Another Orange Bowl International Youth Regatta is in the books! As with every year, the Magnus Liljedahl Sportsmanship Award is handed out at the conclusion of the regatta. Sailors are nominated for this award by demonstrating courage, respect, integrity, kindness, good judgment, responsibility and self-discipline.
This year’s trophy was awarded to the very deserving sailor, Oliver von Peterffy, who embodies all these attributes. Here is the story as told by the Green Fleet PRO, Tom McCormick:
“During the race sequence, one of the youngest and least experienced ‘greenies’ lost his rudder. It fell out of the brackets and he was unable to get it back into the brackets due to the wind and chop on the water. His boat was driving away, and he was scared! Oliver saw the struggling sailor and without hesitation dove in the water, swam over to help fix the rudder and soothed the young novice. Oliver gave up his time preparing to race in order to render aid to a stranger from another club.”
Way to go Oliver! Thank you for demonstrating true sportsmanship, one of the fundamentals of sailboat racing.