2003 - 2004 Season

 

Toyota Optinats 2004
Worser Bay Boating Club

8 - 13 April 2004.
 

 

NZ Optimist Association Newsletter November 2003.
NZ Optimist Association Membership Application

 

 

Toyota Optinats 2004 planning update: 6 December

 

We have now had four meetings of the organising committee for the Toyota Optinats 2004. We have developed six teams to run the regatta and feel like we are tracking well to our plan.

 

One team is the race management team which has been busy preparing the Notice of Race. Now this has been released they are working on the sailing instructions and training the various members of the race management team.

 

The second team is the general facilities team. This team have been working out what we will need in terms of facilities. This includes showers, marquees, loud speaker systems, fridges, security, food etc etc. When you start working it all out it is amazing how much you actually need to run such an important regatta.

 

Our third team is responsible for sponsorship and promotion. They have been very active in securing Toyota as the major sponsor of the regatta. We feel very fortunate to have Toyota onboard and feel that they will help to ensure we all have a quality experience next Easter. This team is now working on various tasks such as identifying silver level sponsors and developing a contest website.

 

The fourth team is responsible for ceremonies and prize givings. You will be impressed with the number and quality of spot prizes that this team has on offer. They have already secured a pile of very good prizes and the regatta is still three months away. They are organising a party for the Sunday night which you won't want to miss!!

 

The fifth team is responsible for support boats. The local clubs around Wellington have bee very supportive of the regatta and so far we have around 15 rescue boats lined up. This team is working on parking spaces, wash down areas and launching procedures for the regatta, as well as daily safety briefings.

 

Our final team is responsible for setup, registration and take down. We have been developing a layout plan for boat storage, rigging area, rig storage, registration, ramps to the beach, etc etc. All of this means that we will be taking over the scouts, surf club and half the beach next Easter

NZ Optimist 2004 Nationals Briefing
3 July

 

North American Optimist Championships
Mexico July 2003

Dateline Mexico

Dean Stanley reports from Team Opti NZ  at North American Optimist Championships. Valle de Bravo, Mexico  
Results are  .... Here.

21 July 2003
Hi all
Well we have made it out of Mexico in one peice. We left the hotel at 6.30 in the morning for the bus ride to Mexico city and have subsequently made it to LA airport. We have an hour or so to kill before hopping on the flight to NZ. Everyone is a bit zombied out and wil probably sleep the whole way down under.
As you are no doubt aware we only had the one race yesterday to round of the series. The kids all had a pretty good with results of 6 (Martin's best result saved for last!!), Luke 7th, Susannah 13th, Carl 20ish, and Josh 30ish. It was a typical Valle de Bravo day with the wind kicking in after lunch, to a shifty 7-10 knots and ending with a thunder storm and the wind dying to nothing.
The prize giving last night was great. They held it at yet another yacht club Marina Azul (the fourth that we have visited). It was outside under a sideless marquee. After the usual thank yous the kids all got given a medal for competing. They then gave out the individual and team prizes. Susannah got the prize for he first girl and for the first competitor of the opposite gender to the winner. It was great to see her up there in front of the big crowd. Carl also got a prize for fifth in his age group which was no mean feat.
All in all it was a very good effort by the team.Looking forward to getting home.
Cheers Dean

19 July 2003
Hi all
We have renamed people in the team. The team is now:
Steve Gusher Pyatt
Bruce Niagra Falls Deegan
Luke Huke Falls Deegan
Carl Keeping it at Bay Evans
Dean put a cork in it Stanley
Josh the Fawcett Junior
Martin Not Yet Pike
As you might guess we are well an truely in the grips of Mexico belly. The only consolation is is that we are not the only team. Everyone is coping with it really well though.
Yesterday was full on for the kids. The breeze was very light and had definite veins in it that you had to sail into. There were four races and everyone had at least two general recalls. All of this to cope with while the kids were not feeling 100% was pretty tough and it is amazing how well they coped.
In case you don't know the results from yesterday are:

Susannah: 23, 8, 33, 3 7th overall 1st girl.
Carl: 17, 43, 39, 20 18th overall 5th in age group
Luke: 26, 29, 11, 53 (z flag 20% included) 23 overall
Josh: 4, 31, 30, 48 60th overall
Martin: 43, 58, 29, 57 79th overall

It looks like we might be returning to the thermal wind conditions today. If they knock four races off then the regatta will be over by the end of the day.
Prize giving is tomorrow.
Last night we went out to a kind of kids restaurant up by the village square.
It was a bit of mayhem after a long day on the water but fun all the same. We have worked out the place pretty well and can even find our way around OK!!!
Each morning we have a boat ride from our hotel to the yacht club which is very relaxing and picturesque.

