Kickemuit Middle School will be asked to excuse eighth grader Joshua Bartoszuk for an absence or two in the coming weeks.

The Warren 13-year-old’s success racing little sailboats has earned him a spot on the US Optimist National Team, an honor that is about to make him a frequent flyer.

On March 15, he headed for Ecuador to compete in the 2016 International Optimist Dinghy Association South American Championship.

Then in April he plans to participate in the Optimist Team Trials in San Francisco. He’ll be joined in that adventure by Barrington Opti sailors Joseph Wicker, Chip Kreuzkamp, Stewart Wemple, and Connor Macken.

And if all goes very well, his goal is “to represent my country at the 2016 Optimist World Championship in Portugal.”

Joshua, whose 2015 sailing year included a second place finish at the US Optimist Dinghy Association Team Race Nationals, and first place overall, Narragansett Bay Red Fleet, knows Ecuador will be a challenge.

“This regatta is considered to be one of the most prestigious and competitive and attracts the best Opti sailors from around the globe,” he said.

Not helpful is that Ecuador is known for light breezes. Being taller than many of his competitors, Joshua says, “I like heavier wind more than light wind” — the sort of breeze he is more likely to encounter in San Francisco.

However things work out, he’s looking forward to his final year racing Optimists — young sailors typically move along to bigger racing dinghies.

“My favorite boat to sail is probably the Opti because it's so simple, yet so fun and there are always plenty of people at regattas or practice for me to compete with.”

Joshua comes by his love of sailing naturally. His parents, Anne and Greg Bartoszuk, met aboard a tall ship; Mr. Bartoszuk sailed and raced as a youngster in his native Poland and moved on to crew and captain tall ships.

Joshua got his sailing and racing start at the Bristol Yacht Club, then joined the Brenton Cove Racing Program for the 2014-15 seasons. Off the water he has played soccer and is quite the speller — he was the Bristol-Warren District’s spelling bee second place finisher in both grades 4 and 7.

All of this pending air fare, room and board pose a challenge for the family as well with expenses potentially approaching $10,000, “far more than our family budget can absorb,” Joshua said. To help defray those costs, they’ve launched a fund-raising effort. Anyone who’d like to help send Joshua to these competitions can do so by contacting Sail Newport.

Zim on the move

After seven years on Cutler Street in Warren, Zim Sailing has moved to a new Warren location with double the space.

The new 24,000-square-foot facility at 373 Market St., Unit 3, enables Zim to combine its boat manufacturing and retail shop under one roof.

Along with parts, the store offers products by Gill,Magic Marine, Neil Pryde and more.