Optimist open meeting at Emsworth Sailing Club

Optimist open meeting at Emsworth © Don Manson

Emsworth Sailing Club hosted its annual Optimist Open Meeting on Saturday 26 September 2026. Around 40 sailors were split across two fleets: Main Fleet and Regatta Fleet.

The weather forecast for the day did not look promising, with a very light northerly breeze in the morning and a light southerly breeze for the afternoon. The race officers and mark-laying teams left the dock early and did a fantastic job of setting and moving the race courses in readiness for the arrival of the wind. Eventually, the southerly breeze arrived and lots of excited sailors headed out to the race areas.

The Main Fleet Race Officer wisely decided, due to time constraints, to set a course for one long race. This allowed the sailors as much racing time as possible. The fleet got away cleanly at the first attempt, with the pin end favoured. A light southerly breeze of 5 to 6 knots built to around 10 knots at times, with some of the smaller sailors having to hike.

Local sailor Theo Fox managed the conditions superbly and built a sizeable lead over a tightly bunched group of sailors battling for second to fifth place. The breeze faded on the final lap and the race was shortened to finish at Mark 2, with Theo crossing the line first in just under an hour. The battle for second to fifth remained exceptionally close on the final reach, with Oscar Stephens and Seb Meares prevailing to claim second and third, respectively.

The Regatta Fleet race management team expertly managed to squeeze in two races. Both starts got away with individual recalls. In Race 1, Freddie Wilder from HISC stretched away from the fleet to claim first, while Molly Wincer claimed second place and Harriet Lister finished third after a close battle for the minor placings.

In Race 2, Freddie once again stretched away at the front, with Bertie Barnes taking second and Raffaella Sarti finishing third. Consistency paid dividends overall, with Freddie taking a well-deserved victory, Molly finishing second, and local Emsworth sailor Daisy Hodgetts claiming third overall.

On returning to shore, the sailors were greeted with a traditional event tea, followed by the prize-giving ceremony. Congratulations to all the sailors for their patience ashore while waiting for the wind and for displaying excellent racing skills in challenging conditions.

Optimist open meeting at Emsworth - photo © Don Manson

Main Fleet Results:

Regatta Fleet Results: