Two sailors from the Comox Valley have won silver medals at a provincial competition.
15-year-olds Anna Reimer and Vera Nodwell recently took part in the BC Circuit regatta in April, a competition for sailors of all ages, where they managed to win silver.
Nodwell and Reimer say while the atmosphere of the event was fun, it was also competitive.
“There was definitely that pull, and the sailing community is always very connected and we help each other out,” said Nodwell.
“We were kind of adopted almost by another team because our coach was busy with our other boat, so we were allowed to take part in the other teams traditions.”
They said the other team would give them tips, tell them what they can do to improve, and were supportive of them.
The girls would go over everything two nights a week, where in the lead-up to the regatta they checked the weather forecast, what the currents looked like, and when the wind would shift.
“That amounts to 8 hours of training per week,” said Reimer. “It definitely doesn’t sound like a lot, but we have really great coaches, very one on one, and they will give us very refined tips.”
They used boat class Club 420 for the competition, which saw strong winds on the first day, followed by moderate ones on the second day.
Nodwell adds winning silver was exhilarating for them.
“As we would cross the finish line, we didn’t say a word, and as soon as we crossed it and heard that beep, it was a very joyful moment,” said Nodwell.
“It wasn’t really something we fully expected because we were fairly new, so when we heard our names get called it was really amazing.”
They say that they are happy where they are right now, and thank their coaches and everyone who helped them along the way.
