The 25th Central American and Caribbean Games, hosted in the Dominican Republic, saw Saint Lucia open its medal count on Friday, as two-time Olympian Luc Chevrier claimed a silver medal in the men’s ILCA 7 Laser Radial sailing competition.
Competing at the Punta Salinas race course, the 27-year-old Saint Lucian athlete improved on his 2023 bronze medal performance, but his final result left room for what could have been, after he entered the final day of racing in a strong position to challenge for gold.
Racing conditions were ideal for the single-handed dinghy event, with consistent 20-knot strong winds creating a fast, competitive playing field. After multiple days of preliminary racing, the 18-athlete fleet was cut down to just five contenders for the final two decisive medal rounds, held on tight, fast-paced courses.
Chevrier got off to a blistering start in the first of the two final races, taking the checkered flag first. The win marked his sixth victory across 11 races held over seven days of competition, pushing him to a total of 19 net points. Just one point behind leader Pedro Luis Fernandez Gamboa of Puerto Rico, who placed second in the penultimate race, Chevrier only needed to finish ahead of the Puerto Rican in the final race to claim the top spot on the podium.
However, Fernandez Gamboa held his ground under pressure in the final race, once again taking second place to finish with a total of 20 net points. Chevrier crossed the line in third, pushing his final total to 22 net points and securing silver. Bermuda’s Sebastian Kempe won the final race and claimed the bronze medal with 25 net points.
Beyond bringing Saint Lucia its first medal of this year’s Games, Chevrier’s silver medal win also earned him an automatic qualification spot in the 2027 Pan Am Games sailing regatta, scheduled to take place in Lima, Peru. There, he will get another chance to secure a spot at the 2028 Olympic Games, continuing his long-running pursuit of elite sailing success.