Bermuda?s Optimist team head off to Puerto Rico this weekend for the North American Sailing Championships.

The 12-strong team were given an official farewell at Government House yesterday ahead of the eight-day event which will see 190 sailors from 22 countries take part.

The team, aged from 12 to 15, were selected following trials in December and January and will compete from Monday in the championships in which they finished second overall last year.

?We are very grateful to Lady Vereker and Sir John Vereker for inviting our young team to a farewell reception at Government House,? said Eddie Saints, president of the Bermuda Optimist Dinghy Association.

?This reception is an added boost to the excitement and optimism that the team is experiencing as they prepare for this weekend?s journey to Puerto Rico. We are confident that our team will continue to perform well in both the individual ranking and in team racing where Bermuda have dominated over the past four years.? James Anfossi, Haley Powell, Johnny Norfleet, Anthony Bailey, Lance Fraser, Connor Astwood, Jordan Saints, Jason Saints, Kalin Hillier, Ryan Powell, Kyle Burgess, Blake Burgess.