The 2025 TUUCI Orange Bowl International Youth Regatta finally found its rhythm on Biscayne Bay as a stubborn lack of wind gave way to a steady enough breeze for the Bermuda contingent to launch their campaigns. After a testing period of inactivity that left sailors and coaches alike watching the horizon, the arrival of the breeze allowed for a full day of high-stakes racing across multiple fleets.
In the highly competitive Optimist Division, the patience of the young sailors was rewarded with four races completed in quick succession. Thomas McBain emerged as the leading Bermudian performer, currently sitting in 73rd place overall with 111 points. McBain showed significant improvement as the day progressed, peaking with an impressive 12th-place finish in the fourth and final race of the afternoon. He is followed closely by Rex Henagulph in 82nd position, who matched that 12th-place feat earlier in the day during race two, ending the session with 120 points.
Further down the leaderboard, the Bermudian fleet showed flashes of brilliance despite the heavy traffic on the water. Aaron Riker occupies 113th place after a strong 29th-place showing in his final outing, while Miguel Leite and Ishmael Dill find themselves separated by just two points in 142nd and 144th respectively.
In the ILCA classes, Bermuda’s representatives thrived in the slightly more stable conditions. Sean Pedro leads the charge in the ILCA4 division, occupying 21st place overall after four races. However, the standout performance of the regatta so far belongs to Miguel Power in the ILCA7 fleet. Navigating the tactical challenges of the bay with maturity, Power sits 8th overall, aided by a sensational second-place finish in the opening race. With a net total of 22 points, he remains firmly in contention as the fleet looks ahead to the final stages of competition.
