Logue lifts Optimist Open Title in Bermuda

by Somers Cooper on 15 Nov 2011 The 2011 Bermuda Open Championship was won by sailor Will Logue from Riverside Yacht Club in Connecticut, USA. Logue was involved in a heated fight for the top sport over the course of the weekend with the top female sailor Justina Pacheco sailing in the fifty-four boat Championship fleet.

All the glory came down to the eleventh and final race where Logue had to finish in front of the Dominican National Champion to claim the title. He did just that, securing a third ahead of her fourth place result. Logue who sails with Team LISOT in the U.S. adds the Bermuda Open title to his resume just weeks after winning the USODA Southeast Championship in Naples Florida.

Jack Parkin, also from the Riverside Yacht Club, placed third in the elven race regatta organized by the Sandy's Boat Club in conjunction with the Bermuda Optimist Dinghy Association. After losing Friday due to a brush with Tropical Storm Sean, sailors enjoyed steady 10 - 16 knot winds throughout the rest of the weekend in the Great Sound.

Top Bermuda Sailor Rory Caslin had a similar close battle with Chase Cooper and had to win the final race to secure the title of Bermuda National Champion which he did, finally placing eighth overall to Cooper's ninth in the Open series. Other major prize winners included Lucy Wilmot from the San Francisco Yacht Club who was awarded the Peter Mitchell Sportsmanship award and Top Junior (11 and under) was Ronja Gronblom of Finland. Top Bermuda Junior was Mikey Wollmann.

On the Green Fleet (Novice) course, Bermudian Sean Tucker was the top sailor followed by American Riley Kloc of Barrington, Rhode Island. Bermudian Jordan Etimadi was third. Thirty sailors between the age of five and thirteen took part in the ten race Green Fleet Regatta and Clinic in Hamilton Harbour. The clinic was run by 'Green Fleet Guru' Tom Coleman and was sponsored by Riihiluoma's Flying Colours. All Green Fleeters were presented with medals of participation.

Government Minister for Youth, Sport and Recreation, the Hon Glenn Blakeney, JP MP was on hand at the Sandys Boat Club on Sunday evening to present the prizes to the deserving winners alongside Regatta Chairman Martin Siese. Siese congratulated the young sailors for a successful weekend of racing and thanked the volunteers and sponsors, Bermuda Container Line, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Bermuda Dept of Tourism, Salt Rock Grill, McLaughlin Boat Works, Barritt's and JSails.