Bermuda Sailing Association (BSA) programme director Deb Gravelle (pictured above) has been named Sailor of the Week by the North American Yacht Racing Union (NAYRU).

Gravelle, whose passionate love affair with the sport has seen her compete in various classes over the years, is a certified US sailing instructor trainer and co-founder of Sail Sand Point (SSP) in Seattle where she created summer and after-school sailing programmes for youngsters, adults and the disabled.

Of her involvement in sailing in the US, the Colorado born sailor commented: "I feel very strongly about being able to bring our sport to everyone. Community sailing in the US has come a long way, the base is getting bigger and that can only be better for our sport."

SSP is a community small boat programme open to sailors of all ages while NAYRU's mandate is to provide leadership for the sport of sailing in the US through a wide range of programmes and events with the aim of providing an equal level playing field for all sailors.

Earlier this week Gravelle expressed fears that as many as 400 Bermuda youth sailors could feel the crunch after Government's decision to slash her association's annual grant by a massive $140,000.

The annual Budget was particularly harsh on the Sports Ministry which as a whole suffered a reduction of 11 percent from that put aside in the previous year.