Enzo Menditto, 13, an eighth grader at Westminster Christian School in Palmetto Bay, is one of four sailors representing the United States in the International Optimist Dinghy Association (IODA) European Championship Regatta on the Black Sea off the coast of Bourgas, Bulgaria through Aug. 6.
Menditto began his sailing career at age 8 and has trained for the past five years at Coral Reef Yacht Club in Coconut Grove.
This past May, Menditto competed in the United States Optimist Dinghy Association (USODA) Team Trials event in Long Beach Island, NJ, where he finished eighth in the country and retained his seat on the U.S. National Team. In previous years, he has represented the United States at the South American Championship in Paraguay (2017), The North American Championship in Antigua (2016), The Lake Garda Optimist Meeting in Italy (2016) and British Nationals in Wales (2015).
Youth sailing in South Florida, unlike any other place in the country, has the benefit of year-round sailing. Menditto looks to advance his ranking to top five in the next year so he can represent the USA in the 2018 Optimist World Championship to take place in Cypress.
