Toyota NZ Optimist Nationals at Queen Charlotte Yacht Club - Preview
by Christel Hopkins 20 Mar 2018 23:18 UTC
29 March - 3 April 2018
Sailors with VIP seats last weekend at their dinner after a long day on the water (l-r) Mika Boniface, Noah Malpot, Moss and River Hopkins, Louie Poletti - all QCYC except Noah from Nelson © Christel Hopkins
Close to twenty Queen Charlotte Yacht Club sailors from Rainbow, Green fleet and Open fleet Optimists will compete in the team sailing event and the main regatta. We will also have sailing teams from Australia and Tahiti. We like to do a call-out to the community to support this event, cheer on the teams and show support for the QCYC club in the Olympic style Parade on Thursday 29 March just after 5pm.
On Friday we have the National Optimist Team Racing. 24 teams of 4 boats each will battle it out in front of the QCYC club for all to see. More FM radio will be playing, the beach side café will be open again... the shoreline will rock! Team sailing is very tactical in close proximity sailing and is totally different from the Opti Nationals. But exiting to watch.
There will then be two days of racing for the Open fleet to determine the Gold and Silver fleets, which will sail the final series on the Monday and Tuesday. The Rainbow and Green fleet will also sail four days with one of these days being a mystery adventure race.
It is always a big challenge for the South Island clubs to try and beat the big sailing clubs from the Auckland region. Last weekend Nelson Yacht Club, Worser Bay from Wellington and QCYC got together for a combined Opti training weekend on the Nationals race course area. This was a great weekend and hopefully more combined activities to come.
QCYC is also in the advanced stages for a new water sport facility at their current location. We hope you can all support us for this event and we will make this happen.
Fleets
- Rainbow fleet: mainly consists of sailors who have been sailing less than a year.
- Green fleet: sailors that have been sailing for less then 2 or 3 years.
Green and Rainbow will race in the area in front of Shelley beach and QCYC.
Open fleet sailors are more experienced and able to handle all conditions. The best sailors of this fleet in this regatta will be chosen to join the travelling teams sailing Worlds, European and Asian Championships. They will compete on a course in the outer Harbour. The total number of sailors will be close to 200 with about 130 competing in the Open fleet.