Caribbean sailors Luc Chevrier of St. Lucia, Just van Aanholt of Aruba, and Thad Lettsome of the British Virgin Islands gave it their all but, unfortunately, fell short of the medals as the men's dinghy sailing event finished with the medal race on Thursday at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

Chevrier finished 29^th in the competition, scoring 199 points and 163 net points while van Aanholt finished 33^rd with 217 total points and 178 net points.

Lettsome finished 38^th, with 255 total points and 215 net points.

Throughout the competition, these sailors displayed exceptional skill, determination, and sportsmanship, representing their countries with pride on the global stage.

In the women’s dinghy competition, Bermuda’s Adriana Penruddocke and the Cayman Islands’ Charlotte Webster gave strong efforts.

In race 9, Webster finished 37^th, while Penruddocke finished 42^nd. After the medal race, Penruddocke finished 36^th overall with 270 total points and 226 net points while Webster finished 41^st with 349 total points and 306 net points.

These women put out a valiant effort, and while they did not get the opportunity at medalling, their performances were admirable, showcasing their athletic ability and passion for the sport. 

St Lucia’s Luc Chevrier, Aruba’s Just Aanholt, and Thad Lettsome of the British Virgin Islands all redeemed themselves in races three and four of the men's dinghy event at the Marseille Marina – Frioul on Friday.

The standout performance came from Lettsome, who secured an impressive second place in race four. He started strong and led at mark 1, but slipped to third at mark three before inching up to second at mark 4, where he stayed until the end.

Lettsome finished just behind Croatia's Filip Jurisic. Aanholt and Chevrier placed 24th and 25th, respectively.

Race three saw Chevrier deliver the best performance among the trio, as he placed 19th, while Aanholt and Lettsome were 25th and 36th, respectively.

The overall standings reflect improvements for the Caribbean trio, with Chevrier now ranked 31st, Aanholt 33rd, and Lettsome 34th. All three sailors have advanced from their former positions after the first two races, demonstrating their determination and competence.

Bermuda’s Penruddocke, Cayman Islands’ Webster represent the Caribbean in women’s dinghy

Bermuda’s Adriana Penruddocke had a great start in the women’s dinghy event, finishing 14th in race one at the Marseille Marina – Frioul.

Meanwhile, Cayman Islands’ Charlotte Webster finished 41st in the same race.

Both sailors struggled in Race 2, with Penruddocke finishing 35th and Webster 40th. Penruddocke, on the other hand, redeemed herself in race three, finishing 26th, while Webster was 39th.

After three races, Penruddocke is 26th overall with 40 points, and Webster is 41st with 79 points.

Penruddocke, 24, secured her spot in Paris 2024 with a sixth-place result at the 2023 Pan American Games.

Webster, 20, qualified by finishing 12th in the ILCA 6 at the same games, becoming the third woman sailor from Cayman Islands to represent the country at an Olympic Games.

As the competition progresses and the upcoming races begin, the spotlight will be on these Caribbean competitors as they work to improve their place in the sport.

The Bermuda Olympic Association (BOA) announced Monday an 11-member squad representing five sports for the Pan American Games in Chile starting later this month.

Swimming has the biggest unit of four, siblings Emma Harvey and Jack Harvey, Madelyn Moore and Sam Williamson. This past summer’s Central American and Caribbean (CAC) Games 1500-metre bronze medallist Dage Minors is the sole representative for the island in track and field.

The squad for the October 20 to November 6 event, is completed by cyclists Conor White and Kaden Hopkins, Campbell Patton and Adriana Penruddocke in sailing, and triathletes Erica Hawley and Tyler Smith.

Julia Hawley, Bermuda’s chef de mission for the Games is looking forward to the final push for the event.

“I’m thrilled to be leading our Bermuda Team,” she said.

“Our team is small, but our athletes have had to attain very difficult standards in order to qualify and compete at these Games. There are Olympic points, Olympic time standards and even Olympic spots at all the events our athletes have qualified for.

“They will do Bermuda proud on the world stage and I will do everything as Chef to ensure their journey to the Games, and at the Games, is as smooth as possible and they are able to focus only on their competitions,” Hawley added.