News A Repeat Performance for Arthur Back (BRA) & Joana Freitas (BRA) taking Gold & Silver at 2023 SAMS

A Repeat Performance for Arthur Back (BRA) & Joana Freitas (BRA) taking Gold & Silver at 2023 SAMS

The 2023 Optimist South American Championship took place in Paracas, Peru April 15th 22nd.   The competition concluded on April 21st after 5 exceptional days of racing.  10 races were completed in the fleet racing portion of the championship – 5 in the qualification series and 5 in the finals.

After an intense week of racing in gorgeous sailing conditions, it was a repeat performance from the 2022 South American Championship held in Rio de Janeiro, BRA last October where the top two sailors won Gold and Silver again to take the top titles at the 2023 Optimist South American Championship

Brazil dominated the final results winning the top two spots of the 2023 Optimist South American Titles of top boy and girl as well as 6th to 10th places overall. 

Winner of the 2023 Optimist South American Championships was Arther Kubelka de Carlos Back (BRA) who was untouchable with 46 points ahead of teammate Joana Cocchi Kubelka de Freitas (BRA), the top girl at the championship, who followed in 2nd place overall.

Third overall was Wylder Smith (USA) and the top non-South American at the event, moving up one spot from 4th overall at the 2022 South Americans. He was followed in 4th place overall by Diego Marrero-Cuevas (PUR), silver medalist at the 2022 Optimist North American Championship and Davide Bazzoni (USA) in 5th.

Although tied in points with Bazzoni, Felipe Santana Lorenzo Raices Lobianco Vicente (BRA) ended up in 6th overall was just 2 points ahead of teammate Enzo Ricardi (BRA) in 7th place.

In the girls standings, following Joana Cocchi Kubelka de Freitas (BRA) who was in 2nd place, was Anna Ulmer (USA) in 11th place and Isabella Suazo (PER) in 12th, who improved her place from 18th overall at the 2022 South Americans.

The 2023 Optimist South American Team Racing Championship and Nations Cup were held mid-week in between the qualifying and finals fleet racing series.  Always a highlight of the week because the sailors get the chance to compete as a team with their teammates.  It is action packed and a ton of fun.

16 teams competed in the 2023 South American Team Racing Championship in a perfect 12-14 knot breeze.   It was a tough battle over 31 races from multiple teams from BRA, CHI, ARG, URU, PER, and ECU.  In the end it was a battle between the home team PER2 and BRA2.   PER2 won two of three races in the final to take the gold medal and the 2023 South American Team Racing Championship Title. BRA2 took the silver and BRA 3 took the bronze.

For the Nations Cup, 5 teams from 3 countries (USA, PUR & MEX)  battled it out over 15 races.   The final was between USA1 and PUR1.  USA1 took the title and gold medal after winning two of three races.  PUR1 took the silver and USA2 took the bronze.

Many thanks to the Claudio Zegarra, President, of the Asociación Peruana de Optimist and his team of volunteers for organizing and hosting a fantastic 2023 Optimist South American Championship.  Paracas delivered the sailing conditions and Claudio and his team delivered the rest. You are to be congratulated on a job well done!

To view amazing photographs from Matias Capizzano and other news and information, visit the event Microsite here.

For the full results, go here.