Nerves build ahead of Optinam

Bermuda’s Optinam team spent the weekend on the water fine-tuning their technique ahead of this week’s IODA North American Championships.

It’s the first time the event has been held on this island since 2002 and will be a career highlight for many of the country’s fledgling sailors.

Nerves, it’s fair to say, are building.

Coaches Martin Jenkins and Elijah Simmons — who competed for Bermuda in 2002 — led the team in a high performance training camp at Spanish Point Boat Club. The majority of the teams have arrived and Barr’s Bay Park is brimming with parked Optimist dinghys.

The Royal Bermuda Yacht Club’s Optimist Digicel Summer Series — see above story —was the perfect warm-up competition. And the youngsters are now able to look forward to tomorrow’s opening ceremony — a parade of the teams from Barr’s Bay Park down to Front Street — with a mixture of excitement and nervousness.

Matilda Nicholls, 11, said: “I’m ready, but a bit nervous. 

“I think it’s like a training regatta for me because it’s my first one, so I’m excited and nervous but it will be fun.”

Team-mate Camille Camille Chin-Gurret, 13, added: “I’m a little scared and excited. It’s my first time competing in a really big competition — and it’s in my home!”

Joe Arrowsmith, the model of consistency at the weekend’s Summer Series races, said: “I think it’s going to be a good regatta – the whole team gets to stay in a hotel together so it’s going to be fun and we get to meet all the other competitors.”

Peter Dill, one the team’s ‘veterans’ at 15 will be competing in his last Optimist event of this stature before he gets too old for the class.

“This is something that rarely happens in your age group in your own country,” he said, “so I’m really looking forward to it and I just hope the wind stays up.”

For the coaches the moment of the truth is almost here — and they are happy to put their faith in the 20-strong squad from Bermuda.

Jenkins said: “First of all thanks to Bermuda for being able to arrange such a huge championship. Let’s hope we can prove to the rest of the world that we are ready to compete.”

Simmons added: “I’m just very excited the North Amercians are here again. I competed in it in 2002 the last time it was here, Bermuda did really well, we won it, so hopefully we can regain the title.” 

Click here for full profiles on all 20 Bermuda sailors competing this week.