The Cayman Islands Sailing Club has named the two athletes who will compete at the 54th edition of the Youth Sailing World Championships in Vilamoura, Portugal.
Ciara Murphy and Lyndon Pickering will join hundreds of youth sailors from across the world at the event, which kicks off 12 Dec. This marks Murphy’s third appearance at the championships and Pickering’s debut.
The Youth Worlds is a highly regarded international sailing event that follows a format similar to the Olympics, meaning all sailors compete equally over the full range of events. Sailors will compete across a total of 11 races in male, female and mixed categories.
Launched in 1971 with participants from only 16 nations, the event has since grown into a massive undertaking, hosting over 400 sailors from 70 countries in 2024.
Murphy and Pickering, reflecting on their sailing journeys said, “We’ve literally grown up on the water since we were babies, so being here now feels pretty unreal. Sailing has taken us to new countries, given us friends everywhere and helped us push each other every step of the way.
“It’s even cooler that we get to do this together, studying, travelling and now racing on the world stage side by side. We’re proud to represent Cayman and we definitely can’t wait for Portugal.”
British ILCA Open
The announcement naming Murphy and Pickering comes on the heels of the British ILCA Open where Caymanian sailor Charlotte Webster OLY joined the pair in Weymouth, UK from 18-19 Oct.
Competitors battled intense winds on the first day, before Sunday’s racing was cancelled entirely due to the extreme weather.
Despite the conditions, Webster, Cayman’s Olympic ILCA6 (Laser Radial) sailor, finished eighth overall female and 15th in the fleet.
Pickering showed resilience despite several capsizes in the ILCA6 class, securing a competitive mid-fleet finish while Murphy secured a 13th female and fourth under-19 result in the ILCA class.
Pickering and Murphy are attending the Royal Hospital School in the UK on a sailing scholarship.
National sailing coach Raph Harvey, who will lead the Cayman team in Portugal, reflected on the British Open, praising the trio’s unwavering determination and deep connection to their heritage.
“[All three sailors] showed tremendous grit in really tough conditions. What makes it even more remarkable is the family story – cousins racing together, from families that have lived Cayman’s maritime tradition for generations. They are carrying forward not only their own ambitions, but the sailing heritage of our islands,” he said.
