NYC

2012 will be a great year for all Optimist sailors

Each month is jammed packed with racing, training and events.  See below for a breakdown of Spring, Summer and Autumn racing, training and events.

Saturday racing starts 25th of February, Friday night racing starts 20th of April, and the summer courses start June 5th

Important dates for your diary!

NYC Oppie Calender 2012 Feb. to April

NYC Oppie Calender 2012 May to July

NYC Oppie Calender 2012 Aug. to Nov.

If you have any queries in relation to any of the optimist events or wish to know more about the optimist class please contact our club optimist coordinators

Brian Kneafsey 0872265363

Susan Spain 0878166010

Carl Fagan 0879279094

Scroll down for Optimist News:

Optimist Irish Team Trails Complete  May 2012

After 16 races over 6 days in Dublin Bay and Dunmore East, in a series that challenged the sailors in all weather conditions, light winds, heavy winds and lumpy seas, Douglas Elmes of WHSC/RCYC emerged as the winner beating last year’s winner, Sophie Browne TBSC/RCYC into second place.

The top 19 sailors qualified for the coveted green lifejacket and to sail for the Irish Team this summer. Congratulations to the two National Yacht Club sailors included in the team; Daniel Raymond who qualified for the European Team to race in the European Championships in Italy and Heather Spain who qualified for the International Development Team to race in the French Nationals in Brittany.

Congratulations too to Loghlen Rickard who stepped off a plane from Florida, where he has spent the winter,  and straight onto the water to qualify for the Irish under 12s squad who will sail in the British Nationals in August.

Qualifying for trials is based on a sailor’s results in last years Optimist events and is a great achievement in itself.

Congratulations to all sailors who competed in the Trials event, particularly those who qualified for the first time.

NYC Optimist Team Racing in Venice “Trofeo Marco Rizotti”

NYC have been once again been invited to enter a team into the prestigious International Optimist Team Racing Regatta - Trofeo Marco Rizotti – www.rizzottisail.it/wordpress which is held every May in Venice. The National has previously sent teams who represented both the club and Ireland in 2010 and in 2006.

It is a fantastic team racing event held in sunny Venice over 4 days. Between 16 and 20 teams compete including many European and International teams from countries such as USA, Australia, Singapore, France, Poland, Spain, Croatia as well as Regional Italian teams.

In the last event, 6 of the top 20 in the Worlds competed including the World Champion from Singapore (who sent 2 teams in 2011).

The event  is scheduled from Thursday May 10 – Sunday May 13^th2012. The accommodation is provided free for the sailors and their coach by the organisers in a fabulous large campsite in Camping di Marina Venezia www.marinadivenezia.it.

Sailors, coaches and parents are accommodated in chalets in the large modern campsite which has swimming pools, restaurants etc. and is also on the beach.

(In 2010, they even extended the free accommodation when the sailors return flights were delayed by the Icelandic volcano!)

Sailors and their coaches are brought to and from the sailing area by minibus. They even pick up sailors, coaches and parents from the airport.  Most of the entry fee for the team is refunded by the organisers.

Optimists are chartered for the event and sailors bring their sails.

Venice is a short ferry trip away and the organisers put on an evening trip for everyone during the week.

It is an important regatta on the IODA World Event Calender and is a great experience for our sailors.

A short video can be seen at http://www.hdvideo.it/trofeorizzotti/2/eng/25-rizzotti-trophy.

Tenerife Optimist Exchange Programme

We are delighted to have commenced a new Optimist Exchange Programme with Club de Mar Radazul a Yacht / Sports club in Tenerife, Canary Islands www.clubmradazul.com

This is an optimist sailor exchange in conjuction with RSGYC.

Six Tenerife sailors and their coach will be coming to Dun Laoghaire during the Easter break  and the lucky hosting families will go over to Tenerife for a week in the Winter (October, November or January) for some sunny Winter sailing!

The Spanish sailors are aged 12-13 and are all from Tenerife. We plan to have a few days coaching with Spanish and Irish coaches as well as other activities culminating in a regatta on Good Friday – the “Brassed-Off Cup” which is held every Easter Friday in Howth Yacht Club.

Interested sailors and parents should contact Brian Kneafsey (087-2265363) or Susan Spain (87-8166010) as soon as possible to avail of this exciting development.

Optimist Training Week Baltimore 2012

Nineteen junior sailors from NYC travelled to the Iodai spring training week – an event with over 130 sailors aged between 7 and 14.  The NYC group was one of the largest participating with sailors in all fleets.

Over five days the sailors had excellent conditions with fine weather and great racing. International and Irish coaches provided a full range of training, from first time regatta fleet level to ISA squad.

The event is a highlight of the Oppie season with as much social activity as sailing – not to be missed !

Thanks to all the parents and supporters who made it such a success.

For a full account of the event see -

http://www.iodai.com/live/1500.html

From the NYC Optimist class participating were:

Conor Gorman, Fiona Ferguson, Tom Murphy, Ella Hemeryck, Peter Fagan, Cliona Coyle, Clare Gorman, Cian Murphy, Nicola Ferguson, William Spain, Patrick Coyle, Natasha Hemeryck, Dara Donnelly, Heather Spain, Hugh Perrette, Oscar Cahill, Evie Byrne, Conor Kneafsey, Nicole Hemeryck