Burnham Optimist Open Meeting
Saturday 3rd & Sunday 4th July 2010
We had forty-seven registered for the Saturday of our Oppie Open Meeting. The series was seven races and the fleets split between Race and Regatta.
Saturday was one of those balmy Burnham days with the land breeze from the west being countered by the ever increasing sea breeze. John Hardy, our Race Officer for the weekend, managed to get two races sailed before lunch.
Otters at the Volvo Musto Inland Championships
Saturday 15th & Sunday 16th May 2010
A dozen Otters trailed their boats to Grafham Water for the Volvo Musto Inland Championships over the weekend of the 15th and 16th May. It was an exciting experience for everybody; the conditions were tricky and the fleets were large - 90 entrants in the Regatta Fleet and 220 in the Main Fleet with the starts in flights of 45 boats. The Otters acquitted themselves well and Nick, their trainer, was pleased with the outcome. His report follows.
Otters at the 2010 Eric Twiname Championship
Saturday 8th & Sunday 9th May 2010
We had a number of Otters selected for the RYA Eastern Region Winter Zone squad and four of these were selected as part of a team of eight to represent the zone at the Eric Twiname Championship Selection Event. The event took place over the weekend of the 8th/9th May and there were 60 Optimists sailors competing from zones all around the country.
Oppie Otters Had A Successful Winter
27th March 2010
A number of our Oppie sailors have sailed through the winter in various squads. We have had representatives in the RYA East Zone Squad, the IOCA Development Squad, the IOCA Intermediate Squad and the Tera National Squad.
Read more about Oppie Otters Had A Successful Winter...IOCA Winter Championships
Saturday 28th & Sunday 29th November 2009
A few of our hardy Otters braved the elements and entered the IOCA Winter Championship National Event at Datchet Water the weekend of the 28th/29th November. There were just under 200 entrants from all over the country, the Saturday results determining Gold and Silver flights for the Sunday races.
Otters Shine at the Optimist End of Season Regatta
Saturday 10th & Sunday 11th October 2009
Over 300 competitors from around the country took part in the Optimist Dinghy End of Season Regatta at Rutland Water over the weekend of the 10th & 11th October. The competitors were split into two fleets with 230 more experienced sailors sailing in the Main fleet and 80 plus younger sailors sailing in the Regatta fleet.
RYA Eastern Zone Championships
Saturday 26th & Sunday 27th September 2009
This weekend ten Oppie Otters from our race fleet competed in the RYA Eastern Zone Championships at Grafham Water. It was a tough weekend, the winds were light on Saturday though three races were sailed. Winds on Sunday were impossible and only one race was sailed in what can only be described as "changeable" conditions - wind shifts of 90 degrees and little puffs in what was otherwise a glassy lake the norm.
Optimist National Championship 2009
8th - 14th August 2009
A number of our local sailors made the long trip to Largs in Scotland for the 2009 Optimist Nationals and were greeted with a variety of sun (a bit), rain, no wind, strong wind and all culminating on the final Friday when the winds blew 20+ knots and three inches of rain fell!
HCC Burnham Optimist Open Meeting 2009
Saturday 4th & Sunday 5th July 2009
We had 50 entrants for the HCC Optimist Open which was sailed over the weekend under blue skies and a gentle breeze. The numbers were evenly split between Regatta and Race fleets. The Race Officer, John Hardy, set interesting courses for the children as the wind direction and tide made it challenging but we managed to complete six good races before the wind died and the tide took over after lunch on Sunday.
Optimist Inland Championship
18 May 2009
Arthur Brown - Regatta Fleet Inland Champion. We had a number of Otters brave the elements at the Optimist Inland Championship at Grafham Water, there were 235 entrants in the Main fleet and 100 in Regatta fleet.
A huge well done to Arthur Brown. Arthur scored two firsts and a sixth to win the Regatta fleet. Also well done to Louis Brand and Angus Eckstein, out there competing and finishing races which, given the conditions, was a great credit to both of them.
Otters at the Optimist Nationals
9th - 15th August 2008
There was a record entry for the 2008 Optimist Nationals at Pwllheli in North Wales with 447 entrants coming from the UK, Ireland, Malta, USA and Dubai (to name a few). The weather was mixed to say the least with no racing on Saturday or Sunday due to strong winds and only one race sailed on Monday.
Optimist Inland Championships
17th & 18th May 2008
The Otters had a good turn out at the Optimist Inlands. The event had a record entry with 240 sailors in Main fleet and 70 in Regatta fleet and almost all our sailors were in the top half of both fleets! Click on the link below for my daily reports...
Optimist End of Season
13th November 2007
We have finished an excellent season with the Optimists. This year saw the largest pond group for a long time and so we have a good foundation of new sailors joining the Optimist river fleets next year. The river fleets have had a good showing all through the year.
HCC Optimist East Coast Championships
14th &15th July 2007
Strong winds and rough conditions certainly gave the Otter Optimists a hard time over the weekend of the 14th & 15th July when they combined with the BSC to hold the East Coast Championships but they were not daunted and it was the Corinthians Otters' own Fleur Page who was the clear winner of the Main Fleet. The whole event was a credit to the organisers with 88 entrants from 17 clubs in the eastern area.
RYA Training for the Otters
Saturday 19th May 2007
The Otter Optimists joined forces with Oppie sailors from the Burnham Sailing Club to enjoy a full day's training with
James Brown, one of the best RYA Optimist coaches on the 19th May.
Oppie Start of Season at the Pond
Sunday 22nd April 2007
Sun, water, light winds enthusiastic children and a host of experienced parents made this a magnificent start to the season. We had two fleets start at the pond on Sunday 22nd April, one junior fleet of complete beginners with trainer Phil Aspinall and fleet manager Becky Bacon and a senior fleet with varying degrees of sailing ability being trained by Duncan Kay and managed by Marion Aspinall.
Easter Egg Open - Oppie Report
31st March - 1st April 2007
We had eight Oppies brave the elements on Saturday and nine on Sunday. The conditions on Saturday did not suit Oppies well with wind over tide generating reasonable sized waves that meant constant bailing was required.On Sunday the wind was with the tide but the wind was stronger, so still big waves and much bailing!
Optimist RYA Zone Squad & ET Selections
3rd April 2007
As many of you know, we had three Optimist Otters selected for the winter RYA zone squad training: Henriette Brand, Lucinda Goldklang and James Hutton-Penman.
Read more about Optimist RYA Zone Squad & ET Selections...IOCA/RYA East Zone Training
28th October 2006
What a brilliant day's training. With forty Oppies on the water the RCYC was a hive of activity with a real buzz in the air! (Pun intended).
Off to the Optimist Nationals
Saturday 5th August 2006
We left Burnham early as it's a long drive to Pwllheli Sailing Club where
the Nationals were being held for the second year running. We registered then
pitched our tent at Abererch Sands.
Sunday was the first sail after the briefing at midday- one race to determine
the group and coach I would be with for the week. That evening it was raining
so we had to eat our scampi and chips in the car!
Optimists at Braassemermeer
Apr-06
The first Open Optimist Meeting of the season saw three Otters travelling to Braassemermeer in Holland to join competitors from Europe and the USA for the saeason's first Open Event. Against competition from Britain, Ireland, Holland, Belgium, Switzerland, Sweden, Finland and the USA, Lucy de Boltz and Andrew Lis gained a place in the Gold Fleet and Rory Page managed the Silver Fleet. We look forward to hearing of their future progress.
Otter Oppies start the season
11th April 2006
The pontoon is back and so are the Oppie Otters! There were no less than seventy guests for the start of season lunch.
