REGISTRATIONS FOR THE 2026 SOUTH ISLAND CLINIC ARE CLOSED
NZIODA in collaboration with clubs around New Zealand, NZIODA will run two clinics this season.
The NZIODA South Island Clinic is hosted by South Island Yacht Clubs who are currently active in the Opti scene. The rotation is currently spread between the geographic locations of Picton (Queen Charlotte Yacht Club), Canterbury (Charteris Bay and Naval Point Yacht Clubs) and Nelson (Nelson Yacht Club).This shares the amount of travelling required around the active Opti regions to make it fair for all. These clinics are currently non-residential and held at the various yacht clubs during the day with out of town sailors staying with their families nearby overnight. Families may wish to work together with other sailing families with transport and accommodation to lighten the financial and time burden for those travelling from out of the region to attend a clinic.
This clinic is now set as a four day clinic to make the most of our coaches who mostly travel from the North Island to attend. This year the event is being held at Naval Point Sailing Club in Lyttelton Harbour with Charteris Bay Yacht Club parents pitching in to help with the organisation.
The clinic will cater to all Opti sailors from those starting out in Green Fleet, dipping their toes into racing in the White Fleet, as well as for the more experienced Open Fleet sailors. A variety of NZIODA performance coaches will be in attendance to work with sailors towards their individual sailing goals. Check out our website to see which fleet is the best fit for you before you enter: https://optimist.org.nz/optimist-fleets/
The overall goals of the clinic are:
- For Opti sailors from around the South Island and wider NZ to come together for a unique and enjoyable four days of sailing and off water activities.
- To give sailors and their families from different clubs and regions the opportunity to meet new people and make new friendships.
- To provide South Island Opti sailors access to some highly experienced coaches to help inspire and assist them to reach their sailing goals.
Naval Point Yacht Club
Naval Point Yacht Club is located in Lyttelton Harbour just outside Christchurch. This sailing venue is known for its fantastic summer sailing with seabreezes that generally pick up as the day goes on. This makes it an excellent venue for building confidence in all sailing conditions, including stronger winds and waves.
What will my Sailor Learn?
Sailors will work with a mixture of experienced NZIODA coaches in small groups of approximately 6 sailors of similar skill level, while coming together as a larger group at times to ensure lots of social mixing and fun.
Some of the topics covered will be:
- Becoming an independent Opti Sailor
- Learning and improving sailing fitness
- Destination sailing
- Presentations on themes such as nutrition, tactics, strategy, rules
- Key technique and boat handling skills
- Set up and boat speed
- Starting skills
- Understanding the wind
- Race routines and preparation for a regatta
Date:
Sunday 18 January through to Wednesday 21 January 2026
Start and Finish times:
The clinic will begin at 10 am on Sunday 18 January and finish at approximately 4 pm on Wednesday 21 January 2026.
Cost: $420 per sailor
Any refunds for cancellations will be at NZIODA’s discretion.
Registration:
Registration will open on 1st October and close on Friday 12th December 2025. This allows time for clinic T shirts to be printed and for coaches to be engaged over the busy summer period. Any late entries received after this date will be at the discretion of NZIODA and will incur a late penalty fee of $150.
REGISTER HERE for the 2026 South Island Clinic from 1st October 2025
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