Chase Cooper wins Argentine regatta

Young Bermudian sailor Chase Cooper has won a major regatta in tough conditions in Argentina.

The Royal Bermuda Yacht Club (RBYC) and Sandys Boat Club member led the field in the week-long annual Semana Internacional del Yachting regatta from day one.

Held in Mar Del Plata, which is known for its blustery conditions and high seas, the regatta attracted 180 competitors from eight countries.

Competing in the Optimist dinghy section, Cooper, 14, was joined by team mates Ceci Wollmann, her brother Mikey and Benn Smith.

All five will compete in the IODA South American Championships, to be held in Brazil next month, and the Argentine regatta was seen by coach Martin Jenkins as a good chance to check out the competition and experience a large regatta prior to the Brazil event.

Royal Hamilton Amateur Dingy Club’s (RHADC) Ceci Wollmann finished in 10^th place overall and made the podium as the third-highest placed female entrant.

Her brother Mikey finished 38^th overall after struggling under the burden of losing maximum points after jumping the gun at the starting line on three occasions.

Benn Smith (RBYC) and Peter Dill (RHADC) both had a number of top ten finishes, but could only manage 56^th and 59^th respectively after finding difficulty coping with the ever-changing weather conditions.