JOAN SIMMONS (R) presenting the award to Kai Marks Dasent
Sports
December 12, 2025
Kai Marks Dasent was the recipient of the 2025 Sylvester Simmons Foundation Young Sailor of the Year award for the second consecutive year.
Marks-Dasent was presented with the award last Saturday, December 6, at a Ceremony held at D Reef on Bequia.
The award highlighted an exceptional year defined by athletic excellence, service, and leadership, qualities that lie at the heart of the Foundation’s mission.
During 2025 Marks-Dasent represented St.Vincent and the Grenadines at major regional and international regattas, including at the Barbados Youth Sailing Week, the Antigua ILCA Open, the UK ILCA Nationals, and the Caribbean Dinghy Championships in Antigua, doing so with distinction.
However, it was his humanitarian service that highlighted his year, as he used his sailing skills to raise funds to cover the full cost of CSEC exam fees for 15 students at the Union Island Secondary School, still recovering from Hurricane Beryl. A 42-mile solo journey from St.Vincent to Union Island, in his 12-foot ILCA dinghy was his way showing solidarity to the people of the Southern Grenadines.
In October, 2025, Marks-Dasent received further national recognition when he was awarded the Prime Ministerial Youth Sailor of the Year Award.
The Sylvester Simmons Foundation (SSF), was established to continue the legacy of Sylvester “Pepe” Simmons of Lower Bay, Bequia, a man remembered for his kindness, generosity, and lifelong dedication to supporting young people across the Grenadines.
