The Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association (ICSA) in June named Thomas Barrows, from St. Thomas, USVI, a graduating senior from Yale University, as the 2010 ICSA College Sailor of the Year.
Barrows (for the fourth time) and two fellow-St. Thomas sailors, Taylor Canfield, Boston College class of 2011 and Cy Thompson, Roger Williams class of 2011, were named to the 2009/2010 ICSA All-America Sailing Team. Their names will be added to the permanent ICSA Hall of Fame display located in the Robert Crown Sailing Center at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland.
"I never expected it to tell you the truth," Barrow said about the award. "It was … more about winning as a team." Barrows grew up in St. Thomas and learned to sail through the junior program at St. Thomas Yacht Club. Since his arrival at Yale in 2006 Barrows has been a key player and was named Team Captain in 2008 and 2009. He won the 2007 Laser North American Championship and competed at the 2007 Pan American Games in Brazil, placing ninth overall. He represented the US Virgin Islands in China at the 2008 Olympic Games, finishing 21st out of 43 competing nations in the Laser class.
Barrows majored in Sociology and thinks he may become a professional sailor in the future. His immediate plans are to represent the USVI again in the Laser, this time at the 2010 Olympic Games. With that goal in mind, this summer he is competing in the XXI Central American and Caribbean Sports Games in Puerto Rico, followed by Skandia Sail for Gold and the Laser World Championships, both in England. In the fall, he will return to New Haven as an assistant coach for the Bulldogs.
Report and photo submitted by the Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association
