Several young seafarers join the Bermuda Optimist Dinghy Association [BODA] Race to Rock on Saturday, June 18th. There they sail on Optimist Dinghy from North Rock Beacon to Spanish Point.
A spokeswoman said: “Participants can choose to sail a 11.5 mile race as part of a team of 2 or 3 or can do it individually. Due to the rigorous nature of the race, participants may be intermediate or intermediate. You must be an advanced level sailor and you also need permission from your sailing coach to participate.
“Sailors range from 11 to 15 years old and come from all local sailing clubs including West End Sailing, Endeavor, Royal Bermuda Yacht Club and Royal Amateur Dinghy Club. Course record is 2 hours 19 minutes 22 seconds. So, it was achieved by Sebastian Kempe in 2019.
“RaceToTheRock is a fundraising event for BODA, a registered charity that supports high-performance optimist sailing programs. Optimist sailors from various local sailing clubs join BODA’s high-performance sailing group. Provides a high level of coaching by international sailing instructors and encourages participation in Bermuda’s overseas Optimist Sailing Regatta.
“This summer, BODA will send five seafarers to the World Championships in Bodrum, Turkey and four seafarers to the European Championships in Denmark. Young seafarers will pledge online at ptix.bm. We are calling on the general public to consider helping them in Race to the Rock. “
Mark Soares, President of BODA, said: When the southwest wind blows, the sailors cannot ride the wind directly, so they have to move in a zigzag back and forth, which guarantees a long day.
“For those who don’t know, Optimist, also known as” Opti “, is a small one-handed sailing dinghy and the first boat most kids learn to sail. The hull is only about 8 feet long, so the 11.5-mile course is a long way on a boat of that size. Looking at the race, you really feel the youth are dueling in rough conditions, especially when they have to cap size and keep fixing the boat themselves. It requires mental resilience and is a real test of patience. “
Dede Cooper, BODA’s secretary, commented: Sailing is at the forefront of the Bermuda sports community, thanks to the accumulation of SailGP and America’s Cup over the past few years.
“There is growing interest and BODA seafarers are aware on a good basis that there are many opportunities for Bermuda seafarers in the international arena and maritime sector. Bermuda is an ideal sailing venue and BODA Over the years, we have trained incredible seafarers.
“Most of them started their voyage in Optus and went through the BODA High Performance Program. We want to make sailing accessible to all young people in Bermuda. Events like this are in Bermuda. Helps raise funds that enable the continued success of young seafarers across the coast. “
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, Dylan Menzies. Will be. The pledge can be made online at www.ptix.bm / Event / 7284 / Race-to-the-Rock.
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