Cheers Dean

 

18/7/03 Day Three & Teams Racing
Hi all,
Day four has dawned overcast after a night of rain . We think we might be in for a no sail day today. The kids have just left the beach but it isnīt looking promising.
Yesterday was the team racing. We qualified second overall for the event on our combined points of the top four sailors. This meant we sailed our first race against a UN team. They actually gave us a run for our money but the team ended up winning easily thanks to a good last beat. We then had to race against USA2. The kids got right into their stride in this race with 1, 2, 3 and 6 around the top mark which they held to the finish.
The system that they are using here is a two life system. By winning two races this meant we were in a sail off to be one of the top two boats. We met Mexico and had a really tight race. We thought that there were a couple of dubious non-decisions by the judges, one of which involved one of their team sculling out from a covered position to cross the line ahead of one of our guys. As a result we lost that one and went to the other side of the draw.
Next we met Argentina 1. This was a great race with both teams neck and neck all the way around the track. The race had to be decided on a countback which we lost as we had the winning boat. If we had of won that race then we would have been in the sail off for third. As a result we ended up 5= with the USA 1 team. We thought this was a great effort.
Last night was another excellent meal although Bruce, Josh and Luke stayed at home as they were all feeling a little queezy. The kids went to one venue where they had a feed and a disco while Steve and I went to a very nice Italian style restaurant.
That's all for now.
Cheers Dean

17/7/03 Day Two & Teams Racing
Hi all
Today is the teams racing day. We have qualified in third place behind Japan and Bermuda and just ahead of USA and Brazil. There are sixteen teams in the teams racing. USA, Mexico and Brazil have three teams, Bermuda and Argentina have two teams and Japan, Peru and NZL have one team. All our guys will be racing in the teams racing. Probably Carl and Luke will be in each race and we will rotate the last three. The teams racing involves a four person team.
We ended up only having the catch up of race three and race four yesterday. The lightning came and they sent everyone to shore real quick. Carl, Susannah and Luke are all sailing very well and are in the top tem overall (3, 4=, and 8= overall). Josh and Martin are a little of the pace and are not quite reading the shifts correctly. They both had a not so good result in the last race yesterday to bump them back to 43 and 55 respectively. Overall the whole team is performing well above expectations. To have everyone in the top half after two days is fantastic. They are all really focused and no what is needed to improve or maintain their spot.
The weather in this place is truly unique. We are intrigued by the race committee. Each day they head out to the track at about 10.30 and lay a course even though there is no wind. Then about 11.00 the start boat heads out and sets the line even though there is no wind!!! Then around 12.00 - 12.30 in comes the breeze and the line they have set is pretty much spot on and the course they have set is pretty much spot on!!!!!
The wind is generated by thermal activity. It generally blows from the nor west getting up to about 10-12 knots sometimes puffing up to 15. This pressure settles in pretty quickly then slowly decreases as the day goes on. The next effect is a build up of cumulus to the west and south. This gets darker and darker until the thunder storms starts. Slowly but surely these get louder and louder until (on the last two days at least) the lightning starts. Eventually this thunder activity gets too much for the thermal breeze and the rain comes the winds dies and that is it for the day.
Last night we had dinner at one of the other yacht clubs on the lake - Club Nautica. We really need to do some building at our clubs in NZ!!! Club Nautica had half a dozen tennis courts, swimming pool, restaurant, etc, etc. The Mexicans are certainly looking after us on the food front. As racing was postponed reasonably early the older fellas did a spot of shopping in the village. It took a bit to work out american $ to pasos but we all managed. The shops don't look much form the outside but are pretty well stocked with quite nice stuff inside.
The kids have invented a new game. It is a cross between soccer, tennis and volleyball, played on a tennis court with a miniature soccer ball. Seems to keep them entertained in the down time. Any way must go as the queue is building. Will keep you posted through the day with teams results.
No lay day tomorrow anymore.
Cheers Dean

