Local Sailors To Return From Opti Worlds
Team Bermuda returns to Bermuda tonight [July 26] from the Dominican Republic after competing at the 2012 International Optimist Dinghy Association [IODA] World Sailing Championships.
The event, which was hosted by Club Nautico de Santo Domingo, saw 230 sailors from 42 countries competing. Race management issues and conditions ranging from light winds to thunderstorms challenged the sailors and only 9 races of the scheduled 12 were completed for the regatta.
Top local sailor was Rory Caslin who finished in 128th position out of the 230 sailors. Next was Makai Joell in 140th, Peter Dill in 162nd, Chase Cooper in 166th and Antonio Bailey in 172nd.
After completing his first World’s as High Performance Coach, Martin Jenkins is looking forward to using this event as a bench mark for the next 12 months of training and goal setting as he aims to improve Bermuda’s standing on the world stage.
Team and BODA President Leader Anthony Bailey noted that “despite some lower than expected scores, the sailors never lost their desire to do well, were great sportsmen and finished in high spirits at the end of youth sailing’s most competitive regatta.”
The event was a clean sweep by Singapore as 14-year-old Elisa Yukie Yokoyama emerged as the Girl’s World Champion and was also named Overall World Champion. Fellow Singaporeans 13-year-old Samuel Neo came in a close second, while 14-year-old Jessica Goh placed third overall. Renaissance Re Jr Gold Cup participant Bart Lambriex from Holland was 4th.
Midway through the regatta Singapore beat the US to win the IODA Team Racing Trophy. The five-member team’s collective result also won Singapore the Nations Cup.
Bermuda’s Worlds Team was supported by Gold Sponsor Aspen Insurance, Silver Sponsor Kitson Group of Companies and uniform Sponsor Digicel. Full scores here.
