Youngster Sean Bouchard is in fourth place in the World Optimists Championships with three days of competition remaining.

Bouchard, who has two second place finishes and a fourth from nine races, improved his position in the 241-boat fleet in Lake Silvaplana, Engadin, Switzerland over the weekend from seventh to just outside the medals.

Bouchard, a perennial winner in South and North American Championships, finished 32nd overall last year after winning three races, and looks set to improve on that as racing wraps up on Thursday, although his 70 points puts him 22 points away from Jianan Wu, of China, in third.

Oliver Riihiluoma, with a fourth and a second in the last four races, is in 39th place while Elijah Simmons ? who won the first race of the event ? is now up to 50th.

Cameron Pimental is in 88th and Jason Saints, who had an eighth place finish seventh race, is 123rd overall.

The winds have been near-perfect for the opening eight days of competition, although they fell away yesterday with many of the team event races ? for which Bermuda have failed to qualify ? failing to take place. Further races in that competition will take place today and individual races begin again tomorrow and conclude on Thursday.