Cadet Lauren Christensen from 263 Beacon Hill Royal Canadian Sea Cadet Corps in Langford heads to Kingston, Ont. this summer to compete in the National Sea Cadet Regatta, after placing in the 40th annual National Qualifying Regatta in Victoria earlier this month.
Crew member Christensen and skipper Kenneth Ellis from the 81 Hampton Grey VC sea cadet corps in Nelson finished third overall in a field of 20 teams from across the province.
The pair qualified for the event with their performances at the provincial qualifier last fall in Esquimalt.
The goal of the National Qualifying Regatta is to select the eight strongest cadet sailors to form the Pacific National Team for the national championships.
“I feel we have a strong team for the national regatta this year,” Lt. (N) Tracy Terry, water operations officer for the cadet program in B.C., said in a release.
“These top sailors have a drive to win, know the racing rules of sailing, are committed to practicing and can work together in a team environment to sail the boat fast in a variety of wind conditions.”
The three-day selection camp and regatta, held April 3 to 5, was conducted in partnership with the Royal Victoria Yacht Club, whose expert sailors offer on-the-water coaching as well as daily debriefs afterward for cadets and staff.