Official launch of Regatta and Miss Regatta pageant 2019 |05 August 2019

The contestants: (L to r) Nisha Belmont, Christasia Dodin, Jill Henri, Emilie Esparon, Karin Moncherry, Ellsa Marimba, Beverly Brioche, Phillipa Philoé, Maresa Labonté and Velma Sinon. Absent in the photo is Stephie Rath

This year marks the 46th Seychelles Regatta, a hugely popular two-day annual fundraising event held at the Golden Mile along the shores of Beau Vallon. Each year, hundreds of people, locals and visitors alike make their way to Beau Vallon to partake in the plethora of activities on offer as well as the annual lottery in which the star prize is a brand new car.

This year’s event was officially launched at the picturesque Petit Amour Villa located in Sorento, Glacis on Saturday July 3. A popular attraction of the regatta, the Miss Regatta pageant, a platform which provides young women with opportunities to acquire new skills, build their confidence and fellowship in a diverse group whilst working towards the good of the community, was also launched with the presentation of 10 of the 11 contestants, all hopeful that they will be crowned Miss Regatta 2019.

Regatta 2019 is set to take place in the usual location at Beau Vallon from September 27 to 29 with the pageant being held on Saturday 28.

President of the Seychelles Roundtable Alain Letourdie noted that the annual event stemmed from a simple boating event in 1973. As with every regatta, the proceeds of the funds raised is dedicated to a national or community project.

“Generations of roundtablers have worked tirelessly year after year since to uphold the concept of raising funds for community and charitable causes. Roundtable Seychelles is pleased to name the project for the year which is the President’s Village, a project which we believe will enrich the lives of the children at the village. We are working in close collaboration with the President’s Office, the Ministry of Family Affairs and the National Council for Children,” Mr Letourdie noted.

An important aspect of the annual fundraising is the regatta lottery and the star prize for this year’s event is a brand new Hyundai Venue with a further 19 prizes up for grabs. According to Mr Letourdie, tickets are already on sale at usual outlets and are priced at R10.

Mr Letourdie also congratulated all the contestants of the Miss Regatta pageant and wished them the best of luck throughout their journey and for the pageant itself. In total, 11 ladies will battle it out for the title of Miss Regatta, the title currently held by Gabriella Gonthier.

James Dupres, pageant coordinator, noted that this year’s event promises to be amazing and different from previous ones.

“This year the emphasis is not only on the aesthetics of the show but we are emphasising on the journey that the contestants go through, how they grow over the course of the pageant. We also want to assure that there is continuity once the crowning is over until next year’s pageant,” Mr Dupres noted.

Contrary to previous years whereby each contestant thought up their individual projects, the group will be working together and collaborating to implement the project at the President’s Village amongst other activities such as painting school institutions.

The 11 contestants are 18-year-old A-Level student Nisha Belmont, 18-year-old Christasia Dodin, Stephie Rath, 22-year-old Jill Henri, 19-year-old Business Studies student Emilie Esparon, 23-year-old wedding photograph editor Karin Moncherry, 18-year-old part-time hairdresser Ellsa Marimba, 20-year-old Business Studies student Beverly Brioche, 22-year-old law enforcement officer Phillipa Philoé, Maresa Labonté and 24-year-old nursing student Velma Sinon.

Sharon Meriton Jean, a representative of NCC thanked Roundtable Seychelles for granting NCC as a beneficiary of this year’s event.

“I am very sure that our children appreciate your effort towards improving their lives, especially those who will stay with us on a temporary basis or all their lives until they reach the age of maturity. We are very grateful. I know the project will go a long way towards improving the lives of those who are living with us right now and those who will be joining us in future,” Mrs Meriton-Jean noted.

She concluded by wishing the contestants the best of luck and encouraging them to be role models to the young people around them and the children living at the President’s Village.

The ceremony concluded with a meet and greet with all the contestants and an open question session about their interests and views on the pageant experience and project.