Submitted by Salt Spring Junior Sailing Team
Two junior sailing teams had a successful competition at the 2024 BC Summer Games from July 18 to 21, with each team garnering a silver medal in their events.
Izzi Pugh Aucoin and Reuben Sol captured silver in the C420 Open category (mixed and male teams) while Malikaa Clement and Maeve FitzZaland won silver in the C420 Female category.
Pugh Aucoin and Sol said conditions of very light winds and hot weather during the first day of games competition led to an early end to competition that day. The sailing teams were only able to complete two heats of the course, set in the harbour of Port Moody, before the winds became too light and unpredictable and the remaining heats for the day were called off.
Competition resumed the following day with the course set further out in Burrard Inlet. The sailors had increased wind and stronger currents to contend with, as well as temperatures around 30 Celsius, and they raced five heats in rapid succession. The Salt Spring sailors said that because they practise in a relatively sheltered area near Ganges, they have less experience in the stronger winds than teams that practise in areas of higher winds.
In spite of the change in conditions, the Salt Spring sailors had very consistent finishes, with both teams in the top four for each of their races. Clement and FitzZaland were particularly pleased with their results, given that this was only their second regatta as a pair.
Because the Games were primarily located in Maple Ridge, sailing teams had long commutes from Port Moody back to the high school where they were staying, and found themselves eating cold dinners outside their classroom dormitories at 10 o’clock at night.
“The food at the Games was not great, and we didn’t have time to eat much in between races,” said Clement and Pugh Aucoin. Nonetheless, they were enthusiastic about their medals, and about the experience of the Games.
Sol, Pugh Aucoin, Clement and FitzZaland all expressed appreciation for their local coach, John Hillier, as well as the support of the Saltspring Island Sailing Club and local donors who have made their successes possible.
The Salt Spring Island junior team will finish off its season with the Fall Dinghies Regatta in Victoria on Sept. 28-29. The C420 racers will be joined by younger Opti sailors, some of whom will be attending their first regatta at that time.
Any donations to the junior team are welcome and can be made via the dinghy fleet captain, Douglas Woolcock: ssidinghy@gmail.com.