ONE of Bermuda’s most successful veteran sailors along with one of the island’s up and coming teenagers both flew back to Bermuda this week after nearly capturing the North American titles of their respective classes. Malcolm Smith, a former World Champion and who is also representing Bermuda at next month’s Pan Am Games in Brazil, came second in the Sunfish North American Championships staged on Mobile Bay, Alabama, while Cameron Pimentel, 16, placed second at the Laser Radial North American Championships sailed out of the Hyannis Yacht Club in Hyannis, Massachusetts. Pimentel, who like many of Bermuda’s younger sailors came up through the Optimist class, said he would have been very happy with the top 20 finish before the regatta started.

But in the end he beat out all the other 109 boats bar one — the winner Colin Smith from the US.

Pimentel said this week: “I was hoping for a top 20 so finishing second exceeded my expectations.”

He said the regatta had all the conditions — from windy to light air.

He finished in seventh place in the first race followed by a sixth place, two third places, a 17th place and then two second place finishes. “I threw out the 17th place and I was really pleased when I finished up with two second places,” he said.

Next up for the youngster will be the Laser Radial World Championships set to be sailed in Scheveningen, Holland from July 27 to August 3.

Sailing at the North Americans last week in a huge fleet was far different than sailing in Bermuda, said Pimentel.

“We sail in a smaller fleet here — between 10 and 12 boats. You have to make a lot of adjustments when you sail in a big fleet and it is better to go to as many (big fleet regattas) as possible to get used to it.”

Sailing in the Optimist class at big events like the North American and South American Championships as well as the Worlds helped a great deal.

“They are big fleets and they helped me a lot for the Laser Radial. But the Radial is a lot faster boat and bigger — you have to make decisions quicker in the Radial.”

Eventually Pimentel would like to get into the Laser full rig. “But I need to get bigger and stronger — hopefully I will when I get older,” he said adding that advancing into the Laser full rig would also allow him to compete in the Olympics. “That is a big part of getting into the Laser full rig,” he said.

Before going to the North American Championships Pimentel talked with veteran Sunfish and Laser sailor Malcolm Smith.

“I talked to Malcolm before I left and he told me what to expect. He has a lot of experience and has given me a lot of advice,” he said.

Smith himself was very pleased that Pimentel managed to match him with a second place last week.

Smith said: “He (Pimentel) did really well — it is nice to see. In fact it is great to see all the kids doing well. We work with all of them — we have a good bunch of kids who have come out of the Optis and then through the Bytes and then the Radials — we have good coaching from Dino Weber (from Argentina) here. Dino was my coach at the last Pan Am Games.”

At the Sunfish North American Championships there was a fleet of 55 boats and Smith had finishes of 11, third, second, second, first, third, tenth, sixth, second, second and second. He threw out the first race — his 11th place.

Of the conditions, he said: “There was a good breeze and we managed to have 11 races in three days — that is pretty good going. We had guys from Brazil, Bahamas, Venezuela and the US — in fact a lot of guys who were there will be going to the Pan Am Games in Brazil next month.

“I have sailed on Mobil Bay a couple of times before but this is the first time we have had any really good breeze and I like it better when there is a good breeze.”

This week Smith was getting in some training in the Great Sound in light winds. “I don’t like light winds but I believe that during the Pan Am Games in Rio that is what the conditions will be so you have to be prepared.”

And he will also sail in a regatta off the US east coast just before travelling to Brazil. “There will also be a lot of guys there who will be going to the Pan Am Games,” he said.

The Sunfish North Americans was won by World Champion Eduardo Cordero from Venezuela as he continued his domination of the class.

Cordero, an eight-time world champion, finished first in six of the 11 races. The South American native finished second in two races, and third in two others to dominate the field.

The Sunfish North Americans, hosted by the Fairhope Yacht Club, drew competitors from 17 US states and four nations, including Brazil, the Dominican Republic, the Bahamas and Bermuda.

Riding high on a wave