Advanced Optimist sailor Owen Siese did the Island proud at the International Optimist Dinghy Association (IODA) North American Championships in the Dominican Republic.

The 14-year-old Warwick Academy student staged a late rally on the final day of the regatta to grab a fifth-place finish in an overall fleet of 198 sailors.

The son of Bermuda Optimist Dinghy Association (BODA) president and veteran sailor and coach Martin Siese posted two podium finishes on the final day including a bullet – his and Bermuda's third of the regatta – in the final event of the 11-race series in which sailors were permitted to discard their worst two finishes.

Siese's late surge enabled him to make up considerable ground in the points standings and things might have turned out even better had he not been penalised in the first race of the regatta for not having a mandatory whistle as a safety measure onboard his Optimist Pram.

Fortunately, though, the young Bermudian was allowed to discard the 26th place finish he was awarded for violating competition rules as well as the 36th place finish in the fourth race to leave him with a total of 57 points – 24 adrift of winner Chris Williford of the USA.

Mackenzie Cooper was the next highest local finisher in the Dominican Republic in 28th position, followed closely by Dimitri Stevens in 29th and Kalin Hiller in 30th respectively. Also representing Bermuda at the regatta were Connor Astwood (63rd), Rahiem Steede (91), Antonio Bailey (110) and Makai Joell (156).

"The boys exhibited tremendous team spirit and everyone tried their level best," said Bermuda coach Paul Doughty.

The Island's North American team were due to return home yesterday via Miami.