|
|
 |
|
Wednesday, October 28, 2026
|
|
Rodrigues & Vieira spark Eckerd Atlantic Coast Comeback
|
 Jordan Vieira IslandStats.com
Competing in a competitive 17-team collegiate fleet, the Tritons collected 98 points across the regatta, climbing two places on Sunday afternoon to secure the runner-up silverware.
The opening day tested the sailors' tactical patience, with a wind delay pushing the first start back to early afternoon. When racing got under way, light breezes between 6 and 8 knots combined with a strong up-course current to present tricky strategic puzzles across the race area.
Rodrigues partnered with Peyton Seidle in the A Division aboard 420s, while Vieira teamed up with Avery Guck to represent Eckerd in the B Division sailing FJs.
Seven races were completed before shifting breezes forced an early halt to the Day One's schedule. The day was punctuated by a standout race victory from Vieira and Guck in the final B Division rotation, leaving Eckerd fourth overall on 73 points—just three points off the podium.
Conditions shifted markedly on day two as the divisions swapped fleets, with the A Division taking over the FJs and the B Division jumping into 420s amid a cold westerly breeze.
After completing an initial race in each division, the current overpowered the fading breeze, prompting race officials to hold another postponement ashore. Once the wind filled in from the mouth of the river, the fleet rushed back out to beat the strict afternoon cutoff.
Trailing third place by nine points heading into the final push, the Tritons mounted a clinical late charge. Both pairings delivered back-to-back top-five finishes, elevating Eckerd into third and within striking distance of second ahead of the regatta finale.
A composed final outing sealed the comeback, lifting the Tritons onto the second step of the podium.
Rodrigues and Seidle finished second in the A Division standings with 54 points, finishing inside the top half of the fleet in nine of their 10 rotations. Vieira and Guck were equally consistent in the B Division, collecting 44 points and nine top-half results to finish third in their division and cap an outstanding team display.
|
|
|
Wednesday, October 28, 2026
|
|
Bermuda Sailors Make Significant Gains in South Americans
|
Five of Bermuda's six young sailors produced an impressive collective fightback on Wednesday, climbing the leaderboard during a challenging day of racing at the 54th Optimist South American Championship in Punta del Este, Uruguay.
Argentina's Tomás Calvo emerged as the overall regatta leader after tricky wind conditions in Maldonado Bay limited the 180-boat fleet to just a single completed race, bringing the championship series to three races in total.
The testing afternoon played directly into the hands of the Bermudian contingent, with sharp tactical execution sparking sharp rises across the overall rankings.
Alfie Jansma engineered the biggest climb of the day. Starting the afternoon down in 156th position, the young islander produced a storming display in the day's lone race to cross the line seventh. The top-ten finish propelled him 45 places up the standings into 111th overall on 106 points.
Jesse Savage was another standout performer, gaining 29 places to jump from 95th into 66th. Savage sailed a disciplined race to finish ninth, leaving him on 74 total points.
Rex Henagulph bounced back strongly from Tuesday's penalty woes. Taking tenth place on the water, Henagulph elevated himself 16 spots from 64th into the top 50, now sitting 48th overall on 58 points.
Heath Meyers remains Bermuda's front-runner in the championship. Crossing the line 16th on Wednesday, Meyers trimmed his tally to 44 points to rise four places into 33rd position, consolidating his spot in the upper third of the international fleet.
Elaine Jones, the sole female sailor in the Bermuda delegation, also made inroads into the fleet. Jones placed 29th on the day to climb 14 spots from 146th into 132nd on 122 points.
It proved a tougher outing for Aaron Riker, who crossed the line 53rd and slid 19 places from 132nd to 151st on 139 points.
With three races now completed, the championship approaches the qualifying discard threshold as fleet racing continues ahead of the weekend’s team racing championship in Maldonado Bay.
|
|
|
Tuesday, October 27, 2026
|
|
Dias helps Tulane Secure Yale Fleet Race Podium Finish
|
Bermudian sailor Sophia Dias played a key role as Tulane University mounted an impressive showing to secure a third-place overall finish at the Yale Women’s Fleet Race in New Haven, Connecticut.
Competing across two divisions on the waters of Granite Bay, the Green Wave took on a competitive 18-team collegiate field, tallying a combined final score of 146 through 13 rotations to land a spot on the regatta podium.
Tulane's consistent execution in testing conditions saw the team register 15 top-five finishes, highlighted by four race victories across the weekend.
