THREE Jersey sailors make the trip to the Jeux des Iles in Guadaloupe next week and will be based in Le Gosier, the main tourist town on Grande-Terre, with George Moisan and Elizabeth Ellison competing in their first games and Laurence Carter making his second appearance having placed 24th in Corsica.
All three have been training in a Channel Islands squad over the winter while Carter has also been involved in the Royal Yacht Association’s south regional squad and finished 12th in the inter-regional Eric Twiname Championship.
Ian Moisan will be in charge of the team while experienced sailor David Carter also makes the trip, as Jersey’s deputy team manager.
‘Unfortunately there will not be a second girl for Jersey this year – the age band is relatively narrow and we didn’t feel we had anyone else to send,’ explained Carter. ‘The competition is of a pretty reasonable standard and it wouldn’t be right to take someone for the sake of it.
‘Next year we have some other youngsters coming through – it’s just the way it’s fallen this year with one of the girls only one month too old to compete. The team we have selected is a good one but what we’ve found in the past is that the medal winners tend to be of a World or European Championship qualifying standard so we are not there but we will go out and get some good results.
‘Conditions in Guadeloupe are set to be windy which is good for us, and certainly for the boys. In previous years it’s been in light winds and I think we will enjoy a breeze and will do well in that.’
