End of Season Report
2004
2004 OPTIMIST ROUND-UP
As the year draws to a close, the Guernsey Flotilla can look back with pride
on what has been achieved, and look forward with eagerness to the challenges
of 2005.
Locally, nearly 20 sailors have taken part in club racing, with Alistair
Higgins, Daniel Wray and Max Barber taking the podium positions
in the M&G Volvo Penta Summer Series. The girls hit back
in Championship Week, when Emma Parkinson, Zoë Parkinson and
Helen Sinclair took the honours. Daniel won the Optimist class
event at the Heritage Guernsey Youth Regatta, while Edward Parkinson
cleaned up in Regatta Fleet.
The Pirates programme was affected by the weather, but was supported as strongly
as ever. It was great to see so many new sailors on the pond, with
as many as 8 or 9 boats out on several evenings – often with more than one
sailor in each boat. Clare and James Chapple gave
up many hours to act as ‘pirate helpers’.
Guernsey easily retained the Condor Trophée des Iles, winning the
Optimist class both home and away, thanks to the efforts of Daniel and Alistair.
The Guernsey leg saw a massive entry of 36 boats – 12 from each of the three
clubs – showing how competitive the Optimist part of the competition has
become. Many thanks to all the families that hosted visitors at this
event – it was a massive effort on the part of several people, notably the
Sinclairs, Doveys and Thompsons. And a special
thanks to Mike Chapple who ran the racing, despite being short of
helpers.
On the national stage, Guernsey’s sailors continued to fly the flag with
Daniel gaining promotion to the National Squad after representing Great Britain
at the French National Championships. Emma retained her position in
the Intermediate Squad, with a fighting performance at the End of Seasons.
And Zoë has been selected for the South Zone Squad against stiff competition.
George Thompson emerged as a talent to watch, with outstanding performances
in the regatta fleet at the Poole Youth Regatta and at the End of Season
Championships. He has joined Daniel and Alistair in the CI Squad for
the winter, the Squad being coached once again by Alex Cherry.
The RYA has been immensely supportive of this initiative, and we owe them
a vote of thanks.
Among the younger sailors, Sam Van de Velde had a great season, finishing
3rd at the PKF Regatta, David Sidebottom performed well when the conditions
were benign, and Edward Parkinson won a cup at the Nationals for first
sailor under 9.
There have been so many new faces that I can’t remember who joined this year,
but the most recent Optimist owners are Abigail Tanguy and Eleanor
Roper-Curzon. Abigail put in several gutsy performances in a Sailing
Trust Oppie during the 2004 season, and, armed with a fast boat, she is sure
to do well in the class next year. Welcome to you all.
As you may be aware, I was elected Chairman of the International Optimist
Class Association in the UK at the Nationals this summer, so Guernsey is
well and truly on the Optimist map! If you have any questions about
how Optimist sailing is organized in the UK, just get in touch.
Looking forward, the Squadies will all be busy over the winter. Mike
Higgins is trying to arrange some local training for Silver/Bronze Fleet
sailors, and will keep interested parties informed. I hope to arrange
some training over the Easter period, to stir the rest of the Flotilla from
its winter hibernation.
The Flotilla started up in 1999, and the first generation of Guernsey Optimist
sailors has progressed successfully to Youth level – eg Clare Chapple
gaining membership of the Laser Radial Youth Squad and Sophia Parkinson
selected for the 420 Transitional Youth Squad. This means that we now
have a home-grown pool of potential coaches for our Optimist sailors, and
hopefully we will be able to lay on more training events without the expense
of always having to bring in coaches from the UK.
For Daniel and Emma, the next big target is the Selection Trials for the
British teams at the World and European Championships. The Trials take
place in April/May and in many ways mark the end of the Optimist calendar,
with a new cycle starting at the Inland Championships in mid-May. Two
long weekends of racing against the best 85 sailors in the national fleet
is a tough challenge, but they are both veterans by now!
This is the time for planning your 2005 season. The National Championships
will be held at Pwllheli, North Wales, during the week 6th – 12th August.
There will be over 300 entries, with at least 5 from Guernsey. The
area around Pwllheli is not blessed with a super-abundance of accommodation,
and when the Oppy fleet hits town, we rapidly exhaust their resources.
So if you are toying with the idea of going, get on and make some bookings
now!
You may have heard me say it before, but I make no apologies for repeating
that every Guernsey family that has become involved in the national racing
scene wishes that they had started earlier. It is very difficult to
describe how much the children get out of it, and really the only way to
find out what it is like is to go and experience it for yourselves.
One highlight of the season, for which you don’t have to go away, will be
the Heritage Youth Regatta on 28/29 May. I have already had enquiries
from 4 families who are considering coming from the UK, so we can expect
a good entry. Put the date in your diary.
The Condor Trophée des Iles will be staged in Jersey and St Malo this
year, and these regattas will provide an ideal first taste of ‘away’ events.
There are always some beginners, and many of the competitors are about 10,
so don’t be intimidated. The French are particularly keen to host Channel
Island families.
That’s it for now. Have a very Merry Christmas, and I wish you good
sailing in 2005!
Charles Parkinson.