Day #1: Optimist Regatta In St. Thomas
The 2012 Scotiabank International Optimist Regatta got underway yesterday [June 22], completing four fleet races. The host St. Thomas Yacht Club [USVI] is celebrating the 20th anniversary of the popular Caribbean youth regatta. 97 sailors between the ages of 8 and 15 are competing including 12 Optimist sailors from Bermuda.
The Bermuda Optimist Dinghy Association [BODA] has its five person Worlds Team there practicing for the World Championships which will be sailed in the Dominican Republic next month. Eight others are there also to gain valuable overseas experience in large fleets. It is the first overseas regatta for Peter Dill, Sammy Dill, Joe Arrowsmith, Charis Todd and Izzy Dutranoit. Two more days of racing remain.
All seems to be going well, except for Peter Dill who found himself racing in the wrong colour coded division for the first 3 races for which he was scored “Did Not Start”, receiving a maximum 48 points. The 97 boat fleet cannot be realistically started at the same time so race officials divide the fleet into 4 divisions or “colours”, with pre determined and rotating pairings at each start.
BODA sailor standings after 4 races [97 boats]:
- Ceci Wollmann – 19th
- Benn Smith – 23rd
- Makai Joell – 33rd
- Antonio Bailey – 35th
- Chase Cooper – 36th
- Rory Caslin – 40th
- Mikey Wollmann – 57th
- Sammy Dill – 79th
- Joe Arrowsmith – 85th
- Charis Todd – 91st
- Izzy Dutranoit – 92nd
- Peter Dill – 93rd
