The annual CJ Buckley Memorial Regatta made its return to East Greenwich Bay earlier this week, hitting another milestone as this year’s event marked its 20th competition. 

CJ was a local competitive sailor for the Greenwich Bay Sailing Academy team and Tabor Academy. He was diagnosed with brain cancer two weeks after winning a regatta and two weeks prior to his 16th birthday. After a courageous 16-month battle, CJ passed away and would inspire his friends and family in the sailing community to band together to establish a regatta in his honor in the summer of 2003.

The original regatta featured 40 kids and 20 boats. Since then it has grown into one of the world’s largest and most recognized junior sailing events and serves as the Club 420 Association’s National Junior Team Race Championship.

This year’s pool included 175 sailors on 84 boats, with competitors coming from 18 US states as well as the Antilles and Canada. The regatta has now hosted over 3,000 sailors since its first year. 

“It is extremely special and we feel humbled by the number of people and the amount of support that we have gotten from both the GBSA and EGYC communities. Many of our volunteers have been here since the beginning and knew CJ. Others never knew CJ but they’ve heard the story and felt the camaraderie and community spirit and feel compelled to help. It’s amazing,” said CJ’s mother, Lucy. “It’s an incredible accomplishment and it’s a testimony to what we always say, ‘It’s not just a race.’ We try to stress team spirit, seamanship and camaraderie.”

As always, the event was run and organized by dozens of volunteers including CJ’s friends Justin and Kyle Assad, who have been at the forefront of the regatta since the first year.

“It is because of their vision, their leadership. That has made this regatta. It is their enthusiasm and dedication, and the dedicated volunteers every year, they’re the ones that make this possible,” said Lucy of the Assad brothers and various supporters.

“The important thing was that CJ was a friend of ours. It’s not a name on a trophy for us, it’s a person we’re trying to remember. That’s what this event is all about. We love to be able to celebrate a memory by playing a game that we all like,” said Justin. 

Also joining in the volunteer efforts this year was Dr. Dipak Panigrahy, who worked with CJ during the time of his illness and is currently stationed at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center. He and his team continue to research brain cancer in CJ’s memory and made the trip to lend a hand.

Panigrahy’s research has led to some important developments in recent years contributing to our understanding of factors that influence tumor growth and metastasis. His lab continues to develop strategies in cancer therapy and ways to combat tumor growth. 

The event once again awarded sailors with scholarships and offered the competitors an opportunity to network with high-end college coaches. These coaches officiated the race and represented schools including Dartmouth, Stanford and the Naval Academy. Sailors engaged in a meet and greet with these schools following the end of the race awards ceremony and banquet on Tuesday evening. 

What is most important, though, is the celebration of CJ’s passion for sailing and what it means to be a dedicated teammate as he was. Lucy was thrilled to host this event once again and is hoping that it continues to make a positive impact on young sailors for years to come.

“CJ went through intense chemotherapy, but it was his strength and determination to live his life to the fullest that energized and inspired his mates. That’s why they wanted to start this regatta back in August of 2003,” Lucy said. “It is always tough to think what could have been, we lost him to a devastating illness, but his courage is still influencing young people. If they come to this race, there’s a different pride. You’re thinking about friendship, you’re thinking about life.”

CJ’s father, Carter, echoed those sentiments as he honored his son and reminded the community of what sailing is truly all about.

“He never complained. His courage, his spirit, his determination energized his mates and everyone whose life he touched. This regatta reminds us of the fragility of life and the gift of enduring friendship,” said Carter. “As CJ would say, ‘Sailing is life - the rest is just details.’”

Winners of the regatta were the West Coast Best Coast team which took home 20 wins in the event. No Hesitation finished second while Men At Work took third and Anchor Yankers fourth. GBSA finished 24th overall.