Bermuda team prepares to navigate Brazil test

A five-sailor team from the Bermuda Optimist Dinghy Association (BODA) has left for Porto Alegre, Brazil to compete in the  IODA South American Championships.

Mikey Wolmann, Benn Smith, Peter Dill, Chase Cooper and Ceci Wollmann will have almost a week to train and acclimatize before the regatta’s opening ceremony on March 22.

BODA high performance coach, Martin Jenkins has also joined the team in Brazil for the early training. The sailing will take place on the eastern bank of the Rio Guaiba, where five rivers converge to form the Lagoa dos Patos, a giant freshwater lagoon.

The 150 sailors from 14 countries are scheduled to race 12 races over six race days.

The team will have one rest day in the middle of the regatta along with another day designated for the team racing championship.

Racing starts on March 24 and concludes on March 30.

BODA President Anthony Bailey said in a press release: “All five of these sailors have demonstrated that they have the potential to bring back some impressive results. They have trained hard and even travelled to a regatta in Argentina last month to gain experience and to get a better feel for the competition they will face in Brazil.

“The championship in Brazil will also be a good highly competitive, large fleet warm-up for the North American Championship here in Bermuda this coming July.”