who may,
after training and dedication, wish to become world-
class yachtsmen and women. We see this donation as
an investment in Bermuda, especially our youth.
For more information on the new programme
or to sign up your son or daughter, please contact
the Sailing Office at the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club
– 295-2214.
We are happy to welcome the America’s Cup to Bermuda!
Somersfield Academy Sailing Programme
www.somersfield.bm
Somersfield Academy, Bermuda
Help them
set sail for a
brighter future
With High-Speed Internet,
Educational Programing and
Parental Controls for added safety!
See our article in
this magazine about
CableVision’s $50,000
donation to the Royal
Bermuda Yacht Club
Sailing Academy.
The fuTure is now
www.bermudaparent.bm
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