Isle of Man dad and daughter ‘rooting for each other’ at games

A dad and daughter representing the Isle of Man in different sailing classes at the Island Games have said they will be “rooting for each other” from the shoreline.

Jason and Lettie Hyett, from Peel, are part of the team travelling for the competition, which has its opening ceremony on Saturday in Orkney.

Each competing in 10 races across the week, Jason is in the running for the ILCA 7 title and Lettie will represent the island in the ILCA 6 category.

Jason said he was “super proud” of his daughter, who was “putting me to shame with her training”.

He said sailing separately meant that they were “much more supportive of each other”.

“If we were in the same race, it would be very competitive,” he said.

“She’s a much better sailor than me, I’m glad I’m not up against her.”

Jason is on the team sheet for the second time, having competed in Guernsey in 2023 with his eldest daughter Elsie.

He said it was a “real privilege to represent the island” and “a lovely experience” to share it with his daughters.

The pair make up half of the four-strong sailing team set to fly the Manx flag in the contest, alongside Teddy Dunn and Bob Love.

As Lettie is 15, it means there is a 50-year age span between the outfit’s youngest and oldest competitors.

She said since making the team for the first time she had tapped into the years of experience on hand and had “tried to be a bit more curious, ask more questions and learn as much as I can”.

She said: “The focus for me is to just go out and work my hardest. And if I feel like I can come off the water feeling like I’ve done my best, then I’ll be very happy.”

She was “really excited” to have such a “rare opportunity” to represent the Isle of Man alongside her dad in the sport they both loved, she continued.

“It will be really fun learning with each other and having fun together in a way that we don’t usually have an opportunity to,” she added.

The 2025 Island Games run until 18 July.

The Manx team of 153 athletes is set to feature in 11 of the 12 disciplines, making it the third largest contingent behind the hosts and the Shetland Islands.