Sailors target $.75m for cancer

They are Merlin (Cruiser II Class); Sea Moss (Cruiser I) and Super Goose (Racing). However they are expected to receive strong competition over the two days of racing to hold on to their hard-earned laurels.

Jerome McQuilkin, president of the Trindad and Tobago Sailing Association said at a media briefing last week that the organising committee has designed new short courses which are expected to test the skills of the sailors like never before.

“A lot of fun is expected and I want to appeal to the public to come out and see the races.

It’s a unique event and the contribution of the public can’t be understated,” said McQuilkin.

Also present at the briefing held at the Home Mortgage Bank, 14th Floor Central Bank Tower in Port-of-Spain were Calder Hart, chairman Cancer Benefit Regatta; Dr George Laquis, president of the Cancer Society of Trinidad and Tobago; and Sebina Pouthier, Co-Ordinator of the event.

So too was Sonja S Rajnauth, Personal Assistant to Hart who is lending invaluable assistance to the Cancer Benefit Regatta and the Silent Art Auction. McQuilkin said that competition will be in four classes this year with the addition of the Navigator Class and two races per class will be staged depending on the sailing conditions over the weekend.

He said he was proud to be associated with the Cancer Benefit Regatta as it holds a special place in his heart combining the sailing community and a host of talented artistes in a concerted effort for a worthy cause.

Hart, who is also chairman of the Urban Development Company of Trinidad and Tobago (UDECOTT) said that since the Cancer Benefit Regatta was first staged in 2000, the effort has raised more than one million dollars for the fight against cancer.

And in collaboration with the Silent Art Auction — an integral part of the event and the only one of it’s kind in the Caribbean — the Cancer Benefit Regatta seeks this year to purchase a High Resolution Ultrasound Unit costing $750,000.

Hart said that in 2004, the Cancer Society received a state-of-the-art Colposcopy Unit used for the further detection and treatment of cervical cancer.

And last year a mobile mammography unit or “Mam-O-Med” was provided for the screening to detect early breast cancer in women in all walks of life, but primarily in the rural areas of Trinidad and Tobago.

Hart said that the objective this year is the High Resolution Ultrasound Machine which will be used for breast ultrasound including ultrasound-guided biopsies, prostate ultrasound and biopsies, abdominal ultrasound and endo-vaginal ultrasound for further assessment of patients with cervical or ovarian cancer.

“The acquisition of this much needed equipment is only possible with the generous support of many entities and individuals alike and the Cancer Benefit regatta committee wishes to express its heartfelt gratitude to all those who have helped to reach these objectives which impact greatly on the citizens of this country,” Hart said.

Dr Laquis, who heads the Cancer Society outlined the dire straits that women especially face in their fight against cancer with the main factor being the inordinately high cost of treatment.

He said that with the present state of the health care delivery system, it was especially important for the success of the effort of the Sailing Association to provide valuable and much needed equipment.

“There is a serious breast cancer problem in Trinidad and Tobago and the statistics would show that the disease ranked first between the years 1995 to 1999 in terms of mortality,” said Dr Laquis. He said although breast cancer is a disease of increasing age, in Trinidad and Tobago women as young as 25 have been detected with the disease.

And in an effort to promote early detection, the year 2006 has been deemed ‘The Year of the Breast’ when the Cancer Society’s Mobile United will be specifically deployed to go out into the communities to screen women. The equipment he said is a vital tool in early detection which can assist greatly in “closing the loop” in cancer prevention, detection and treatment.

Co-ordinator Pouthier said that the third Silent Art Auction will be staged at the Trinidad and Tobago Sailing Association at Chaguaramas on Saturday, April 9 from 1 pm to 4.30 pm.

She stressed that as the name implies bidding will be done silently by writing and that more than 40 artists have already contributed works of art to be auctioned off to aid the Cancer Society.’

“The idea of a Silent Art Auction was the brilliant idea of Judy Grimshaw to combine sailing and art as both disclipines involve extreme emotions and its participants could pull off a great lime,” she said.

Also present at the launch were two of the extremely talented artists who have contributed their finest works to the Sailing Association effort.

Wulf Gerstemaier, an Austrian has offered a still life watercolour depicting local fruits which is strikingly realistic and calls attention to an expressionist style with the shape and colour of the fruits set in monochrome.

Last year Gerstemaier won two tickets for an all-inclusive cruise in a special prize awarded to a lucky member of the artistic community contributing to the Silent Art Auction.

“We will once again be rewarding the artists who will be in line to collect two tickets from BWIA for their participation this year,” said Pouthier.

The other gifted artist showing off her work of art at last week’s media briefing was Marion Mouget who will give up her prized mosaic, a meticulously crafted mural which is certain to command a huge price.

Among the other artists whose work will be auctioned off are Helen Drayton, Jackie Hinkson, Joan Kenny, Pierre La Borde, Lisa O’Connor, Larry Mosca, Dr Edward Salter and Peter Sheppard.

And the main sponsors are Budget Marine, Mount Gay Rum, Boaters Enterprise Limited, BWIA West Indies Airways, Famous Grouse Scotch Whisky, Vintage Imports Limited Wine Merchants, The Mortgage Bank, Solimar International Fine Food, New Zealand Mainland Cheese, Kariwak Village of Crown Point, Tobago; Peake, Scrip, Bryden’s, GA Farrell and Associates, Gregory Scott 3D, Horizon Frame and Decor Limited, Kairi Blooms, More Vino, Party Events and Company Limited, The International School of Port-of-Spain.