The 2023 Optimist World championship was held at Club Vel Ballena Alegre – Costa Brava. The NZ Optimist Worlds Team comprised of Charlie Bridger, Nathan Soper, Ekhi de Jager, Matteo Barker & Isaac Gaites. The heart of the championship unfolded during the qualifying rounds held over 3 days. 248 sailors from around the world representing 57 countries battled it out on the water with start lines comprising of 62 sailors. The competitors faced varying wind conditions and tactical challenges as they were divided into 4 flights: yellow, blue, red and emerald. Day one of racing began extremely shifty, 9-14kts with challenging sea state. Matteo had a great start to the regatta with a 9th and a 1st. Unfortunately, Matteo carried a 6-point technical penalty on his winning race for not having his daggerboard attached correctly. Isaac also had a promising start with two placings within the top 10 (8, 6), with Charlie (25, 15) and Ekhi (18, 23), followed by Nate with (38, 47). Day 2 encountered an unusual northerly breeze, that swung to the south followed by a southeast shift, which made it challenging for the race committee. Another change back to true south with a breeze picking up to 25 kts at times with a large swell saw Matteo having another consistent day of two top ten placings, and the other boys having some good results under their belts. Marco Gradoni made a surprise visit for the sailors, Team NZL had the pleasure to meet him onshore and had a brief chat to the 3 times Optimist World Championship winner.
The final qualifying day handed out some extremely light winds making it tricky to know which side to pick with wind reaching 9kts. Once racing began, the wind did a 180o, and then proceeded to die and swing to the right. Final placings for the qualifying series advanced Matteo, Issac and Charlie into gold fleet. Ekhi just missed out and was placed into silver, with Nate in bronze. For the first time since staying at Club Vel Ballena Alegre we were unable to launch due to large waves, and subsequently 3 days of racing were lost as the sailors found themselves based on shore. Our team took the opportunity to relax, recharge and kick off initial trading that in turn fostered friendships among sailors from different countries. The outdoor dining table and sun lounger was used frequently to display various articles for exchanging.
Due to the lack of racing, the race committee made the decision to hold the fleet racing with a mid-day start, and once completed to immediately follow with Teams racing. They also made the call to narrow the number of teams to the top 16 teams (which included Team NZL). The kiwis were ready for a big day on the water. A light to medium breeze promised hope of a good day, however within the first race the wind completely died and was cancelled as the sailors were making their way on the last beat. After a long time on the water waiting, and due to no wind, all fleet racing was terminated for the day. This was a major disappointment and such an anti-climax as the majority of sailors returned to shore, whilst 64 remained on the water for the teams racing.
NZL had been drawn with Team Sweden (who last year had come in 2nd place). Initially Team NZ were looking good and had the winning combination as early as the top mark, unfortunately with a fatal mistake on the downwind cost the team the race. Team NZL finished 8th overall which is quite an achievement. The final race day was a tricky one with the unstable and constantly shifting winds. The pressure was intense as the sailors vied for the coveted titles with nail biting races and lead changes, tactical manoeuvres, and close finishes.
Our team should be proud of what they achieved over an extremely challenging championship. Results as follows – Matteo 39, Isaac 42, Charlie 50, Ekhi 103 and Nathan 177.
After the final races, we gathered for the closing ceremony, which marked the end of the 2023 Optimist World Championships, leaving our sailors with lasting memories and the inspiration to continue their sailing journeys.
Then the trading kicked in! Trading gear has become an integral part of the championship culture, fostering camaraderie, it is a great platform for the sailors to network and build friendships with their peers from around the world. The young sailors practiced their negotiating skills and exchanged jackets, caps, tops, life jackets and mementoes from their countries.
A massive thanks to Orestes who provided the sailors with his wealth of experience coaching at previous world championships coupled with his world-wide connections enabled the team to embrace training sessions with some of the top sailors from around the world. Orestes also worked with the team on good sportsmanship both on and off the water, and keeping our sailors grounded and humble.
Sadly, all good things come to an end, and over the course of ten intense days, our team experienced the thrill of competition, the camaraderie of international friendship, and the pleasure of pushing their limits in pursuit of excellence. The championship not only provided a platform for young sailors to showcase their skills but also created an environment for personal growth, cultural exchange, and the forging of lifelong memories.
Juliet Bridger, Team Leader
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