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Microsoft VBScript runtime error Error #450 Wrong number of arguments or invalid property assignment (0) Opti's Challenged at the 2004 Newport Opti Challenge Rick McGowan Npt Daily News Bermudan wins Opti Challenge By Rick McGowan/Daily News staff  Nick Johnstone, second from left, of Newport, Paul Wefer, center, and Matt Wefer navigate their Optimists Sunday on Narragansett Bay. Johnstone was the top local competitor in the event. He finished seventh out of 29 in the Blue fleet, for sailors ages 11 and 12. (Matt Stanley/Daily News photo) NEWPORT - What figure to be many future visits to the City-by-the-Sea for Sean Bouchard all should be as successful as the sailing debut over the weekend of this talented Bermuda resident. Bouchard, 13, was the standout among the 67 entries from 10 states and Bermuda in the Sail Newport/Ida Lewis Yacht 2004 Newport Opti Challenge. Bouchard, competing in the 33-boat Red (age 13-15) fleet, won six of the nine races over two days of round-robin competition on an Optimist trapezoid course. The two other fleets, the Blue (age 11-12) and White (age 10-and-under), also got five races in on Saturday and four on Sunday between Goat Island and Rose Island. Matt Wefer of Glen Head, N.Y., placed first in the 29-boat Blue, winning three races and placing an impressive second overall for all entries. Markus Edegran of Ossining, N.Y., didn't win any races in the White fleet, but had the winning final score among the five entries to win the division. Bouchard's domination didn't begin until the third race on Saturday. After consecutive third places, Bouchard ran off six straight bullets before closing out the regatta with a runner-up effort to Sam Williams of Summit, N.J., who placed second overall in the Red fleet and third in the regatta. North-northeast winds at 12-14 knots Sunday, puffs up to 20 knots, and rain couldn't keep Bouchard from adding to his already impressive resume in Optimist dinghies. He won the New Englands two years ago in Rockland, Mass., the North Americans last year in Mexico and was second last spring in the South Americans in Chile. "Basically, this is my last year," Bouchard said about Optimists. "I could do another, but I'm going away to school. This is the year I want to end on, a high note." Bouchard, born in Boston, has lived nearly a decade in Bermuda. "We had to move to Bermuda because of my dad's job," he said. Bouchard, who is 4-foot-9, has been sailing for six years. He attributes the competition there for much of his success. "After sailing with all the great sailors from Bermuda, you really pick up their skills just watching them," Bouchard said. "We have about 35, 40, but they're all right up there. It's the talent that counts." Bouchard said there were some talented sailors here this weekend. He kept an eye out for them, too. "The first races were just to get started, get used to it, then after that I just tried to keep it up," he said. Sunday's weather wasn't exactly home cooking for Bouchard. "It was really cold, so we had to dress warm, so it wasn't that bad," he said. "The wind was really good. Great weather." Which begat great results. "You just find the wind and play the shifts and you're all set," said Bouchard, who begins his high school career this fall at prep power Tabor Academy in Marion, Mass. Nick Johnstone of Newport had the best showing among the local entries. He placed seventh in the Blue fleet. 2004 Results |