Yacht Racing in Trinidad on a national scale began officially in 1950, with the formation of the Trinidad Yacht Racing Association. This Association controlled yacht racing in the San Fernando Yacht Club and Point-a-Pierre Yacht Club.
In 1964 the name was changed to the Trinidad Yachting Association, and the objectives were as follows:-
- To encourage and promote sailing by amateurs
- To organise yacht racing in Trinidad and Tobago
- To organise international and inter-island yacht racing
On Independence Day, 1972, the Trinidad Yachting Association reached a milestone in its development by staging a race from its new headquarters at Chaguaramas. We then had the opportunity to carry out fully, the aims of the association, and to develop in a meaningful manner, for the benefit of the community.
This Organisation, with the help of members and many friends, diligently organised, prepared, and transformed the area into the permanent headquarters of the Trinidad Yachting Association. On 2nd October 1975, the Association was incorporated by an Act in Parliament, No. 44, as a non-profit Sporting Organisation called the Trinidad and Tobago Yachting Association. Under this umbrella you will find the youth school, which started almost immediately with the importation of Canadian Instructors every summer for eight weeks, training the young and not so young to sail.
Thanks to the use of our Members boats we were able to successfully train quite a number of new sailors, and this then evolved into Trinidad and Tobago Sailing School. , which is now in full gear to encourage sailing. The Youth School has even branched out in Tobago and Point-a-Pierre…
Since 1982, we began hosting what became known as “Tobago Race Week” held at Turtle Beach, Tobago. As this event got popular, Angostura showed interest in becoming a sponsor and in 1988 it was renamed the “Angostura Race Week” with Angostura Limited as our major sponsor.
With the need for International coverage and exposure, the popular magazine Yachting World joined our team in 1994 and the name changed to “Angostura Yachting World Regatta”. The Angostura Yachting World Regatta, held in Crown Point, Tobago, has been progressively successful throughout the years and was rated as an International Regatta. The Regatta was officially known as the “Angostura Tobago Sail Week”.
We have always had an active racing season, which usually starts at the end of the rainy season, and runs through till the end of the dry season of the next year. We have a total of 14 to 16 races and each race day is sponsored by a different company/person. Within these we have three Memorial Races, as well as General Handicap Races, when all types of boats can take part.
As we progress we plan to get more people involved, as we aim to encourage, teach, and assist anyone interested in Sailing and its associated skills. We hope that in the not too distant future many more of our population will utilise our surrounding waters for the pleasures of sailing.
TTSA-Trinidad & Tobago Sailing Association
Incorporated by an Act of Parliament in 1975 as Trinidad & Tobago Yachting Association
