Teenaged sailors Lance Fraser, James Anfossi and Catalina Sposato will be hoping to make a good impression at next week's 43rd Governor's Cup International Junior Match Racing Championships being hosted by Balboa Yacht Club (BYC) in Newport Beach, California.

The local trio, who finished runner up in the J-24 class in this year's Bermuda International Invitational Race Week, head off to the US West Coast this weekend to step up preparations for the regatta under the watchful gaze of Argentinian coach Jorge Chiapparro.

Sponsoring Bermuda's sole representatives at next week's event are hosts BYC, this year's Marion to Bermuda Race co-hosts Royal Hamilton Amateur Dingy Club (RHADC), Bermuda Sailing Association (BSA) and Island Embroiders.

While in California the Island's representatives will compete in the Governor's Cup 21 which is an Alan Andrews-designed racing sloop specifically built for the local conditions in Newport Beach.

Next week's regatta will mark the first time skipper Fraser has sailed in the three-person keel boat and competed in California where he expects to find his work cut out for him.

"It will be a tough regatta for us as we've never sailed the boat . . . . but neither will most of the competition (and) so that shouldn't put us at a disadvantage," the 16-year old Warwick Academy student told The Royal Gazette.

"It's our first major international match racing regatta and we will most likely be the youngest and most inexperienced in the

regatta. But I think our realistic goal would be to make it past the round robin stage and into the knock-out rounds."

Fraser, who also sails Snipes, says he cannot wait to get stuck into the intense and aggressive tactical battles associated with the craft of match racing.

"I enjoy match racing a lot, more than fleet racing sometimes," he added.

"It is much more aggressive than fleet racing and creates a much more tense and exciting atmosphere.

"The races are shorter and there is a much less margin for error, making it harder but more fun."

nLast weekend's fitted dinghy racing in St.George's Harbour was postponed due to high winds.

It was the second straight weekend that racing has postponed due to unfavourable weather conditions and organisors now hope mother nature will lift her curse to allow for racing to resume in Granaway Deep July 19.

Contest III (43.25) currently leads the Coronation Cup points standings over nearest rivals Challenger II (26.25) and Elizabeth II (21.25).

nIn yesterday's report on Bermuda's involvement at the IODA North American Championships in the Dominican Republic it was stated that Patrick Essle placed 111th when it fact it should have read Makai Joell who finished 156th in the overall fleet of 198.