US-Cuba Youth Sailing Exchange

The St. Petersburg Yacht Club, Storm Trysail Club, Cuba Sailing Federation, and National Sailing Hall of Fame have inaugurated a U.S. Cuba Youth Sailing Exchange. Junior sailors from St. Petersburg Yacht Club (St. Petersburg , FL) were in Cuba to sail with Cuban junior sailors on June 20-21.

“This exchange will help develop strong ties between our sailors and our countries,” said Raidel Calero Disotuar, President of the Cuba Sailing Federation. “It has been a unique and rich experience for junior sailors from Cuba and the United States.”

The two days of sailing were held at the Cuba Sailing Federation Sailing Facility with support from the Hemingway Yacht Club. It was the first time Americans have sailed is Cuba on Optimists and Lasers, and not since 1959 had Americans sailed there on Snipes.

“The youth exchange of young sailors from the USA and Cuba have arrived like a breath of happiness and optimism. This will foster the reestablishment of historic relations and friendship between Cuba and the USA,” said Commodore Jose Miguel Diaz Escrich of the Hemingway Yacht Club.

Included in the weekend’s program was a Safety at Sea workshop conducted by the Storm Trysail Cub which included a screening of a portion of the Morning Light film. A group of Cuban junior sailors will travel to St. Petersburg Yacht Club this year to further the exchange.

“We have worked for 5 years to get to this exciting program underway,” said former Commodore Tito Vargas of St. Petersburg Yacht Club. “This sailing exchange will foster new friendships and open up new opportunities for young sailors from the both United States and Cuba.”