The 7th Annual Bahamas Sailing Association's (BSA) Optimist National Championships is set for this weekend in Salt Pond, Long Island.
This year's championship is expected to have the largest turnout in the short history of the event, which can be attributed to the fact that the age groups have expanded from 6-15 to 5-18.
Last year, 76 sailors (41 green fleet, 16 blue, 15 red, four white) from New Providence, Grand Bahama, Long Island, Abaco, Harbour Island and main land Eleuthera competed in the event. The red fleet featured 13-15 year-olds, the blue fleet catered to the 11-12 year-olds, the white fleet was for the 10-year-olds and the green fleet was for novice sailors.
Spencer Cartwright emerged as the overall winner of the male championship fleet, while Paloma Cartwright was crowned the overall winner of the women's championship fleet.
Isaac Fox was named the overall winner of the white fleet, and Tristan Eldon won the green fleet.
"We are really excited, and all of the kids are looking forward to it," said BSA Director of Sailing Operations Jimmie Lowe. "We should have between 90 to 100 boats from all over The Bahamas. A lot of kids from the public and private schools from Grand Bahama, Abaco, Harbor Island, Governor's Harbour and Nassau will all be represented there. It's a big undertaking and we really want to thank Long Island for putting it on."
Sailors such as Cartwright, Paul De Souza and Richard King have sailed locally here in The Bahamas and abroad, and can be looked at as veterans amongst the rest of the competition. Those three are expected to make the race for the championship fleet overall winner one to keep an eye on.
"We have some kids who sailed in the United States last year and they have really come to the forefront," said Lowe. "We still have De Souza and Cartwright and all of the guys who have been there for the last two or three years, but Ben Derbyshire and Tristan Eldon have really blossomed over the last five or six months."
The BSA acts as the governing authority of the sport of sailing in The Bahamas under the supervision of the International Sailing Federation (ISAF).

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