Dear Sir,

Is it time to drop cricket as a national sport and support sailing instead? Not only has the performance of our national cricketers been poor, but one has to wonder about the competence of its administrators when a substantial majority of the team are forced to miss overseas flights because they have not applied for visas for their destination country. Our taxpayer dollars are being squandered.

Compare this with our youth sailors, who are punching above their weight at every international regatta they attend, and look at the success of the sole remaining America’s Cup legacy — the Endeavour programme and what it is doing to empower so many young Bermudians to acquire skills and attain qualifications that they could only aspire to previously.

The recognition of sailing as a national sport in Bermuda is long overdue. The Bahamas have done it: have they ever had a sailor win the Youth Worlds? I don’t think so! Do they host world-class sailing events that bring in millions of dollars to the local economy? Not like Bermuda, they don’t, but they can see the sense for a maritime nation to support local sailing. Sad that our government cannot.

ELSPETH WEISBERG

Warwick