Australian team enjoying the experience at Asian Optimist Championships

After two days of racing Singapore are leading the 2012 IODA Asian Optimist Championships. 

After the practice race on Sunday and attending the impressive Opening Ceremony with the Sri Lankan Navy Band and amazing dancers, the teams were eager to start racing.

Three races each day in eighteen to twenty five knots of steady, shifting westerly breeze have made for exciting tactical racing.  On shore at the Chaaya Blu Resort and back home in Australia spectators are following the racing with a live tracker feed.  It got very exciting yesterday when at one stage  four Aussies were in the top ten.

Race six was the best result overall for the Australian team with three members in the top twenty places, Shon Mori  16^th, Finn Alexander 17^thand our best single race result to date, Harley Walters 10^th.  Max Quirk has been performing consistently throughout the series spearheading the Australians on the result board over all in twentieth place.   

Some unfortunate gear failure gave Finn Alexander a DNF in race four.  Jaime Swavley and Sarah Kirke have powered through the heavy winds mid fleet, the level of competition is high and the team are enjoying the quality racing.

All teams yesterday participated in a Tree Planting Ceremony recognising World Environment Day with the intention that one day competitors will come back to the beautiful Trincomalee  in Sri Lanka to sail or visit their tree.

Off the water the teams are making some great friends and enjoying themselves, today is teams racing, followed by a lay day which will give us the opportunity for some sightseeing.

Results http://optiworld.org/MiniSite/12Asians/12AsiansResDay2-v3.html

http://www.iodaasian2012.yasl.org/

- Tracey Walters, Team Manager.