Optimist Opens

Published 12:14 on 17 Sep 2026

Euan Bradshaw writes: Emsworth Sailing Club was represented at the Parkstone Optimist Open by Theo, Felix and Zoey, competing in the 35-boat Main Fleet. The weekend brought plenty of sunshine but also light and shifty conditions, particularly on Saturday, making for some challenging racing. Theo had an excellent regatta, finishing 3rd overall, while Felix finished 15th and Zoey 23rd. It was a strong showing from the ESC sailors in a competitive regional fleet, with all three gaining valuable experience racing against sailors from clubs across the South Coast.

The following weekend the Optimists headed to Bosham, with Eliza and Daisy competing in the Regatta Fleet and Zoey sailing in the Main Fleet. In the 38 boat strong Regatta Fleet, Daisy finished 11th overall (best result 6th) and Eliza 16th (best result also 6th), both completing all four races and gaining more experience of open-meeting racing. In the Main Fleet of 36 boats, Zoey battled the tide in the main channel and finished 10th overall, with a best result of 7th.

The two weekends provided excellent preparation ahead of the Emsworth Optimist Open on 26 September, where we hope to see a great fleet of Emsworth Optimist sailors on the water, alongside visiting sailors from clubs across the region. It should be a fantastic opportunity for our young sailors to put their recent experience into practice and enjoy some competitive racing on their home waters. (photo by Mark Norton)