RenaissanceRe Junior Gold Cup Gets Underway
Sailors competing in the RenaissanceRe Junior Gold Cup were given a special hello from the three America’s Cup teams practicing in the Great Sound on Wednesday [Oct 26].
After the first day of racing – which saw winds increase to around 18 knots by the fourth and final race – Bermudian Ahzai Smith, age 12, said he and the other Optimist sailors were treated to an up-close and personal look at the flying AC45’s of teams Softbank Team Japan, Artemis, and Oracle Team USA.
“It was cool. We got to go really close to them and give them high fives,” said Smith, who finished the day in 9th place as the top Bermudian sailor.
Salt caked across his face, the water-weary Smith was excited to get a good look at the boats he some day hopes to be competing in.
“I’m gonna try for the Bermuda Red Bull Youth team,” he said. “I’m gonna try. It’s going to be tough competition.”
While the competition for Bermuda’s premier youth sailing team will be undoubtedly difficult, Smith will be in good stead after racing alongside some of the world’s top sailing talent in the Junior Gold Cup this year.”
“It trains us to get better when we go overseas, to race them in their countries,” he added.
The Junior Gold Cup has always emphasized the importance of including girls in the regatta, as sailing is just one of the few sports in which women compete equally with men in competition, and 13-year-old Mia Nicolosi gave proof to that parity, finishing atop the leaderboard at the end of the day’s racing.
“I liked it a lot at the beginning when it was kind of light,” said Nicolosi, who arrived in Bermuda earlier this week from St. Thomas in the US Virgin Islands. “It got really windy though towards the end of the day. It felt like 20 knots.”
As one of the top female talents in youth sailing today, Nicolosi will be opting out of her final year in the Optimist in order to gain experience sailing 29ers and NACRAs. Although unaware she was in first place after the day’s racing, Nicolosi wasn’t exactly impressed with her finishes of first, second, third and fourth.”
“I could always do better,” she said.
A first-timer when it comes to sailing in Bermuda, 14-year-old Marius Westerlind from finished the day in third.
“The conditions for the first three races was really good because we had, I dunno, 14 knots maybe, but the last race it went up to like 20 knots and that’s not really my wind,” said the Swede. “It’s hard to get in a good position in heavy wind because I’m a bit lighter than the other sailors.”
Like many of the kids visiting the island, Westerlind will be taking full advantage of the warmer climate while he can.
“It’s really nice because it’s warm here compared to where I’m from. I’m making some new friends, but most of them I already know from before. It’s really cool being here with them,” he said.
“I’m going diving in about half an hour, I’ve been wake-boarding, and then I think I’m going cliff jumping, and then maybe to the beach.”
Sailing continues with four more races scheduled. For more information and full results, visit the website.
