Bermuda’s PJ Rodrigues and Christian Ebbin got their debut at the Allianz Youth World Sailing Championships in Brazil off to a good start yesterday.

The local pair returned ashore in sixth place, 12 points off the lead, among the 30-strong 29er fleet after producing a 6-8-16 record during the opening day of racing in Búzios.

“It was tough and very tight racing today,” helmsman Rodrigues told The Royal Gazette. “I’m looking forward to more racing.”

Ebbin is also keen to get back out on the racecourse and feels some elements of the team’s performance can be tightened up

“We had fun out there with the other competitors,” he said.

“We made a few mistakes but overall we had good speed around the racecourse and looking forward to what tomorrow brings.”

Bermuda coach Joshua Greenslade was pleased with the pair’s showing and is hopeful the good form can continue

“Today was a good start to the regatta with the breeze not what was forecasted,” he said.

“They were fast over the course of the three races, but the third race didn’t go as planned with a poor start but we recovered well to finish in sixteenth.

“Sitting in sixth overall going into day two is good and they are looking forward to three more races in the afternoon on Tuesday.”

France’s Karl Devaux and Hugo Revil, the 2021 champions and this year’s EuroCup series winners, top the leaderboard by two points over nearest rivals Guilherme and Fernando Menezes of Brazil, with Argentina’s Benjamin Moron and Calixo Varela a further two points adrift in third.

Rodrigues and Ebbin are making their debut at the event and are the first Bermudians to represent the island in the class since Greenslade competed in 2008.

They qualified for the championships after placing 31st among a fleet of 91 at the Typhoon UK 29er Class National and Open Championships in Weymouth, England, this summer and warmed up for the event in Miami last month alongside the US 29er Youth Worlds male and female teams.