Around Bermuda in an Optimist

WHERE NO MAN HAS GONE BEFORE
Sailing fanatic Tom Herbert-Evans has performed many crazy stunts in the past. But his next one perhaps tops them all. The Royal Bermuda Yacht Club (RBYC) Sailing Academy Director plans to go where no local sailor has gone before – around the Island in an Optimist dinghy (approx 32 nm.).

His cause? To raise money to enable the Island’s Optimist sailors to gain valuable exposure abroad.

“In order for our young sailors to be really good we have to provide them with big fleet exposure and the only way they are going to do that is by going overseas and to do it often is very expensive and nobody can afford it,” Evans said.“So the idea is to help our Bermuda sailors to go overseas and experience that and if we want to develop a new programme and the equipment is the issue it kind of comes under the same umbrella.”

Evans’ circumnavigation will start and end, that is if all goes according to script, at Hogfish Beacon off Spanish Point Boat Club. “The reason for that is because every other attempt (around the Island) has been done from there,” the 25-year old Welshman added. “We’re hoping for a northwesterly so I will go towards Dockyard and counter clockwise (around the Island) which would be a nice run.

“A northwesterly is nice because you’re protected by the reefs and the waves don’t build up that much. But the little beat off St George’s could get a bit tough because of the waves off there.”

Wind speed and currents will ultimately dictate how long it takes Evans to sail around the Island in a training boat designed for youngsters. “We’ve been doing an estimation on how long it will take and the quickest is three hours while the longest could be 20-24 hours which is a long time in the boat.” — Royal Gazette, read on