Bemuda?s junior sailors are ?Optimist-ic? of putting in a top performance in Algarrobo, Chile, next week.

That?s when 12 of them will compete in the South American Optimist Sailing Championships, which take place from April 1 to 11.

The team, whose ages range from 11 to 14, were selected by Bermuda Optimist Dinghy Association (BODA) to represent the Island following trials last December.

Bermuda will compete against 153 sailors from Chile, Peru, Argentina, Columbia, Trinidad and Tobago, USA, Brazil, Mexico, Uruguay and Ecuador.

The regatta is considered the world?s second most competitive sailing event in this class after the World Optimist Sailing Championships to be held in Ecuador later this year.

?We are very pleased to be able to send our Bermuda team to this important event that will expose our young sailors to one of the world?s most competitive racing events in the Optimist class.

?This will prepare our young sailors for the World Championships in Ecuador in July when five of them will represent Bermuda,? said BODA president John Gardner.

Members of the Bermuda team going to Chile are: Peter Miller, Ben Bernardo, Campbell Duffy, Ryan Saraiva, Cameron Pimentel, William Hutchings, Sean Bouchard, Oliver Rihilouma, Jordan Saints, Jason Saints, Eleanor Gardner and Elijah Simmons.

The accompanying officials are team leader Eddie Saints, country representative Pamela Saraiva and coach Pablo Weber.

Invites are out for the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club?s annual International Race Week which is set to start on April 24.

The Bacardi-sponsored regatta will see racing among overseas and local sailors in both one-design keelboat and dinghy fleets.

Keelboats classes are expected to include Etchells, International One Design (IOD), J-24 and J105, which will sail on the Great Sound. The dinghy classes will be 505, Comet, Snipe, Sunfish and Laser, sailing out of the Spanish Point Boat Club. Racing will begin each day, from Sunday through to the following Friday, at 11.00 a.m.