For many years, the highlight of the festive holidays at Royal Varuna Yacht Club in Pattaya has been the adult Optimist race held on New Year’s Day. The Optimist dinghy is designed for juniors (sub 50kgs in body weight) and the craft is distinctive because, well its size! So a 100kg adult in an Optimist is more like a comedy show than a race, a submarine rather than a buoyant boat, not that it stopped the parents becoming increasingly competitive, or to perhaps to show off in front of their kids.
The event this year was extra special because the RVYC juniors, led by Alex Frefel, were tasked in organizing the yearly challenge and all money raised would go towards the junior program. Their persistence and not accepting no for an answer helped achieve 17 entrants, all rather hung over from the night before. The weather and conditions were perfect, a moderate northerly breeze and flat water. All was set.
Everyone felt like a winner after a great day’s sailing.
Race Director Alex Frefel set the challenging course: Race 1 was won by your humble correspondent Jordan Rumsby, with Mark Tchelistcheff, the former Optimist National Champion (sometime in early history), winning the second. In the meantime there were a number of sinking Optimists by the rather unbalanced adults allowing water into the boat, but it didn’t stop the juniors giving practical advice from the coach boat.
A grand depart for the Optis.
In the final, Mark Tchelistcheff had a great start and never looked back to take the title, with Jordan and Axel finishing in second and third respectively.
In total, the juniors raised an impressive 7,500 baht for the junior sailing program, well done!
Mark Tchelistcheff celebrates victory.
The top three, Mark Tchelistcheff flanked by Jordan Rumsby and Axel Frefel.
