Today registration came to a close for 310 sailors, and the Toyota NZ Optimist Nationals for 2011 were launched by an opening ceremony which featured a guest appearance by Emirates TNZ's Dean Barker.
After a very loose assembly on Fort Takapuna the sailors marched down the hill to Wakatere Boating Club, lead by The Edge radio station representatives, a few dignitaries and Dean Barker. Club Commodore Dean Coleman welcomed sailors and guests, thanked club members for the many hours of volunteer preparation they'd put into the event, and also thanked principal sponsors Toyota for their ongoing support of the Optimist Class.
Dean Barker then received a warm welcome from the young sailors, he shared a harrowing experience in an opti on Lake Pupuke with the crowd and went on to impress upon them the value of friendships which form in these early years of sailing, the sort of friendships which he continues to enjoy today. Sailors were advised that conditions could be tricky off Wakatere Boating Club, so it would take the best sailors to come through, and he admitted he didn't have a sure-fire method of winning the regatta.
Vauxhall Primary School's choir lead those assembled in a delightful rendition of the national anthem which drew the ceremony to a close.
So, formalities dealt with, let the competition begin - the top ranked New Zealand sailor is Markus Somerville followed by Tim Adair, both of Wakatere BC; third ranked is William McKenzie of Kohimarama YC; fourth is Nathaniel Deverell of the Bay of Islands; and fifth is Trent Rippey of Tauranga Yacht and Power Boating Club. Local Open class sailors are competing for one of the top five spots in the NZ Worlds team, while the 110 Green fleet sailors are sailing for experience before they progress to the Open division.
Also attending the regatta are a number of international teams - eight sailors have come from Australia, including their five member Worlds team, six from Noumea, two from the Cook Island and two from Tahiti who will be using this as a test run for the upcoming Worlds.
The 2011 Optimist Worlds will be held in New Zealand later this year, sailed out of Napier Sailing Club in December, stretching through to early January 2012.
