Junior Regatta 1st September 2024

Twenty children in fifteen Optimists competed to win the Judges Trophy in the Junior Summer Regatta on the 1st September at Factory Field. Aged from 6 to 12, the children were split into two groups at the briefing, with the main race fleet managed by George Nurton, and the youngsters under the tutelage of Simon Shaw.

The conditions were challenging with light, shifty winds and the first of three windward leeward races was two laps. Simon found his team so promising that the fleets joined for races three and four, (one lap each) with some excellent skills being exhibited and close quarter action all round the course.

Then it was time for ice-creams provided by Ginna and onto the Treasure Hunt, teams searching for clues placed on the buoys at the top of the river, which would reveal the name of a selected scow in the field. Martha Champion and Georgianna Campbell were the first to get to the giant golden Toblerone hidden under a scow named PIRATE.

The regatta ended with prize-giving and a picnic, now under warm sunshine, and the children cooling off in the river. 

Thank you to all the children for entering into the spirit of the day, and the parents who made the time to bring their children, to George and Simon for their skills and patience and to safety boat crews Ben & Lara Shilito and Imogen & Charlie Mavor. 

The Judges Trophy was awarded to Cleo Johnson with the top five boats as follows:

1 – Cleo Johnson
2 – Zia Snow
3 – Tom Mavor
4 – Georgianna Campbell
5 – Zach Jacomb

We hope to see even more children at the Junior Spring Regatta in 2025, where we plan fleets of both Scows and Optimists. Date TBA.