Ceci goes out with a bang

Ceci Wollmann went out in style at the weekend as she brought the curtain down — on home waters at least — on her Optimist sailing career.

The 15-year-old was crowned National Champion — and Top Bermuda Female — at the Bermuda Optimist Nationals hosted by Spanish Point Boat Club.

Wollmann is likely to race the dinghy class, for under 16s, overseas again before making the permanent step up to lasers or bytes — but she made her last home regatta in the class one to remember after a superb first-day performance in heavy winds.

The Nationals also saw a wonderful performance from Tayte Stefaniuk, 12, who was the Top Bermuda Male. Stefaniuk, with just two years of sailing behind him, is quickly making his mark as a highly-competitive racer and, after an opening 33rd, showed rapid improvement to claim three third place finishes in the last  four races of the 11-race regatta.

Felix Cutler won the Bermuda Junior title, while USA’s Jack Corbett, one of 17 overseas competitors, won the Open title with a stunning display of Optimist sailing, claiming five wins in total. Christine Patton, Event Manager for the Championship, told the Bermuda Sun: “It was a marvellous way for Ceci to go out.”

She added: “Ceci is really good in heavy air and she did really well in the first five races when the conditions suited her. But Race 6, where she finished 11th in almost no wind as one of the oldest sailors, was an outstanding result.

“Races seven to 11 was in shifty breeze and she was more up and down but that’s a result of being one of the older and bigger sailors.”

While Wollmann prepares to move up in class, for Stefaniuk it was a major breakthrough.

Patton added: “It’s great for Ceci but it’s a huge thing for Tayte, a big first for him. He’s relatively new but he’s learnt a lot very quickly and has worked really hard. 

“He’s also incredibly competitive and you can see that by the way he improved steadily through the regatta.”

Cutler, 11, son of renowned sailor Alec, also made a big impression with his junior win. 

Patton said: “He’s a really nice boy, who works hard and never gives up.” n