Some of Bermuda’s best young sailors will be heading to Florida immediately after Christmas to take part in the Orange Bowl International Youth Regatta.

The event, held between December 27 and 30, will feature 12 of Bermuda’s burgeoning sailors competing across three different categories against hundreds of sailors from countries including United States, Canada, Brazil, Argentina, Spain, Mexico, Puerto Rico and Sweden.

Bermuda will have seven representatives among the Optimist division, which features more than 200 sailors. Benjamin De Couto, Sean Pedro, Aaron Riker, Alfie Jansma and Calypso Coulter have been assigned to the Blue Fleet, while James De Couto and Rex Henagulph do battle in the White Fleet.

Four young sailors will compete in the green division, which is aimed at some of the more inexperienced on the water, with Eamon Tiwari, Hudson Pitcher, Jacob Beale and Ethan Adelsberg flying the flag for the island against 82 rivals.

Dylan Menzies, who finished 180th of the 277 sailors in the Ilca 4 Youth World Championships in Viana do Catelo, Portugal, in June, will this time be taking on 100 rivals, including some of the best in the world, in the Ilca 6.