Bermuda’s premier sailors faced a stern test of patience and skill at the 8th Portugal Grand Prix Round 2 in Vilamoura, where Olympian Adriana Penruddocke and Olympic hopeful Sebastian Kempe battled through a grueling week of light and inconsistent conditions. The regatta eventually concluded in a stabilizing northerly breeze, allowing a strong international fleet to complete the scheduled program across the ILCA 6 and ILCA 7 classes.
In the ILCA 7 fleet, Kempe navigated a frustrating series that saw only six races completed over the course of the event. Despite the limited opportunities to climb the standings, the Olympic hopeful demonstrated his potential by finishing the regatta on a high note. Kempe secured 29th place overall with 84 net points, anchored by a standout performance in the final race where he crossed the line in a superb 9th position.
Competing in the ILCA 6 class, Penruddocke finished 43rd in a fleet that managed seven races during the competition. The Olympian showed flashes of her top-tier pace, particularly as the breeze settled later in the week. Penruddocke recorded two impressive 9th place finishes in races five and seven, proving her ability to compete at the front of a world-class field when the conditions allowed for consistent racing. Both sailors will now look to build on these late-regatta breakthroughs as they continue their preparations on the road to the summer's major international championships.
Friday, March 06, 2026
Road to Rio: Pan American Teams Complete the Line-Up
IslandStats.com
The stage is set for a thrilling Pan American showdown as the final line-up of nations is confirmed for the journey towards the SSL Gold Cup. Leading the charge in the latest group is Bermuda, who currently occupy forty-seventh place in the SSL Nations Ranking. As the highest-ranked nation in this specific cluster, the Bermudian side will carry the weight of expectation into the upcoming fixtures.
Both Bermuda and Antigua arrive with significant pedigree, having previously demonstrated their competitive edge in the knockout stages of the SSL Gold Cup qualification rounds. The two regional rivals are no strangers to one another on the water, having famously raced in the same one-thirty-second final group during their previous campaigns. That encounter saw both teams successfully navigate the pressure to advance into the one-sixteenth finals.
While their previous journeys were ultimately halted, both nations recorded respectable finishes on the global stage. Antigua concluded their last campaign in twenty-sixth place overall, while Bermuda followed closely behind in thirty-first position. Joining them in this edition is Guatemala, a nation that completed the full qualification series in the previous tournament. Although they were unable to secure a spot in the finals on that occasion, their experience in the series makes them a formidable opponent as the race for Rio intensifies.
Monday, March 02, 2026
Round Sails into Overall Lead as Winter Series Heats Up
IslandStats.com
The Royal Hamilton Amateur Dinghy Club’s Inter Club Winter Series has a new name at the summit of the standings following a clinical display of sailing on the third day of competition. Sebastian Round, representing the host club, produced a masterclass in consistency to overhaul the field and take the overall lead with a total of 27 net points.
In a demanding afternoon featuring six races, Round dominated the fleet by securing three victories. His worst result of the day was a third-place finish, which he complemented with two second-place finishes to end the session with an impressive seven net points. This surge was made possible in part by the absence of the previous leaders from Sandys Boat Club. Skipper Miguel Power did not compete on day three, causing the Sandys boat to slide down the leaderboard into fourth place with 53 net points.
The race for the podium remains fiercely contested behind the new leader. Maxwell Cuis, helming the Bermuda Comet Class entry, moved into second place overall with 40 net points. Cuis and his crew displayed remarkable reliability throughout the day, recording five third-place finishes before finally finding the top gear to win the fifth race of the afternoon.
The St. George’s boat, skippered by Paul Wright, is also firmly in the hunt after a highly successful day on the water. Wright moved into third place overall with 43 net points, having secured the second-best score of the day with eight points. His performance was highlighted by two race wins and four second-place finishes, placing significant pressure on the crews above him as the series progresses into its final stages.
Thursday, February 26, 2026
Comet Class Dominates Day 2 as Power Retains Lead
IslandStats.com
The Bermuda Comet Class delivered a masterclass in the Royal Hamilton Amateur Dinghy Club’s Inter Club Winter Series 2026, sweeping the honours on the second day of racing. In a display of tactical brilliance across five races in the RS21 fleet, the Comet squad proved to be the class of the field, despite having missed the opening day of the competition.
The crew of Allan Frith, Dale Brangman, Greg Wade, and Sarah Frith ignited their campaign immediately, securing back-to-back victories in the first two races of the afternoon. A tactical rotation saw Maxwell Curtis step in for Brangman during the third and fourth races, where the team maintained their consistency with a third and second-place finish respectively. With Brangman returning to the helm for the final race of the day, the Comet Class boat steered back to the top of the podium to wrap up a dominant session.
When the points were tallied, the Comet Class finished the day with a remarkable five Net points. David Leech, representing the host Royal Hamilton Amateur Dinghy Club, pushed them close to finish second with seven Net points after claiming victories in races three and four. Miguel Power, sailing for the Sandys Boat Club, rounded out the day's podium in third place with eleven Net points.
While the day belonged to the newcomers, the overall standings tell a story of a tight battle at the summit after ten completed races. Miguel Power remains the overall leader with twenty Net points, holding a slender one-point advantage over Sebastian Round of the Royal Hamilton Amateur Dinghy Club. Maxwell Curtis currently occupies third place overall with thirty-two Net points. With the Comet Class boat now firmly in the mix, the pressure is on the leaders to maintain their consistency as the series progresses toward its conclusion.
Sunday, February 22, 2026
Pedro Battles Tough Fleet at ILCA Midwinters in Florida
IslandStats.com
Bermuda's Sean Pedro showcased his endurance on the international stage as he competed against a formidable field at the 2026 ILCA Midwinters East Championships. Hosted by the Key Biscayne Yacht Club in Florida, the regatta served as a high-stakes qualifier for the upcoming Youth World Championships, drawing some of the finest young sailors from across the region.
Competing in the ILCA 4 division, Pedro navigated a challenging six-race series characterized by shifting coastal breezes. The Bermudian finished 19th place overall, accumulating a total of 85 net points. His performance was highlighted by a standout effort in the fourth race, where he found his rhythm to secure an impressive 11th-place finish, marking his best result of the competition.
Pedro’s consistency throughout the weekend saw him finish ahead of several highly-ranked American and Canadian competitors in a division eventually claimed by Puerto Rico's Julian Rivera Fernández. The result builds on a busy winter season for the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club sailor, who recently represented the island at the Orange Bowl Regatta in Miami as he continues his progression within the international youth circuit.
