Bermuda's young sailors faced a punishing schedule on the second day of the 2026 Optimist World Championship, completing three rapid-fire fleet races in Tanger Bay to take the opening individual series to four races.
Following a weather-stifled opening day in Morocco, the Royal Yacht Club de Tanger organizers took full advantage of stabilization in the Atlantic breezes, pushing the massive international fleet of nearly 300 sailors through their paces.
Thomas McBain remains the standout performer for the island nation, anchoring himself inside the top 40. McBain enjoyed an electric start to his morning, securing a brilliant sixth-place finish in the day's opening race—the fleet's second overall. While subsequent shifts proved harder to read, he sits in a commendable 32nd place overall with 59 points.
The biggest mover of the day for Team Bermuda was Rex Henagulph. Having struggled in the low-wind opener, Henagulph found his rhythm as the swell increased. He saved his finest performance for the final race of the afternoon, navigating a crowded mark round to cross the line in 23rd, climbing to 147th overall with 144 points.
It proved to be a more difficult day on the water for the rest of the Bermudian contingent, who found themselves buried in the dense mid-fleet traffic. Miguel Leite currently sits in 160th overall with 158 points, while Jesse Savage holds 195th with a total of 184 points.
Heath Meyers rounds out the team's positions in 197th with 187 points, after a demanding afternoon of tactical learning on African waters.
With the individual series now gathering momentum, the fleet racing continues tomorrow before the tournament transitions into the highly anticipated Team Racing segment later in the week.
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