Last week the Virgin Islands America’s Cup Challenge Foundation sponsored the Hampton University Sailing Team’s training trip to St. Croix. The Hampton team is the only minority sailing team in the country.
The VIACF sponsored the training trip for several reasons:
1. To assist the team in its competitive standing.
2. To showcase the country's only minority sailing team.
3. To encourage Virgin Islanders to sail.
4. To open the eyes of our youth as to other sporting opportunities beyond the traditional sports of basketball, baseball and football as avenues to college.
5. To promote the peer interaction amongst UVI and Hampton.
The trip was so successful that the coach is talking about making it an annual event.
The training trip could not have been successful without the tireless efforts of numerous people and organizations. I want to take this opportunity to thank the University of the Virgin Islands for hosting the team in their dorms, the St. Croix Yacht Club for providing the boats and training facilities, the Hampton alumni for entertaining and caring for the team, and all of St.Croix for their gracious hospitality.
I hope the trip will help stimulate the youth and adults of our islands to take a fresh look at the opportunities available from the sea. One must act to achieve things in life, not merely sit back and watch or wait or worse yet throw stones.
It is my goal to raise money to establish a UVI sailing team to compete nationally and to expand the presence of minorities in a traditionally "white" sport.
Thank you, St. Croix, for your efforts in hosting Hampton’s sailing team.
Michael Bornn
President, VIACF
St. Thomas