As regional sailing competition prepares to kick off in St. Maarten, St. Vincent and the Grenadines (SVG) is making history with the largest national sailing squad the nation has ever sent to the Caribbean Dinghy Championships, running across four days from Thursday to Sunday 2026.
The seven-athlete line-up marks a defining milestone for sailing development across SVG, according to an official statement released by the SVG Sailing Association. The achievement also underscores the rapid strengthening of the country’s youth sailing development programme, which has expanded access to competitive training for emerging athletes across the island nation.
The full roster of competing sailors spans multiple competitive classes: Jordi Lewis and Rio Marks-Dasent will compete in the RS Zest division; Joshua Osborne and Isaiah Blackett will race in RS Quest; Kai Marks-Dasent will compete in the ILCA 6 class; Joshua Weinhardt will enter the ILCA 4 division; and Keyron Harris will compete in the Optimist class. The squad is a deliberate mix of seasoned regional competitors and exciting young newcomers, with multiple athletes set to make their regional championship debut at this event.
In the official press statement, the association noted that for many of these young athletes, a spot at the Caribbean Dinghy Championships is the culmination of years of consistent commitment, daily training and relentless perseverance that has led them to this moment, where they will go head-to-head with the top young sailing talent from across the entire Caribbean region.
Sabrina Marks-Dasent, the team’s manager, described the moment as a point of national pride for SVG’s sailing community. “This isn’t just the largest team we have ever fielded for a Caribbean Dinghy Championships – it is clear proof of how far we have come in nurturing the next generation of sailing talent in our country,” she said. “For many of these first-time competitors, every race, every interaction, and every moment on the water will deliver experience that no local training session can match. It will be irreplaceable for their growth as athletes.”
Over the past several months, the full team has put in intensive preparation through structured local training camps and domestic competitions, with financial and logistical support provided by the SVG National Olympic Committee. Their training covered every core skill required for competitive dinghy racing, from precise boat handling and strategic race positioning to physical fitness and open-water seamanship. Beyond the race course, their participation in this year’s championship reinforces the steady expansion of accessible sailing opportunities for young people across all of St. Vincent and the Grenadines.
The Caribbean Dinghy Championships is one of the region’s premier annual sailing events, bringing together elite youth and adult dinghy sailors from dozens of Caribbean nations to compete across multiple competitive divisions. Beyond the action on the water, the championship serves as a critical development pipeline for emerging Caribbean sailing talent, while also fostering cross-regional connection, cultural exchange and a shared commitment to sporting excellence.
As the SVG team travels to St. Maarten, they carry with them the full support and well wishes of the entire Vincentian sailing community. The SVG Sailing Association emphasized that no matter the final race results, the team’s participation alone represents another major step forward for the long-term growth of competitive sailing in St. Vincent and the Grenadines.