Local Sea Scouts win prestigious Aggie Cup regatta

(HEATH, TX — October 9, 2017) Skipper Andrew Vandling along with his crew Isaac Barkley won the coveted Aggie Cup over the weekend of Sept. 23 down at the Sea Star Base in Galveston, Texas. The duo represents Rockwall’s Sea Scout Ship 1000 and Rush Creek Yacht Club in Heath.

The Aggie Cup is one of over 11 qualifying regattas in the United States that Sea Scouts compete in to earn a spot in the Prestigious William I. Koch International Sea Scout Cup that will feature one full week of sailing competition on sailboats crewed by two-person teams from July 8 through July 13, 2018 in Galveston, Texas.

Approximately 40 teams of Sea Scouts from the world over will be selected to travel to Galveston, Texas to compete in the 2018 Koch Cup. The last Koch Cup was held in 2016 in Long Beach, CA and consisted of Sea Scouts from the United States, Australia, Brazil, Finland, Germany, Ireland, New Zealand, Norway, Poland and South Africa. The team from New Zealand won the 2016 Koch Cup.

Andrew was born and raised in Rockwall/Heath, is currently in the tenth grade at Rockwall-Heath High School and is the Junior Commodore at Rush Creek Yacht Club. Isaac’s family has generations from the Rockwall area and is currently in the eighth grade at Maurine Cain Middle School. Both boys actively compete in sailing throughout Texas year-round and are on the race team at Rush Creek Yacht Club. They enjoy being part of the Sea Scout Ship 1000 and are looking forward to competing in the Koch Cup in 2018!