SAILING to her first major win with father Rudy Bailey during Monday's 58th Annual Long Distance Comet Race, 16-year-old Danielle is now hungry for more success.

Tired after enduring a long, and for the most part uneventful race in unfavourably light winds, the teenager said that she wants to make a name for herself, but with only one minor adjustment - winning with her seven-time champion father as crew.

Danielle has been involved in Comet sailing for the past seven years, making her debut in the annual long distance race in 1998. She is also currently a senior student at CedarBridge Academy and plans to attend college in September.

The pair are also the first father/daughter combination to win the coveted title.

Byron McCallan's Shogun came in second, with Romano Ramirez's Hot Tamali placing third in Monday's race which concluded just off the shores amid the carnival atmosphere at the West End Sailboat Club.

"I want to follow in my father's footsteps," Danielle said. "I would also like to represent the Island on the international scene in the future, but one of my main goals is to win the long distance race with my father as my crew."

To father Rudy, it comes as no surprise that his daughter wants to aspire in the sport, although he openly admits that he didn't "shove" it (sailing) down her throat.

"That was always my intention," said the seven-time winner, Rudy. "If things had gone according to the original plan the year (1998) that we came in second sailing up to Somerset she would have already been at the helm.

"But she will still win this race as a skipper," Rudy boldly predicted.

For the moment, however, Rudy says that an education is more important than sailing, with daughter Danielle currently contemplating which college she hopes to attend. Danielle is the Bailey's only child.

"She has more enthusiasm than some of the crew that I have had in the past. She has no hesitation to hang over the side of the boat in small-craft conditions - and stay there. It's just unbelievable! Danielle is always willing to work very hard for the cause and she's going to be a good skipper one day.

"I am quite sure that I can do the exact same thing as Stevie (Dickinson) did with Heath (Foggo) because he didn't win the race (last year's race) .... Stevie actually won the race.

"But like I previously stated, that was always my intention."

Now having successfully wrestled the coveted title from his counterparts at the East End Yacht Club, Rudy Bailey concluded that he now wants to reel in Stevie Dickinson's record for the most wins (12).

"I want to get closer to the record right now. I still have at least ten more years of racing left in me. So there is still plenty of time to reach that goal."