Following on from our discussion at the AGM held at Maraetai sailing Club during the Nationals, we can now announce that the proposed new ranking system has been confirmed by the NZIODA committee.
This means that there will now be only two NZIODA ranking regattas that count towards a sailor’s final ranking for the season. 70% of a sailors ranking will come from their Nationals score, and the other 30% will come from a single ranking regatta. If the Nationals are in the North Island, then the other ranking regatta will be the Interislander at Queen Charlotte Yacht Club. However if the Nationals is in the South Island, the other ranking regatta will be the Auckland Champs.
The committee believes that this will help build numbers for all of the Optimist fleets throughout the whole country as it will take pressure off families and sailors and keep the costs of sailing an Optimist competitively lower, as families will not be required to travel so often. It is also in-line with current research and thinking around youth in sport, where young people are encouraged to participate in a wide variety of sports and not to specialise too early to avoid burnout and disengagement as they get older.
NZIODA still encourages you to attend as many regattas as suits your family, knowing the fun and experience that is gained from sailing in large fleets.
The two ranking regattas for the 2021/22 season will be the InterIslander Regatta to be held in Picton on 18-20 February, and the Nationals to be held at Easter in Napier with racing from 16-19 April .
NZIODA Committee