Mustafa Ingham put another notch in his belt after making his debut at the M32 World Championships in Chicago last month.

The Bermudian sailor was invited to compete with American racing syndicate Team Torrent, led by helmsman Markus Edegran, that placed seventh among the 12 participating teams.

Ingham and his colleagues managed six top three finishes, including two firsts, during the 18-race series contested in the one-design M32 catamaran on Lake Michigan.

“It was my first time competing in the worlds and it was an interesting event, which I look forward to doing again sometime in the future hopefully,” Ingham told The Royal Gazette.

The Bermuda Tourism Authority sports ambassador experienced the full range of conditions and had his work cut out for him on deck.

“I was playing main trim and grinding a top handle winch for the code zero sail for the reaches and downwind and also called wind pressure,” he said.

“For the heavy wind day it was a bit on but with the light wind stuff it was a little bit easier. We had been training for three weeks, so by the end of the regatta I was pretty tired, but loved every minute of it.”

Ingham is no stranger to the high-performance M32 or sailing on Lake Michigan, having won the M32 Chicago Regatta, despite dislocating his shoulder after falling overboard, as a member of Alec Cutler’s Hedgehog crew the previous year.

He also sailed on the multihull while serving his offshore yachtmaster apprenticeship at the Volvo Ocean Race Academy.

“The first time I sailed the M32 competitively was with Alec Cutler a year ago in Chicago, so it was exciting to be back there sailing,” the former Bermuda Red Bull Youth America’s Cup sailor said.

“During the Volvo Ocean Race, I was doing corporate sailing on them at mainly every stopover for three days. We would have a little fun on them but nothing too intense.”

Ingham’s previous experience on the boat came in handy at the M32 World Championships.

“It helped a bit with just being familiar with the boat handling and what to expect,” he said. “I still have heaps to learn with these boats and really enjoy racing or sailing on them.”

China One Ningbo, helmed by Kiwi Phil Robertson, won this year’s M32 World Championships.