Malcolm Smith Fifth At 2011 Sunfish Champs
Veteran sailor Malcolm Smith topped the Bermuda contingent at the 2011 Sunfish North American Championships, completing their 6 race regatta this past Sunday in Barrington, Rhode Island. Searing heat and steady breezes tested the international fleet of almost one hundred entries at the regatta hosted by the Barrington Yacht Club.
Smith, a former World and North American Sunfish Champion, finished 5th in the 98 boat fleet with finishes of 1, 32, 13, 2, 3, 22 and claimed 3rd place in the “Masters Division”. He will be representing Bermuda later this year at the Pan Am Games in the Sunfish. This year’s event had a distinctive international flavour as many Pan Am’s participants used this regatta as a warm up for the Games.
Photo below of Malcolm Smith, courtesy of Rob Migliaccio:
Right on Smith’s heels was 16-year-old youth sailor Mackenzie Cooper who won the final race of the regatta to finish 7th overall with scores of 9, 20, 5, 14,26, 1. Cooper also picked up 2nd place overall in the “Youth Division” and was runner up in the Youth North American Championship event, sailed 2 days before the Open regatta.
12-year-old Optimist sailor Benn Smith took time out to sail against his veteran father in his first Open Championship regatta and finished 74th. He is believed to be the youngest entrant at this event.
The regatta was won by former Optimist sailor Andres Ducasse from Chile followed by Ivan Aponte-Tabos from Puetro Rico (2011 Youth NA Champion) and Bill Brangiforte (2010 NA Champion).
