Advanced Optimist sailors Owen Siese and Mackenzie Cooper warmed up for this month's North American Championships by putting in solid performances at last weekend's Scotiabank Caribbean International Optimist Regatta in the US Virgin Islands.

Warwick Academy student Siese led the way with a highly respectable sixth place finish while compatriot Cooper rebounded from a slow start to lock down 15th position in an overall fleet of 74 sailors heralding from 14 different countries.

Bermuda was also represented in the Intermediate Division where Cooper's younger sibling, Chase, placed 62nd.

"Owen was very consistent which is something that has long been a challenge for him while Mackenzie really pulled his socks up later in the regatta because he wasn't doing that well initially," said Royal Bermuda Yacht Club (RBYC) sailing coach Paul Doughty.

Siese and Cooper are key cogs in Bermuda's eight-member team that will compete at next week's North American Championships to be held in the Dominican Republic where local conditions could favor the Island's youngsters.

"I think our biggest sailors that struggled in the light sloppy stuff in Ecuador (April's South American Championships) are going to be given the chance in 12 to 18 knots to excel and this could play to our advantage," Doughty reasoned.

Doughty has been busy putting his young sailors through their paces over the past several months and is confident they can rise to the occasion in the Dominican Republic next week.

"As a coach you always expect that all the training and preparation that has been done kicks in and that we get very high places," he added.

"If we can get two finishers in the top 20 in the fleet racing and finish in the top four in team racing I would be ecstatic and I think we are capable of doing very well."

Doughty admits Bermuda's task won't be easy, particularly sailing against the powerful Asians and European teams who will be looking to use the regatta as a stepping stone for next month's bigger assignment at the Optimist World Championships in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

"We have our hands full in that respect that it's just not a normal North American championships and we know the South Americans have gotten stronger again, in particular Argentina and Peru.

"But we certainly should not be afraid of anybody," Doughty said.

Siese and Cooper also form part of Bermuda's five-member team that will compete at next month's Optimist World Championships in Brazil.

American Axel Sly won last week's North American Championships in the Dominican Republic followed by Arthur Fortune (Guadaloupe) in second and Chris Williford (USA) in third.