7 and 8 Yr Old Sailors Claim Wins in UK
A team of young sailors from the Bermuda Optimist Dinghy Association recently finished competing in the UK Optimist National Championships in England, and despite their young ages put on an outstanding performances to claim a number of trophies. Aged from only 7 years to 13 years old, the three sailors combined to win 3 races, and two trophies. The event was held last week in Weymouth on the South Coast of England. Pictured below are Matilda and Florence Nicholls with their awards:
8-year-old Matilda Nicholls raced in the Regatta Coaching Fleet (equivalent of the Green Fleet), and put on nothing short of an outstanding performance winning 2 of the 13 races and claiming 7 top 5 results. Matilda finished 5th out of 82 boats and topped it all off by winning the Little Charger Trophy for the 1st Under 10 sailor, and the Musto Award for Sailor of the Week by the Coach of the Regatta Fleet.
7-year-old Florence Nicholls also did extremely well, racing in the Regatta Starter Fleet finishing 4th overall out of 36 boats, and claiming 1st and 2nd in the last two races of the Regatta.
13-year-old Rory Caslin, the “senior” of the group sailed really well in the Senior Fleet for the first part of the week to qualify himself for the Gold Fleet, finishing the week a 75th in a very competitive 161 boat fleet.
The event saw youth sailors travel from around the world to compete, with nations represented including Dubai, France, Japan, Spain Switzerland, UK and the USA. The local youth sailors are continuing onto other Optimist Regattas in Europe before returning to Bermuda, Rory is off to the Irish National Championships whilst Matilda and Florenced are off to the UK East Coast Junior Week at Aldeburgh. The photo below shows 8-year-old Matilda leading the fleet:
