Promising sailor Mikey Wollmann topped the leaderboard at the completion of the opening series of trials in the Great Sound last weekend for the Optimist World Championships and European Championships this year.

After ten races in the 22-boat fleet, Wollmann, the Royal Hamilton Amateur Dinghy Club sailor, holds a two-point advantage over Campbell Patton, with Tayte Stefaniuk a further nine points off the lead in third. Matilda Nicholls is the top female sailor in the fleet and sits in fourth place overall.

Wollmann had four wins and also managed two seconds and a third to emerge as the early front-runner.

Patton also sailed consistently during last weekend’s favourable conditions and was rewarded with three firsts, three seconds and a third, while Stefaniuk had five podium displays that included a win in the day’s second race. Nicholls posted four top-three finishes, including victory in race six.

The eventual top nine finishers at the completion of trials will qualify for the World Championships, which will be held in Argentina, and European Championships that will take place in Ireland.

Joe Arrowsmith, Felix Cutler, Micah Thomas Raynor, Adriana Penruddocke and George Buckley round off the top nine sailors in the fleet.

Paul Doughty, the Bermuda Optimist Dinghy Association sailing development officer, hailed last weekend’s regatta hosted by Royal Bermuda Yacht Club as a huge success.

“I would particularly like to extend our thanks to Les Crane, Alan Williams, Rene Bouchard, Jay Hooper, Pam Amaral and Thomas Penruddocke, who all gave so freely of their time,” he said. “The kids all had a great time; sailing was the winner.”

The remaining trials will be held on successive weekends next month, March 8 and 9 and March 15 and 16.