Miguel Power successfully defended his title at the PwC Bermuda Optimist Dinghy Association Open and National Championship.

Held over three days at Sandys Boat Club, Power, 14, dominated the championship fleet with his worst finish a third in the 12-race series. Nina Gotfredsen, the top female, finished second overall, while Simon Thompson, from Canada’s Royal Nova Scotia Yacht Squadron, was third.

Emma Brown, 11, won the top junior prize for the second year in a row with the Peter Mitchell Sportsmanship prize awarded to Finbar Lohan.

A total of 59 competitors took in the regatta, including 14 sailors from the Endeavour programme, and participants from the United States and Canada.

The windy weekend was tough for sailors in the green fleet (the beginning racer fleet), and the tough weather conditions allowed them to sail for just one and a half of the scheduled three days.

Martin Siese, the Sandys Boat Club race officer, described the conditions encountered by the young sailors over the three days.

“The championship was quite challenging due to the relatively high winds coupled with the north-easterly direction producing big waves,’’ Siese said.

“The championship fleet were more than able to cope with the conditions and enjoyed 12 great races.”

BODA used the regatta to determine the team to represent the island at the IODA North American Championship in San Juan, Puerto Rico, in July 2024., with Bermuda allocated ten places, with a minimum of three female sailors.

“We were excited to see so many sailors, especially sailors from the Endeavour initiative and a large green fleet,” a BODA spokesman said. “The association is anticipating a strong 2024 season and further national selection will be conducted in spring.