The Tribune

By RENALDO DORSETT

Tribune Sports Reporter

rdorsett@tribunemedia.net

THE top junior sailors in the region set sail in Montagu Bay yesterday for day one of fleet racing at the 2019 Optimist North American Championships.

The Nassau Yacht Club and Bahamas National Sailing School are currently hosting one of the most prestigious junior regattas in the world through October 4, featuring 164 sailors.

Joshua Weech was 89th in the field at the end of the day in the three-race series. Sailing in the Yellow Group, he was 14th in race one, went unflagged in race two and finished 19th in race three for a score of 89.

Also in the Yellow Group, Kaemen Floyd (124) posted a score of 115 after finishing 42nd, 40th and 33rd.

Sailing in the Blue Group, Maison Koepke (127) finished with a score of 116 after finishes of 41, 25 and 50.

Patrick Tomlinson (No.130, Red Group) sailed to finishes of 51, 42 and 30 for a score of 123.

David Huber (No.132, Yellow Group) scored 124 after finishes of 45, 39 and 40. Matthew Reid (No.135, Yellow Group). Zane Munro (No.137, Red Group), posted a score of 130 in the series with finishes of 49, 31 and 50. Amy McSweeney (No.148, Red Group) scored 142 in the three race series 50, 41, 51.

Cameron Eldon (No.149, Red Group) totalled 142 points - 44, 49, 49; Jasmin Aberle (No.153, Red Group) scored 147 points - 47, 48, 52; Mary Jacqueline Nash (No.155, Yellow Group) with 148 points - 48, DNF, 44; Finley McKinney-Lambert (No.157, Blue Group) with 150 points - 51, 48, 51; Conry Raine (No.160, Blue Group) with 155 points - 52, 51, 52; Scarlett McCarroll (No.161, Blue Group) with 157 points - 53, 50, 54; Craig Ferguson (No.163, Yellow Group) with 159 points - 47, unflagged, black flagged DQ and Saoirse Duffy (No.164, Blue Group) with 159 points - 54, unflagged and 49.

The 16-member team of student athletes includes products of the Bahamas Nassau Sailing School (BNSS), Nassau Yacht Club (NYC), Royal Nassau Sailing Club (RNSC), Lyford Cay Sailing Club (LCSC) and the Hope Town Sailing Club.

The International Optimist Dinghy Association (IODA) event showcases the International Optimist Dinghy, largest sailing fleet, and the number one junior class in the world.

The 164 sailors are between the ages of 12 and 15, from more than 20 countries, participating in what has become the largest youth regatta in North America and the Caribbean.

At Saturday’s opening ceremonies, IODA celebrated the resilience of the Bahamas in the post Hurricane Dorian relief effort.

The Optimist Sailing Community came together to initiate numerous fund raising activities to help sailors and families that were affected by the hurricane.

Sigrid Beckmann, VP Americas, summed it up perfectly in her welcome address, “Life in all the islands has drastically changed forever, however, the spirit of our Bahamian friends remains strong. Let our international sailing family bring hope, kindness and optimism to our hospitable and warm friends.”