Bermuda’s Red Bull Youth America’s Cup team continued to take shape at a fitness combine held at Oracle Team USA’s gymnasium in Dockyard at the weekend.

As many as fifty energetic and enthusiastic youngsters took part in the gruelling exercise which tested participants both mentally and physically.

“We are very pleased with the turnout we saw on Saturday and even more pleased with the level of effort we got from the athletes,” Craig Brown, the Team BDA committee vice-chairman, said.

“They really gave us everything they had. This was not an easy test, not everyone was able to complete it.”

A total of 78 youngsters have expressed an interest in trying out for the team since the initial casting call for sailors, with the remaining 28 expected to take part in a second fitness combine scheduled for September 26.

“It was less than a month ago we sent out a call asking people to respond who wanted to be a part of Team Bermuda for the Red Bull Youth America’s Cup and in the end we got 78 young people for the first tryout,” Glenn Jones, the team spokesman, said. “Two thirds of those are none sailors so we are really off to a good starting finding a balanced team of experienced sailors and really great athletes.”

The final squad will consist of six members that will represent the Island at the next Red Bull Youth America’s Cup to be contested in the same wing-sail, foiling AC45F catamarans being used in the Louis Vuitton America’s Cup World Series.

“I think it’s great what we’ve got going on here; the Youth America’s Cup, a Bermudian team that’s going to bring a lot of sailors into the America’s Cup world,” Tom Slingsby, the Oracle Team USA team manager, said.

“A lot of people who had dreams of being a professional sailor now have the opportunity to prove themselves.”

Team New Zealand won the inaugural Red Bull Youth America’s Cup in 2013 with Olympic medallist and multiple world champion Peter Burling at the helm.

Burling has since been appointed as the helmsman of Emirates Team New Zealand, Challenger of the 35th America’s Cup, to be held in Bermuda in 2017.