Sadly, Valentine’s Day Cup 2021 Cancelled

PRESS RELEASE: – (February 3, 2021) – It is with a heavy heart that the Valentine’s Day Cup committee decided to officially cancel the annual model sailboat race day event planned for February 13th, 2021. The necessary restrictions in place to control the Covid pandemic and keep folk safe preclude a gathering of any size – even on the beach.

Acceptance of the way our lives have drastically changed to make sure this pandemic gets under control is a bitter medicine but very important!

Instead of one great big race day of fun we will be active every month of 2021 in some way!! The good news is that we are getting more community member involved with our small events: sea trails, repair workshops, school projects and boat building. Being sure to respect the current regulations we held a boat building workshop in November, a repair workshop in December and sea trials on the beach in early January. Hopefully we can run another set of sea trials in late February if regulations allow.

School project set to roll – Combining our efforts with the Department of Culture, the VDC organization will continue the school projects begun last year at several high schools. Eighteen new boats are underway and in various stages of completion. EIGHTEEN NEW BOATS!! If you are interested in joining this project in some way please email vdccordinator@gmail.com. Volunteers and sponsor are always welcome!!

Boathouse workshops continue – The Boathouse in Conch Bar is home to the 25 model sailboats of the VDC fleet, and it has become a great workplace. With strict attention to Covid safety regulations volunteers come, alone or with their bubblemates, and slowly the fleet is being repaired and refreshed. Tending to the fleet is a major activity to make sure they are ready to race! New sails, new rudders and tillers, new weatherboards, new rigging, hull work, and painting are all chores taken on by volunteers. Please do contact us at vdccordinator@gmail.com if you want to help!!

VDC Facebook page – www.facebook.com/Valentines-Day-Cup. To keep you engaged with the VDC we are posting a monthly article on our Facebook page! Updates will include interviews with sailors and boat builders sharing their stories and love of the model sailboats. For February we feature an interview with Pastor Gold Williams to showcase his amazing talent for boat building of all sizes and his passion for preserving TCI sailing culture. In March read about Captain Heather, winner of many VDC race events, captain of her own 60 ft sloop where she lives all summer in Canada and leader of the repair workshops when she is at her home on North Caicos each winter. In April we will feature Albert Higgs, local boat builder extraordinaire – builder of full size Caicos sloops, hand carved model sailboats and the beautiful gaff rigged model boats in the fleet. If you want to send us your story and pix, please do, vdccordinator@gmail.com!!