Team Bermuda have made the first cut to the group of sailors and athletes hoping to represent the Island in the Red Bull Youth America’s Cup next year.

Of the 46 that took part in an intensive one-week training camp last month, 16 have been culled, leaving 30 to go forward to the next stage.

Among that group are Cecilia Wollmann, who represented Bermuda in sailing at the Youth Olympics, Kailin Hillier, who competed at the NatWest Island Games last year, and Greg Maybury, the Somerset and Bermuda cricketer.

The 16 that were cut either failed to meet the intense physical demands of the sport, or ruled themselves out by not adhering to the strict policy team officials put in place regarding time-keeping, and the consumption of alcohol.

Those that remain will take part in another training camp in March, with the Team Bermuda selection committee aiming to reduce that number to 18 over the course of the next several months.

“Without a doubt any of these young people show promise of being able to make the team,” Glenn Jones, a Team Bermuda spokesman, said.

“Those who survived the one-week training camp have come a long way considering more than 100 young people registered their intent to try out for the team last year.

“However, it’s also true that the remaining candidates still have a very long way to go.”

Team officials intend to whittle down the numbers to include the best sailors and athletes who, with intensive training and coaching, will be equipped to compete with the world’s best young sailors in foiling high-performance catamarans.

“We probably won’t be doing that before Easter because we want to give everybody who has made it this far a fair shake,” Jane Savage, the chairwoman of Team Bermuda’s Red Bull Youth America’s Cup committee, said. “We don’t want to rush to make the next cut, but we realise that time is against us as far as getting the team ready for 2017.”

The final racing team will consist of six Red Bull Youth America’s Cup squad members, with others supporting as training partners and a shore team.

Team Bermuda race in the Great Sound before a hometown crowd as they face other youth teams from around the world in June 2017.

The Red Bull Youth America’s Cup in Bermuda will take place on one-design foiling AC45 catamarans, the same boats the professionals use in the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series.