Promising sailor Rory Caslin led Bermuda’s charge at last week’s Volvo Gill Optimist British National and Open Championships in Pwllheli, Wales.The current national Optimist champion placed a respectable 28th among the 140 sailors competing in the Senior Fleet (13-15) in what proved to be trying conditions.Caslin’s solid showing followed close on the heels of a superb third place showing at this year’s Irish Championships.Also competing in the Senior Fleet in Wales was 13-year-old Alice Reeves who placed 91st in her first regatta outside of the Americas.Matilda Nicholls and Camille Chin-Gurrett also impressed at the international regatta competing in the Junior Fleet (12 and under), placing 22nd and 80th respectively in an overall fleet of 172 sailors.Nicholls was fourth in her age group (11-year-olds) and seventh overall among the female sailors.The Junior Fleet was divided into Gold and Silver Fleets, with both Nicholls and Gurrett qualifying for the Gold Fleet.Bermuda was also represented in the various Regatta Fleets.Flo Nicholls and Grace Reeves finished fifth and sixth in the 51-boat Regatta Racing Fleet while brothers Luc and Ethan Madeiros finished 14th and 20th in the Regatta Coaching and Regatta Mini-Racers Fleets respectively.Accompanying the Island’s eight-member team to Wales was Royal Bermuda Yacht Club (RBYC) Sailing Academy Director Tom Herbert-Evans.Overall, Evans said he was “thrilled” with the team’s performance.“It is without doubt all the sailors had a fabulous week in terms of gaining experience and meeting new friends,” he added. “We brought a real cross section of our sailors and we had sailors competing in every fleet.“This was such a success I am certain we will aim for many more to attend the 2013 British Championships in Largs, Scotland.”Bermuda’s team comprised of Optimist sailors from RBYC, Royal Hamilton Amateur Dinghy Club (RHADC) and Sandys Boat Club (SBC).Some 427 sailors participated in this year’s event.Nearly two days of competition was lost due to a major low pressure system over Ireland and North Wales that caused heavy winds and tall seas.“These were bigger waves than most have seen before and all the practice in Bermuda in July clearly helped our sailors,” Evans said.