16/7/03 Day One
Hi all
Life in Mexico continues to be most enjoyable! Last night we had dinner at La Taberna, an Italian-Mexican restaurant on the shore of the lake, a short distance from the Hotel. We are starting to work the place out and were able to walk to the restaurant along the narrow windy streets. The team was well pumped after a good first day on the race track.
No doubt you will be able to see the results on the web but just in case:
Susannah Pyatt had the best tally for the day. She finished 2nd in the first race with a tight finish after leading the whole race. Her second race she came in 11th after recovering from a not so good first beat. Her last race was abandoned due to a thunder storm which threatened lightening strikes on the lake.
Carl Evans was perhaps the best sailor on the day. He finished 15th in his first race then 2nd in race two. He was also leading comfortably the third race but dropped to around 7th when the thunder storm turned the race inside out. This race will count if they managed to re-sail the second flight later in the regatta. Luke had a solid day finishing thirteen then 9th. He was also in the fleet that finished their race and isnīt yet counted in the results. In this race he was around the early teens.
Martin Pike and Josh Junior both struggled with the first beat in their races. Both were tending to work one side or other rather than the shifts. Consequently they both were back a little at the top mark in each race. They more than made up for this round the rest of the track. Martin had a 23, 14 and possible 9th (race not counting yet) set of results. Josh had a 23, 14 and was in the leading bunch when his last race was abandoned.
The team lies 2nd overall behind the USA and ahead of Japan, Brazil and Bermuda in the team standings.

Everyone is well and happy and very focused. Someone is waiting for the computer so Iīll send an update later today.
Cheers Dean

15/7/03 Practice Day
Hi all,
All is well over here. Accomodation is great although it does take 15 minutes by bus (5 by boat) to get to the yacht club. The village is very nice. Lots of very narrow steep streets with incredibly stony cobbled roads. No one drives faster than 10 km/h!! We are eating at different local restaurants each night as set up by the organisers. This is great because you would probably never find them yourself if you went looking. Valle de Bravo is where the wealthy Mexicans from Mexico city come each weekend. I donīt think we are seeing the true Mexico but it is very nice all the same.
The yacht club is splendid. Six tennis courts, swimming pool, bar, big grass area for rigging the boats, etc. The boats are all good and the kids seem happy with them. The coach boat is a bit tired though!!
We had a practice race yesterday using split fleets. Carl and Susannah were in early teens, Luke in early 20s and Josh and Martin got caught on the wrong side of 20 degree shift and ended up further back. A lot of sailors were pushing the start which we hope the RO sorts out or our guys are just going to have to be over as well.
Every one is happy and well.
Dean

 

 

North American Optimist Championships
at Valle de Bravo, Mexico.
11-20 July 2003
Have a look at where our very own Optimist Champion, Josh Junior will be competing .... Here.  Looks like a beautiful lake behind a big dam..... not much wind in the pictures!
It also seems that the Americas Cup catamaran US-1 of the notorious big boat challenge fame is on the lake at Valle de Bravo.

 

Optimist Nationals at Worser Bay!

15 June 2003: Commodore Heleen Visser announced today " Great News! The NZOIDA has recently announced that Worser Bay will host the next Optimist Nationals, Easter 2004.
Over 160 sailors, aged under 16, and from all over New Zealand, are expected to compete for the national title. "
 

2002 - 2003 Season

 

2003 North American Optimist Championships at Valle de Bravo, Mexico
11 July - 2o July 2003
Web Site here includes NOR etc., pictures of a beautiful lake ... not much wind! Our very own Josh Junior will be competing.

 

2003 OptiWorlds at Las Palmas of Gran Canaria
23 July - 2 August 2003
Web Site here includes NOR etc.