Pressure has intensified in the 2026 Musto Australian Optimist Championship in Hobart with the outcome of the qualifying series now known.
Open Division sailors are now separated into Gold and Silver fleets ready for the three-day finals series.
The Open Fleet had some hard work to do on the second day of racing with a south-south westerly breeze of 15 knots, building to 20 knots over the afternoon, testing the resilience of the ninety sailors as they completed three races to finalise the qualifying series.
Walter Heeley from NSW/ACT had an excellent day on the water topping the overall results with three wins from three races, finishing the day on seven points after discarding his 46 from yesterday when the first drop kicked in after Race Four.
Nicholas Cooper from WA and Balthazar Roche from NSW/ACT are tied on 15 points to put them in second and third place respectively.
Sijia Deng from NSW/ACT is the best performed female in the Open Fleet on 19 points followed by compatriot Emma Tomkin on 21 points and Harriet Behrens from QLD on 22 points.
The Intermediate Fleet sailed two races today as part of their single series.
Fabio Moeller from WA is leading the Intermediates with consistent sailing today (2,2) putting him on 23 points for the regatta, closely followed by Huon Jones from QLD on 26 points and Humphrey Hager, also from WA, on 33 points.
NSW/ACT sailor Isabel Yu is the leading female in the Intermediate fleet sitting on 34 points and in fourth place overall.
The Intermediate Fleet series consists of a maximum of ten races for the championship whereas the Open Fleet has a maximum of 12 races.
Royal Yacht Club of Tasmania Commodore and Green Fleet Race Officer, Nick Hutton, praised the newest members to the Optimist Class as they responded to the changing conditions on the River Derwent.
The Green Fleet accommodates the newest sailors to the Optimist Class and has a focus on fun, learning and friendship.
Green Fleet sailors have a coaching session in the morning followed by a racing session in the afternoon, with 15 knots usually the maximum wind strength for the fleet.
Victoria’s Ace Hill is leading the Green Fleet on 12 points, followed by Hamish King and Jack Jones, both from QLD, on 14 and 20 points respectively.
The event runs from the 9th to the 15th of January 2026.
Full results are at: https://sailingresults.net/?ID=82277
The regatta website is at: https://ryct.org.au/2026-australian-optimist-dinghy-championship/
Words and images: Jane Austin/RYCT Media
The 2026 Musto Australian Optimist Dinghy Championship is supported by the Tasmanian Government through Events Tasmania.
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