The America’s Cup has invited more than 500 students to officially open the east end location of the America’s Cup Endeavour Community Sailing Program.
Endeavour, a community sailing program, aimed at youth who wouldn’t otherwise have the opportunity to sail, will officially launch on Thursday, October 15 in St. George’s. Dubbed “St. George’s Day”, events will include the official opening of the East Fort at the T.S. Admiral Somers Building, an Endeavour race on the RS Feva boats, a race in traditional Bermuda fitted dinghies between America’s Cup sailors and local sailors as well as a trophy presentation. Members of the community are invited to attend the events, which start at 12 noon.
Dignitaries who will be in attendance include senior members of Bermudian Government, the Mayor of St. George’s Quinell Francis, program partners, and America’s Cup sailors.
“St. George’s has a long, rich maritime history so we are very excited to have the first Endeavour fort in the east end of the Island,” says Mayor Francis. “Endeavour Day is going to be full of entertainment and we encourage the whole community to support this fantastic program.”
“Endeavour Day is a great opportunity for members of the public to come out and see what we have been working on for the past few months,” says Tom Herbert-Evans, Community Sailing Manager for the America’s Cup Event Authority (ACEA). “We are excited to officially open the East Fort and look forward to introducing more local children to the sport of sailing.”
Nearly 550 students between the ages of nine and 12 have been invited to celebrate this special event with a fun and entertaining afternoon. A highlight of the afternoon will be the fitted dinghy race, comprised of Endeavour student sailors competing alongside America’s Cup sailors from all six teams.
The public will be able to view the regatta from Ordnance Island and the T.S. Admiral Somers Building, with audio piped between the two venues. There will be a display of the Endeavour boats on Ordnance Island and an awards ceremony and an appearance by the America’s Cup trophy will cap off the day.
The open house at the T.S. Admiral Somers Building - home of the Bermuda Sea Cadet Corps - will continue until 6:00 pm and taster sessions will be available for any children interested in sailing the new Endeavour boats.
“The Endeavour Program is fully funded through 2017 and is focused on leaving a sporting legacy in Bermuda,” says Herbert-Evans. “We are excited to be able to provide a program in Bermuda where children can learn to sail without their parents making a financial commitment and thank our partners for their contributions.”
The America’s Cup Endeavour is open to students aged 9 to 12-years-old. A cross-curricular five-day program for 11 and 12-year-olds and an after-school program for 9 and 10-year-olds will provide the Island’s youth with an incredible opportunity to learn how to sail on four different types of boats: Optimist, RS Feva, Hobie Wave and O’Pen BIC.
Endeavour provides an avenue to success for youths across all backgrounds in Bermuda as they experience an interactive STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math) curriculum, water safety knowledge, and an opportunity to develop life skills through a second-to-none community sailing program.
They will also be exposed to science, technology, engineering, arts and math educational activities in an experiential classroom to improve their overall learning experience and foster their interest in pursuing STEAM career pathways in the future.
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