Amlin Autumn Optimist Series Part 1 at Royal Bermuda Yacht Club
by Ben Nicholls 23 Oct 2012 10:55 BST
21 October 2012
Silver Fleet winner Felix Cutler (1406) racing amongst the Gold Fleet during the Amlin Autumn Optimist Series in Bermuda © Ben Nicholls
Young British ex-pat sailors win in Bermuda
Part 1 of Bermuda's Autumn Optimist Series sponsored by British insurance firm Amlin concluded this weekend at the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club. 37 BER Optimist sailors took part in the Series with 19 competing in Sunday's moderate breezes for the conclusion of Series 1. With a few heavy rain clouds around the conditions gave the sailors and the Race Committee challenging conditions to work with. Principle Race Officer and former Bermuda Finn Olympian Jay Cameroon Hooper said after the racing "another great day full of smiles, these kids are so lucky to have the support of Amlin, the Clubs, their Coaches and their parents to allow them to have such fun out there. I am just thrilled to be a part of this fabulous team of volunteers who make it all happen. We were joined today by a member of the London Olympics Sailing Race officials who witnessed competitive but fair sailing all afternoon."
At the start of the racing just a few points separated the leading Gold Fleet sailors Ceci Wollmann, Mikey Wollmann, Matilda Nicholls, Chase Cooper and Campbell Patton. With up to 6 races scheduled, the racing was as competitive as ever. With some sailors opting to take a half-term holiday it left others with an opportunity to get to the front of the Fleet, an opportunity Benn Smith (13) and Joe Arrowsmith (11) siezed to great effect. Youngsters Campbell Patton (11) and Matilda Nicholls (10) from the RBYC Sailing Academy had it all to race for, but it was Smith who won the day scoring 2nd, 1st, 2nd 6th and 2nd, just 3 points ahead of rising RHADC star and British ex-pat Arrowsmith who recorded his first "bullet" in the Gold Fleet. Patton (son of Bermuda's leading Etchell's sailor Tim) and Nicholls were tied at the end of 5 races, the 2 young sailors leap-frogged the absent Wollmann siblings in the overall standings.
Matilda Nicholls won the title of Amlin Gold Fleet Champion for Series 1. Matilda moved to Bermuda from England in 2006 and began sailing Optimists in Bermuda's spectacular waters aged 5, she returns to Britain once a year to sail her Optimist in the British Championships as well as her home Aldeburgh YC in Suffolk; "I am so lucky to be learning to sail in Bermuda; the conditions, the coaches and the facilities at RBYC make it so easy to enjoy the best sport in the world! Not only is the Optimist sailing great in Bermuda, we also have sailors like Ben Ainslie, Iain Percy, Bart Simpson, Annie Lush, Ian Williams, Adam Minoprio and Simon Shaw visiting the Island to compete for the Gold Cup, they always find time to give us help and encouragement, it is so cool!"
In the Silver Fleet, racing was just as competitive, but Felix Cutler dominated the racing with 5 wins out of 5, with Jay Hall in 2nd, Luke Madeiros 3rd and Micah Thomas-Raynor in 4th. Cutler (10) is a talented sailor from the RBYC Sailing Academy and shows very promising skills that might possibly match those of his father one day - Melges 32 sailor Alec. Luke Madeiros sailed a sensible day and secured his title of Amlin Series 1 Silver Fleet Champion, followed by 8 year old Christopher Adderley (son of former Bermuda Olympian Sara-Lane). RBYC Sailing Academy Director Tom Herbert-Evans said "these young sailors just keep on getting better, we have more and more sailors developing really well at the moment and the future of junior sailing in Bermuda looks to be very strong. It is great to see so many different kids taking their turn at the front of the fleet this Autumn. The way the racing has been run by the experienced Jay Hooper has encouraged the developing sailors all the way through. Series 2 looks set to be even better than the first in the lead up to the Bermuda Optimist National Championships in November. Keep a watching eye on Christopher Adderley (8), Leyli Walker, Flo Nicholls, Jordan Etemad (all 9) and the likes of Felix, Matilda, Campbell and Benn. Great things are comming."
Carried across both Series 1 and 2 is a set of results scored when both the Gold and Silver Fleets race together. This Sunday two Combined Races were sailed with Joe Arrowsmith winning both races followed by Benn Smith (son of former Sunfish World Champion Malcolm) in 2nd and Nicholls 3rd. After 5 combined races with 37 sailors, Matilda Nicholls leads the Combined Racing Series.
The RBYC Sailing Academy's Advanced Racing Coach Sean Evans has been working hard with the sailors since his arrival in Bermuda in the Spring, Sean was formally a member of GBR's Optimist Squad and later the RYA's Laser Squads at both Youth and Senior level. "There is something quite special developing in Bermuda, we have a number of promising young sailors developing all at the same time, week in week out these youngsters are proving they have what it takes to develope into strong sailors. I am excited to have such great all-year-round sailing weather to work in and this winter ahead promises to be a superb opportunity to train the sailors in superb conditions. We are inviting Teams from overseas to join us and we hope Team GBR will be one of those able to take advantage of the new RBYC Sailing Academy facilities. Top British sailor Milo Gill-Taylor was here just over a week ago and we hope he is spreading the word about the Club's RYA Training Centre, next month top GBR Optimist sailors Vita Heathcote (Royal Lymington YC) and Conneticut based ex-pat Jack Parkin will be coming to Bermuda to compete in our Optimist Nationals." Matilda Nicholls commented "I first met my good friend Vita at the British Optimist Championships a few years ago, and it is great we can keep meeting up at sailing regattas around the world, she will be in Bermuda next month and I can't wait to see her."
Veteran RBYC Coach Paul Doughty added "we are once again building the makings of a significant Optimist fleet in Bermuda, a few years from now we hope to make a big splash at the highest levels. At RBYC we are hosting the Bermuda Optimist Nationals in November and then next July we host the IODA North American Optimist Championships. It is a busy, fun time ahead for our sailors."
Racing for the 2nd Amlin Series starts next Sunday and runs up to the middle of December.