‘Race To The Rock’ Youth Sailing On June 18
Several young sailors will take part in Bermuda Optimist Dinghy Association’s [BODA] Race To The Rock on Saturday June 18th, where they will sail in Optimist Dinghies from North Rock Beacon to Spanish Point.
A spokesperson said, “Participants can opt to sail the 11.5 mile race as part of a team of 2 or 3, or they can choose to do it individually. Due to the rigorous nature of the race, the participants are required to be intermediate or advanced level sailors and must also have permission from their sailing coach to participate.
“The Sailors range in ages 11 to 15 and come from all the local sailing clubs including West End Sailing, Endeavour, the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club and the Royal Amateur Dinghy Club. The course record is 2 hours, 19 minutes and 22 seconds was achieved by Sebastian Kempe in 2019.
“Race To The Rock is a fundraising event for BODA the registered charity which supports the High Performance Optimist sailing programme. Optimist sailors from different local sailing clubs feed into BODA’s high performance sailing group which offers high-level coaching from international sailing instructors and also facilitates Bermuda’s participation in overseas Optimist Sailing Regattas.
“This summer BODA is sending 5 sailors to the World Championships in Bodrum Turkey and 4 Sailors the European Championships in Denmark. The young sailors are appealing to the public to consider supporting them in the Race to the Rock by pledging online at ptix.bm.”
BODA President, Mark Soares said “Depending the wind direction and wind speed the sailors can be out there anywhere from 2.5 to 6 or 7 hours. If we have wind from the SW, it will mean the sailors will have to zig zag back and forth because they cannot sail directly into the wind, then it’s guaranteed to be a long day for them.
“For those who don’t know, the Optimist, also known as the ‘Opti’, is a small, single-handed sailing dinghy and is the first boat that most children learn to sail in. The hull is only about 8ft long and therefore the 11.5 mile course is a long way in boat that size. When watching the race, you really feel for the youngsters dueling it out in rough conditions especially when they capsize and have to right the boat on their own and keep going. It requires mental toughness and is a real test of endurance.”
BODA Secretary, Dede Cooper commented, “The Race to the Rock really is a testament to the skill, dedication and fortitude of Bermuda’s young sailors. Thanks to the build-up from Sail GP and America’s Cup over the last few years, sailing has come to the forefront in the Bermuda sporting community.
“Interest is up and BODA’s sailors are recognising with the proper foundation that there are many opportunities in the international arena and maritime sector for Bermuda sailors. Bermuda is an ideal sailing venue and BODA has trained some phenomenal sailors over the years who now compete worldwide at a very high level.
“Most of them started sailing in Optis and came through the BODA High Performance programme. We want to make sailing accessible to all of Bermuda’s Youth and events like this one help us to raise funds to enable the continued success of our young sailors beyond Bermuda’s shores.”
Registered participants include: Oliver Soares, Shiloh Cruickshank, Trystan Hocking, Aiden Mahoney, Evan Davis, Noah Amaradosa, Nina Gotfredsen, Nate Wiseman, Rory Savage, Joseph Lau, Sophia Dias, Miguel Power, James Ganal and Dylan Menzies. Pledges can me made online at www.ptix.bm/Event/7284/Race-to-the-Rock.
