Two promising young Optimist-class sailors from Antigua Yacht Club (AYC) — Lluc Agusti and Ruben Van Hest — are set to depart their home base on Wednesday for the British Virgin Islands, where they will compete in the 2026 BVI Dinghy Championship. Hosted by the Royal BVI Yacht Club, the event will run across May 16 and 17 on the waters off Tortola.
The high-profile regional regatta draws the most talented youth sailing prospects from every corner of the Caribbean, giving up-and-coming competitors a chance to test their skills against peers with similar competitive ambitions. Agusti and Van Hest do not travel to the championship alone: they are accompanied by Karl James MBE, AYC’s head coach and a two-time Olympian who brings decades of elite racing and coaching experience to the team.
In the weeks leading up to the event, the pair completed an intensive period of tactical preparation on the water in Falmouth Harbour, tailoring their training to the specific conditions they expect to face at the championship. Under James’s guidance, the sailors have focused heavily on mastering boat handling and decision-making in the strong currents and variable, shifting winds that are characteristic of the Sir Francis Drake Channel, the venue where the regatta will be held.
For the young Antiguan competitors, this championship is far more than just another race on the calendar. It acts as a key benchmark of performance ahead of the full summer regatta circuit, allowing the sailors to gauge their current progress, identify areas for improvement, and build race experience ahead of higher-stakes events later in the season.