Luke Arai, a year 10 boarder at Bearwood College, is delighted to have won first price in his class circumnavigating the Isle of Wight in the Island Sailing Club's Round the Island yacht race.
Luke battled some treacherous conditions in his 'Panther' overcoming windspeeds of up to 28 knots and facing some serious swells around the Needles and at St Catherine's.
His prize, a beautiful silver tray, is a testament to his skill and determination in one of the largest yacht races in the world. Luke was one of over 16,000 sailors taking part in the event which involved a record-breaking 1,900 yachts.
Sponsored by JP Morgan Asset Management, the event was established in 1931 and has grown in popularity over the years to celebrate its 80th anniversary in 2011. Sailors from professional yachtsmen to novices participate in the competition which covers 50 nautical miles. The craft leave Cowes at 6am and travel in a westerley direction around the Island returning to Cowes.
Bearwood College has a 50 acre lake on campus and we encourage our scholars to participate in a wide variety of water sports, including sailing, kayaking, swimming, water polo and hovercrafting, through our extensive extra-curricular programme.