One of Bermuda’s most promising sailors, Nina Gotfredsen has a great opportunity to improve in the sport, after she secured a spot in the Lake Ontario Optimist Team.

Gotfredsen, a member of the island’s teams for the World Championships in Spain, as well as the North American Championships in Antigua will be under the mentorship of renowned Uruguayan coach Roberto Fabini, for what promises to be an exhilarating two weeks for her. Being part of Lake Ontario will enable her to take part in three regattas, two on Lake Ontario, in Canada, and one in the United States.

“I am excited because I hope I can get better,’’ Gotfredsen said.

“I hope to get good coaching and learn a lot from being around better people. They are good sailors and I want to learn from a different coach as well.”

Her mother, Ciara Brady, accompanied her to the US, from where she made the road trip to Canada, with members of Lake Ontario.

“She met the team in Boston at a regatta that was going on,’’ Brady said.

“She was going to that one, but we decided not to go because the winds were very low. “They arrived in Canada on Thursday, they start training in Kingston. In Canada, that regatta has team racing first, then fleet racing.”

Gotfredsen is making another road trip from Canada to the US, where she is competing in the prestigious Optimist New England Championship from August 7 to 9 at New Bedford Yacht Club in Dartmouth, Massachusetts. She made her first appearance in the same regatta last year, but did not do so well.

“It was hard because there was a lot of current,’’ Gotfredsen said on last year’s event.

“There was so much current that you thought the boat was going backwards, when you actually just going forward.”

She is eager to learn as much from Lake Ontario such that when the Gold Cup comes in October, she can perform well against international competitors. This year’s Gold Cup, hosted by the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club is taking place from October 2 to 7.

“When I go to North Americans and Worlds, maybe South America, when there is Gold Cup in Bermuda, I’ll be a better sailor,’’ Gotfredsen said.

“Hopefully, I can beat a lot of internationals because it’s the best sailors from all the invited countries, which I think is really hard.”

Her mother explained why it was crucial for her daughter to gain a spot on the Lake Ontario team, which was founded in 1999 by a grouping of passionate Canadian and American optimist racers from around Lake Ontario.

“Her biggest goal last year was to get accepted,’’ she said. “Lake Ontario Optimist Team has a very good reputation. It’s a tiny programme, it’s been around for 20 years, but if you look at all the regattas, to see who’s won, it’s always them.”

Gotfredsen turned 14 on Friday and has only until the end of next year as an Optimist sailor before she moves to bigger boats. The last big event for her, if she makes it into Bermuda’s team is the World Championships, taking place in Argentina, in December 2024.

She has fallen in love with her boat, which she has to reluctantly give up in December next year, with plans to pass on to her young brother — but not for free. Just to show her passion for the sport, Gotfredsen saved up money to buy her own boat, which she has had for more than two years, which means her brother has to pay for the dinghy.