Eseta lands sponsorship

National optimist sailing champion Eseta Ailaouamaua will represent the Cook Islands at the World Optimists Championships in Napier soon and her journey has been made smoother thanks to the sponsorship of Maritime Cook Islands.

The 13-year-old champion sailor from the Rarotonga Sailing Club took out the national optimist champions title in April this year after a 2-day optimist regatta in Aitutaki.

She has since been chosen as one of a team of 5 and the only girl to represent the Cook Islands at the world event.

Eseta attended the Maritime Cook Islands Office recently to meet CEO Glenn Armstrong and to receive a cheque covering her travel and expenses for competing in the event, together with a Cook Islands Yacht Squadron shirt, cap and burgee.

Maritime Cook Islands is a vehicle by which yachts can register in the Cook Islands, explains Armstrong.

125 yachts are currently registered, including super-yachts. From the membership fees we are able to sponsor worthy causes and we believe Eseta shows great potential as a young Cook Islands sailor.

Eseta has been sailing optimist craft for 5 years and she is looking forward to the World Championship, to be held over the Christmas and New Year period. She thanked Maritime Cook Islands for its generous assistance.

Eseta will be one of more than 200 of the worlds most talented young sailors in the opti world regatta, which is being held in the Southern Hemisphere for the first time in many years.