African Optimist Championship - Four young sailors jet out for Luanda today |05 October 2016

Four young sailors are representing Seychelles at the African Optimist Championship in Luanda, Angola.

The four sailors – Ryan Alcindor, Dominic Labrosse, Nathan Matatiken and Hervé Lafortune – were to leave last night for the championship slated for October 6-14.

Fresh from taking part in a series of local and regional events, the four sailors are expected to challenge for medals in Luanda.

Alcindor, the winner of the recent Indian Ocean sailing championship, and Labrosse, who triumphed in the National Championship, will surely be the team’s leaders and a lot is expected from them as they both boast international experience.

The competition will take place on the back shore of the Naval Club of Luanda Island and at least 80 sailors aged from 12 to 15 years old from countries like Mozambique, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, South Africa, Tunisia and hosts Angola will be taking part.

This is the first time that Angola is hosting this competition. The last championship was held last October in Algeria.

Seychelles Yachting Association chairman Alain Alcindor, who is the sailors’ coach, will accompany them to Luanda where he will also take part in the African Watersports Association’s annual general assembly during which there will be election for office bearers.

The delegation is expected back on October 15.

Grateful if you could write something in your newspaper. 

Meanwhile, Tony Sullivan, manager sales and marketing at Hospitality Supplies, sponsored the four Optimist sailors a ‘rash guard’ each and a pair of jelly shoes.