The foundation for the podium finish came via a dominant performance in the B Division, where skipper Paige Tillson joined forces with crews Perrin Mueller and Winnie Young to set the pace. The trio took outright honours in their division, accumulating just 56 points while taking three race victories from their 13 starts.
Dias took to the water in the A Division, splitting duties across the rotations. The young Bermudian skippered alongside crew Caitlin Briggs, while Lola Kohl paired with crew Skye Terrell to share the helm for the Green Wave.
The four-sailor unit maintained a steady rhythm against top-tier opposition, finishing fifth in the A Division with a total score of 90 to ensure Tulane remained firmly in the upper echelon of the overall standings.
The performance caps another accomplished collegiate outing for Dias and the Green Wave ahead of their upcoming championship schedule.
|
|
|
Tuesday, October 27, 2026
|
|
Meyers Leads Bermuda Contingent in South Americans
|
Bermuda’s young sailors have launched their campaigns at the 2026 Optimist South American Championship in Punta del Este, Uruguay, navigating a fiercely competitive 180-boat fleet on opening day.
Six young island sailors—five boys and one girl—took to the waters of Maldonado Bay as fleet racing got underway, with Heath Meyers setting the early pace among the contingent.
Meyers produced a consistent opening round, crossing the line ninth in race one before following up with a 19th-place finish in race two. That leaves him on 28 net points and 37th overall in the expansive international fleet.
Rex Henagulph looked poised to challenge near the front after a fine start, claiming sixth in the opening heat. However, a standard penalty in race two relegated him to 42nd, leaving him on 48 points in 64th position.
Jesse Savage sits 95th overall on 66 points after recording finishes of 30th and 36th, while Aaron Riker holds 132nd spot with 86 points following a 41st and 45th.
Elaine Jones, the sole female sailor in Bermuda's travelling squad, carded 39th and 54th to sit 146th on 93 points, with Alfie Jansma rounding out the group in 156th after logging a 49th and 51st (100 points).
Fleet racing continues through the week in Punta del Este, with up to ten races scheduled alongside a dedicated team racing championship.
|
|
|
Friday, October 23, 2026
|
|
Taylor-Nagel Offshore Veteran Steering Bermuda's Gold Cup Ambition
|
Some sailors simply join a crew. Others help build it from the keel up.
For Emily Taylor-Nagel, SSL Team Bermuda was little more than an ambitious concept when she first got involved. Now, as the island ramps up preparations for the 2026 SSL Gold Cup in Rio de Janeiro, the seasoned offshore sailor finds herself at the very heart of the campaign.
Taylor-Nagel’s connection to the water began at the age of 10, when a family friend introduced her to an Optimist dinghy at Mangrove Bay. A quick affinity for the sport soon transitioned into competitive racing in RS Fevas while attending boarding school in the United Kingdom, laying the groundwork for an elite international career.
Her defining milestone arrived during the 2017–18 Volvo Ocean Race, where she navigated the treacherous waters around Cape Horn. Enduring a gruelling edition defined by immense physical toll and heartbreak, rounding the Horn alongside a close-knit crew fulfilled a lifelong ambition that, for Taylor-Nagel, surpassed any podium silverware.
That hard-won offshore pedigree is now being channelled directly into Bermuda’s national effort on the high-performance SSL47 yachts.
"We may be small, but we are mighty," Taylor-Nagel said. "Bermuda can compete with the best, even when many of our sailors are balancing full-time jobs with their passion for sailing."
The Gold Cup format demands razor-sharp coordination aboard the 47-foot monohulls—a steep learning curve for crews with restricted preparation windows. For Taylor-Nagel, the objective extends beyond results to mentorship: exposing local talent to grand-prix keelboats and watching the next generation of Bermudian sailors gain confidence at the international level.
With time on the water strictly limited ahead of the qualifying stages, Taylor-Nagel insists that securing dedicated coaching will be vital to bridging the gap against full-time professional outfits.
"A coach will be crucial to accelerating learning, providing an outside perspective and holding everyone accountable," she added. "There is always something new to learn, whatever your experience."
Bermuda has never lacked natural maritime talent or grit. Yet as the countdown to Rio quickens, the focus shifts to fine margins—maximising limited training slots, sharpening crew manoeuvres, and ensuring the island's punchy squad arrives in Brazil ready to ruffle feathers on the global stage.
|
|
|
|
