Bermuda's Optimist sailors are gearing up for one of the season's biggest challenges, the IODA South American Championships in Uruguay.

The Island team arrived in the capital, Montevideo, on Sunday and are busy preparing for the event which begins on Saturday.

The regatta is one of the world's hardest fought international youth sailing events after the International Optimist Dinghy Association World Championships, which are due to be held in the Canary Islands in July. Five members of the squad from this week's event will represent the Island there.

The squad for South America consists of Sean Bouchard, Alexander Dill, Eleanor Gardner, Madeline Gardner, William Hutchings, Jesse Kirkland, Peter Miller, Cameron Pimental, Oliver Riihiluoma, Ryan Saraiva and Elijah Simmons.

They are accompanied by coach Pablo Weber and team leader Jay Riihiluoma.

On arriving at their destination the squad went to the Yacht Club Uruguayo, where the racing is being held, to set up their chartered boats. The following day they took part in a three-hour training run in the Rio de la Plata, the world's widest river.

"This is the first regatta this big, this important and this far from Bermuda for everyone except Jesse and Elijah," said coach Weber.

"I am very pleased and happy to share it with them."

The wind is predicted to be medium to strong for the next few days and coming from a westerly direction.

Bermuda Optimist Dinghy Association president John Gardner, who is also in Uruguay, said he was looking forward to seeing current Intermediate and Junior sailors also attending world events.

"It is obvious that our reputation as a world class team precedes us," he said. "Apart from the competition itself, meeting children from other cultures and experiencing different environments is such an important education for the sailors."

The regatta runs until April 20 and there will be in the region of 170 sailors competing in six divisions over the four days.

Three races, of 45 minutes to an hour in length, will be held each day, with 12 in total.

The South American team racing championship will be staged in the middle of the individual races, an event which Bermuda won in last year's IODA North American Championships held here in August.