Five Thomians in national team for the International Optimist Sailing Regatta 2016

Front row (from left): Zai Pestonjee, Haresh Goonawardena, Jehan De Silva; back row (from left): Akil Ismail, Jordon Bolling

Sri Lanka has been given the honour of hosting the IODA Asian and Oceanic Optimist Championship. It will be held in Trincomalee from 29 May to 5 June. 120 sailors from 29 countries will be seen in action this year.

Five sailors from S. Thomas’ College, Mount Lavinia will be part of the 10-member national team which includes seven boys and three girls.

S. Thomas’ College started sailing a mere two years ago and was the first school or group to promote sea sailing. With the unstinted support of the Warden of S. Thomas’ College, Mount Lavinia, as well as the well-known sailor Jeremy Bolling, the school was able to conduct training camps in Mirissa on a regular basis.

The Thomian sailors have achieved many wins and placings, organised under the patronage of the Yachting Association of Sri Lanka (YASL) and their affiliated clubs, which include winning both the Royal Thomian ties since both schools introduced sailing as a sport. The students representing Sri Lanka in alphabetical order are – Jordon Bolling, Jehan De Silva, Haresh Goonawardena, Akil Ismail, and Zai Pestonjee.