Bermudian freshman Mackenzie Cooper helped Tabor Academy from Marion, Massachusetts, earn an impressive second place overall at the 2010 Interscholastic School Sailing Association's (ISSA) Team Racing National Championship in Seattle, Washington last Sunday.

Sailing as one of the helmsmen on the three-boat Tabor team, Cooper competed in 16 of the 17 races for the Seawolves in provided FJ dinghies.

The top 12 high school sailing teams in the US gathered for the two-day regatta at Seattle's Sail Sand Point to battle it out in cool temperatures and a light breeze for the Toby Baker Trophy.

The qualification round-robin (in which every team races each other once) was almost completed by Saturday evening with only one outstanding match to be sailed before the teams where divided into seeded foursomes and entered into the championship double round-robin.

In that qualifier, New England champions Tabor, won their first eight races but dropped the last two, ending the day 8-2 to rank second behind undefeated Point Loma High School from San Diego, California.

In the Championship Round, sailed on Sunday, Tabor went on to beat champions Point Loma in the last race of the day to finish in second place.

In recognition of his contribution and progress this season, Cooper received the award for the most improved Varsity Sailor at a post season award dinner on Monday night.

Other Bermuda alumni who have excelled at Tabor and beyond include Bermuda 2012 Olympic hopefuls, brothers Zander and Jesse Kirkland as well as Roger Williams University sailing team key-man Sean Bouchard.

n Special Delivery, a Taswell 58 sloop, sailed by Bill and Diana Quinlan of Jacksonville, Florida won the Atlantic Cup offshore sailing rally from Tortola to Bermuda.

The 18 yachts in this year's race departed in brisk northeast winds for the 850 mile passage. Sailors enjoyed two days of reaching winds before high pressure filled in and motoring began.

The Atlantic Cup is an annual event sponsored by the Cruising Rally Association.

Special Delivery was also the Overall Handicap Winner for the event.

Gil Smith and his crew on Joy For All, a Farr 50, were the second boat to finish in Class one. Class two was won by an all-English crew aboard the Island Packet 485, Pelekan, and second went to Colin and Kathleen Kilgour from Toronto, Canada.