American Optimist sailing championships over the weekend.

Storck, from Huntington, Long Island, thanked the race committee, his parents, coach, and team-mates as he hoisted the winner's plaque at Saturday evening's presentation.

Storck, 13, was also given the traditional dunking in Hamilton Harbour by his fellow competitors.

The American was able to drop two results from the 11-race regatta -- including an 18th place finish in the final race -- to beat compatriot Graham Mergenthaler and Cow Harbour Sailing team-mate Kitty Lovelace.

Bermuda's top finisher Alexander Kirkland managed to climb one spot to seventh place after improving on a disastrous day of sailing on Friday.

Younger brother Jesse Kirkland took advantage of moderate winds and his light weight to win the penultimate race and capture 11th place overall.

The third ranked Bermudian, Adrian Black, after falling three places, finished 20th in the 70-plus fleet which included sailors from seven countries. Black was the only other local sailor to win a race.

Royal Bermuda Yacht Club hosted the championships for the first time and Commodore Bruce Lines admitted he had been pushing for the event for several years.

"This competition is my dream come true. Les Crane went down to Mexico and lobbied hard to have the event here,'' he said.

"Just about every medal winner in the last Olympics and all of the Gold Cup racers began their careers in the Optimist class.'' Commodore Lines said the class was "the best thing'' for teaching sailing skills to young people while building self reliance.

"The first thing they learn is how to right a capsized boat,'' he said.

"You'll see an eight-year-old do it easily in the middle of the Sound.'' Lines noted the Optimist class was started in Bermuda in the 1970s but soon died out. However, it was launched again a few years ago and is now seeing its first success with teens who have grown with the programme.

It is the only class of boat exclusively designed for sailors under the age of 16 by the International Sailing Federation.

The dinghy is sailed in more than 100 countries by more than 150,000 children and is now the largest class and also the fastest growing.

Both boys and girls compete together with tactics playing an important role.