Cooper leads Bermuda sailors

Mother Nature finally allowed a seventh and final race to be sailed to complete the 2013 IODA North American Championships (OptiNAM) in extremely light and shifty conditions out on the Great Sound.  

Argentina’s Dante’s Cittadini continued his consistent romp on Wednesday, scoring a third place to win the regatta by 12 points over Singapore sailor Samuel Neo.

Neo steadily rose through the ranks throughout the event to equal his second-place finish at the 2012 Optinam in Mexico last year.  Martina Pisani from Argentina took the third overall position and the top female spot.

American Shawn Harvey was sitting in second overall prior to the final race but his 21st place in the final race dropped him down to fourth.  

However, as the highest-placing sailor from North America, Harvey is officially the North American champion.

Bermuda’s Chase Cooper rose one position after the final race to fifth overall and will join Harvey on the podium as the second North American. 

Ceci Wollmann, from Bermuda, was the top North American female.

Team Bermuda coach Martin Jenkins said: “I was very happy that Chase and Ceci lived up to their potential and made it to the podium. They sailed well and made their country proud with eight top-10 finishes between them, six of them in top five.  

“I was also impressed by the younger sailors. The future looks very good for Bermuda.”

Meanwhile, the Bermuda Optimist Worlds Team of Cooper, Campbell Patton, Benn Smith, Ceci Wollmann and Mikey Wollmann left for the World Championships in Lake Garda yesterday.

Organised by Fraglia Vela Riva, which this year celebrates its 85th anniversary, the regatta will be sailed on Lake Garda. Almost 300 of the world’s best Optimist sailors from 59 countries will compete from July 15-26.