It was the kind of competition you'd expect from a Kentucky Derby or a World Series -- neck and neck with a winner breaking through by a nose or a single home run, but this was the Bahamas Junior Sailing Association Optimist National Championship and no one -- least of all the sailors themselves -- expected it to come down to half a boat length in the sixth race.

But that's exactly what happened during the championship sailed in the waters off Grand Bahama October 1-2 when Queen's College 7th grader Spencer Cartwright edged out his friend and rival Paul de Souza, a 7th grader from St. Andrew's, to sail away with top honours as the new national champion in the Optimist fleet, a title that comes with a trophy and year-long bragging rights...