Optimist Open & National Championship
This past weekend saw one of the busiest weekends on the water for Bermuda sailors with both the Keelboats and Optimist vying for National titles. There were 76 young sailors active this weekend between the competive Championship Fleet and the Tom Coleman Green Fleet Clinic, which is for the beginner racer.
Between the two fleets there were a record breaking 66 Bermuda sailors. The youngest was 6 with the eldest being 14. The quality of sailing being achieved by both RBYC and RHADC is clearly reflected in the
results as local sailors beat the overseas visitors to the podium:
BODA Secretary, Christine Patton, coordinated the Green Fleet Clinic. She stated, “Over the weekend we had 37 budding new Optimist sailors from 3 Clubs learning how to race with our visiting coach Tom Coleman who has been coming to Bermuda for many years. Thanks to Flying Colours who have sponsored Tom’s expenses on the Island for many years we are able to make the Clinic very affordable to a lot of children.”
The group were tested in a big way with breezes that gusted to 25 knots at times. We were able to get 6 races in for the kids over Saturday and Sunday and on Monday the kids were able to sail around the little harbour off the RBYC just to practice their boat handling skills.
Participation was the key to the Clinic but those who did do well in the racing were Brandon Adams (1st) and Christopher Adderley (2nd) and Chris DeSilva (3rd) and the top girl in the program was Megan Patterson who was also 4th in the racing scores.
