EP#451 How Mighty Sparrow got Her Name
9 October 2026 · 28 min · 503 views
What this video covers
Jerome Rand explains why his Westsail 32 is named Mighty Sparrow, prompted by the death of the Calypso singer Mighty Sparrow at age 91.0:18 Rand traces the name to his time working at the Bitter End Yacht Club in the North Sound of Virgin Gorda, BVI, starting around November 2007.1:36 As a young sailing instructor placed in charge of the water sports centre, he struggled to build rapport with local captains who had worked there far longer than he had.4:38 Trips to a cluster of bars called The Bond in Gun Creek — Gunny's, Leroy's, Elmo's, Tupa's, and others — became the bridge.6:53 Rand brought a Bluetooth speaker loaded with Mighty Sparrow's Calypso music, and the shared enthusiasm for it dissolved workplace friction with crew members including Bernie, Michael, Terry, Javon, and others.13:26 When his Westsail 32 arrived bearing the name Sierno — which he hated — his friend and fellow captain Sam Talbot on Tortola pushed him toward Mighty Sparrow over his other candidate, Freight Train.18:11 The name is 80% tribute to the singer and 20% metaphor: a small sparrow making an outsized migration, mirroring his plan to sail the boat solo around the world nonstop.19:33
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