While the senior Gold Cup racers were kept on shore yesterday, junior Optimist sailors persevered in light winds and near calm seas on the first day of individual racing in the RenaissanceRe Junior Gold Cup.

And it was local competitor Joshua Greenslade who handled the difficult conditions best as he won both races convincingly.

In the opening event, sailed in virtually no wind, Greenslade came home ahead of another Bermudian, James Anfossi, with Matthew Schoener Smith from Trinidad in third place.

Schoener Smith had led at the windward mark but by the reach Greenslade had taken over and never looked back.

Race two saw a massive wind shift at the start which meant all sailors at the pin end fared well. This ultimately decided the race.

The seven boats held their position for the rest of the race and in an exciting finish, Greenslade again took the honours with Kelsey Durham finishing second, having nearly stolen first place on the last leg during a tacking dual.

Twenty eight sailors from the Bermuda Optimist Dinghy Associations are competing in the regatta along with 12 of the world?s most accomplished junior sailors.