Royal Military College of Canada sailing team participate in Chile’s Arturo Prat Regatta
November 28, 2023 - Defence Stories
Caption
From L to R: NCdt Jamie De Lachevrotière-Martin, NCdt Mikhael Zavala Thyer, OCdt Willem Quist, LCdr Gary Jackson, NCdt Justin Norman, and OCdt Spencer Talerico in front of Chile’s National Maritime Museum.
The 5-strong Royal Military College of Canada (RMC) Varsity Club Sailing Team participated in the 48th edition of the Arturo Prat Regatta in Valparaiso, Chile, between November 10-12, 2023 where over 50 sailboats and about 280 people participated.
Taking on the challenge of racing on the world’s popular keelboat class J/24 sailboats was new for the entire team, as only the team captain, Naval Cadet (NCdt) Jamie De Lachevrotière-Martin had keelboats experience. Despite the steep learning curve, it was a good experience for Officer Cadets (OCdt) Spencer Talerico and Willem Quist, NCdts Mikhael Zavala Thyer and Justin Norman, and Lieutenant-Commander Gary Jackson.
Arturo Prat Naval School’s naval cadets extended a warm welcome, guiding our team through their facilities and making the team feel like family. Approximately 35 international cadets from various countries partook in the Regatta, providing an excellent opportunity for the naval and officer cadets of RMC to connect, learn and share undergrad students’ unique experiences.
During the first two days of the competition, the team had some setbacks, with almost no wind and the spinnaker pole breaking on the first downwind leg of the first race. It was difficult to keep up, but the crew persevered and fought to stay positive.
On the last day, the team did four races and finished well, despite being relatively new and having little to no practice in sailing J/24s beforehand. In the category of Naval Academy rankings, the team placed 6th overall. In the J/24 general rankings, the team placed 9th overall.
“It was a very good experience,” said NCdt Jamie De Lachevrotière-Martin. “I learned a lot about myself, and it was extremely rewarding to successfully train a team that had previously little to no experience in racing J/24s.”
“Although we encountered challenges on the first day, we managed to achieve commendable scores on the final day, marking a significant learning experience for all. The progress made over the week of sailing was truly remarkable.”
Returning to RMC with valuable learned experiences from their Regatta in South America, the team is now eagerly anticipating their return to the waters off Kingston in the spring to prepare for the upcoming season with the Canadian Intercollegiate Sailing Association.
This past sailing season has been one of the best that the team has had so far, qualifying for the Match Race Nationals in Vancouver in February, and the team is hoping to participate again in the regatta hosted by the Italian Naval Academy in Livorno next year.
Appreciation is extended to everyone involved and the Chileans’ commitment to consistently attend to our teams need, providing us guidance which has had a positive impact on the team’s results in the Arturo Prat Regatta.
