Caribbean Dinghy Championships to be held in Puerto Rico

The Caribbean Sailing Association (CSA) has announced that Club Nautico de San Juan (CNSJ) in Puerto Rico, has been selected to host the 2015 Caribbean Dinghy Championships (CDC) October 16-18.

Of the announcement, Club Director Jose Teixidor said, “CNSJ is honored and excited to host the 2015 CSA Caribbean Dinghy Championships. The CNSJ re-launched its sailing program earlier this year and the Club is fully committed to developing youth and adult sailors through its Sailing Academy as well as promoting international regattas. The competitors are sure to have an amazing time sailing in San Juan Bay.”

San Juan Bay offers expansive protected waters and CNSJ is a sophisticated yacht club offering state of the art facilities. Its location, just 10 minutes from San Juan International Airport and within walking distance to many hotels of various price points, make it accessible and affordable. The CNSJ staff is very knowledgeable and there is a high level of racing expertise within the membership.

“I see the success of the bid as a direct result of the hard work the CSA Sailing Development Committee is putting into forming new associations across the region at the grass roots level,” says CSA President Peter Holmberg regarding the successful CNSJ bid to host the event. “This encourages more islands to become involved. We look forward to seeing a competitive and well managed event and for this to be the first of many new countries willing to play host to this important championship.”

The CDC has taken place for many years and was originally hosted by a different country each year across the Caribbean. This year the event sees teams of mixed age groups from juniors to seniors race in Laser Open, Laser Radial, Optimist, 420 and IC24 classes with all the boats provided on a complimentary basis by the host club. It’s an excellent stepping stone into competitive sailing for many entrants.

Only one team per country is eligible for entry. The Notice of Race is available here.

UPDATE: It was announced on July 6, 2015 that the CSA has amended their eligibility protocol to now allow one team per island, rather than per country, making more islands and teams eligible to compete. There are a maximum of seven (7) teams, so all islands are encouraged to enter early. Classes at this year’s CDC include Optimist 420 Laser, Laser Radial and IC-24. All classes are open, meaning both male and female, the Optimist class is limited to age 15 and under, and the 420 (2 crew) and IC24 (4 crew) will sail without spinnakers.