Rayne Duff

Rayne Duff is 12 years old and currently attends Cedar International School. The youth sailor competes in regattas locally and internationally in a seven-foot Optimist for the Royal BVI Yacht Club.

 

How did you get into sailing?

My dad and family sailed a lot. My dad wanted me to get into sailing, so he taught me on his boat. I then started going to a small sailing programme in Annapolis. When I moved here, I started sailing competitively and trained with other coaches.

Rayne Duff
What are your goals in sailing?

 In the Opti, someday I want to place in the top 10 at Optimist Worlds. I have three more chances to try. Overall, I want to win the Olympics in sailing. I still haven’t chosen what boat yet.

Have you competed at Worlds before?

Yes. I did this year. It was my first time. I got 87th out of 217. It was my first Worlds, so I didn’t know what to expect. I was kind of shocked to see how good the other people were. It was a lot harder than I thought it would be, but it was a great learning experience.

What achievement or regatta performance are you most proud of?

I am proud of my 15th-place finish at the North American Championships. That was a really good regatta for me. It was in Mexico.

Sailing requires a lot of practice and traveling. How do you manage to juggle school work and sailing?

I just tell my teacher that I am going to be away at a regatta and she gives me work to do.

When you are not sailing, what do like to do? Any other sports?

I do a little bit of model airplane building, but not much. And I do paddle boarding.

What advice would you give anyone who wants to get into sailing?

I would say that it is really unlikeable at first, but once you get the hang of it, it can be really, really fun to handle a boat.

How much time do you spend sailing during an average week?

Normally, I spend three to four days a week.

Who is your hero?

I look up to Alec Anderson and Chris Brockbank. Also, Jimmy Spithill, the captain of Oracle.

How many regattas do you compete in throughout the year?

I compete in about 20 regattas a year, on and off island. But it always gets higher each year.

What is the biggest challenge that you face as a youth sailor?

Probably balancing school and sailing.

If you could change anything about sailing in the Virgin Islands to make it better, what would it be?

I would want more people sailing in the BVI, so I could train more with big fleets. Right now, we don’t have a lot of kids — only about five or seven. I practise with them, but it would be better to have a lot more, so I can train for the big fleets when I go away to compete in other regattas.

Interview conducted, condensed and edited by Todd VanSickle.

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