Five Optimist sailboats were Saturday morning ferried to Mayreau by the Full Click Family who are starting a youth sailing programme leading up to Mayreau’s 10th Annual Regatta.
“We took on this project in partnership with the Regatta and Sporting Committee so that Mayreau young folks can learn about sailing and carrying on the tradition of our ancestors,” said Amani Cupid, president of the Full Click Family.
Nicholas Dulac, owner of Union Island’s Captain Gourmet and Happy Kites, lent the small craft to Mayreau.
“I hope that Mayreau’s junior sailing programme will take off, and that something gets started on Union Island as well,” Dulac said. “My goal when I invested in these boats was to start a free sailing program for young sailors.”
The Full Click Family will work with three award-winning sailboat captains to put the training programme in place. Michael Ollivierre, Samuel Forde and Adolphus Forde are all very well known by sailors in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
They’ll be training chidlren aged 10 to 17 so that they can try out the sport, compete in the Mayreau regatta April 28 to May 1 and others across the Grenadines and ultimately pass their skill onto the next generation, Cupid said.
“Perhaps some young men and women from Mayreau will even go on to international competition. At the very least, they will all learn new skills, have a chance to test their own ability and use the time in a constructive manner.”
Mayreau’s Full Click Family is a group of 19 young adults who got together to better Mayreau and bring some excitement to the community.
They say are willing to work along with any other group on their island or elsewhere in the country to make improvements for the younger generation and all other neighbours.
The youth sailing programme is the second project they’ve tackled. Group members also helped out with recent upgrades at the Mayreau Government School.