I arrived at the yacht club fairly early on Saturday morning to find the place buzzing with activity as 60 odd oppie sailors and their parents arrived with boats and sleeping paraphernalia for the Annual Optimist Training Camp.  We had a wonderful mix of ages and abilities with sailors from as far afield as Kynsna joining us for the weekend.

 The weather was ideal for the novices who all got out onto the water, admittedly some weren’t sailing but in coach boats.  After lunch the A Fleet decided that until the wind was stronger they were going to keep themselves busy with a Triatholon.  By the time they’d finished the wind was up enough that some of our novices were rushing to get back to shore!  The B Fleeters had a voyage to Stormy Bay, where they swam and played at the weir.

In the evening we were entertained by Andrea Giovannini (thank you Andrea) who encouraged the sailors to dream big for their future in sailing.  After a movie it was bed time – a lengthy process!  By midnight most were asleep. S ometime later they all were (I think!)  At 6am a couple of the Intermediate sailors got rigged and out onto the water.  The rest soon followed – some more reluctantly than others – the late night taking its toll!

We wrapped up the weekend after a good lunch.  Thank you very much indeed to all of the team that made the weekend work so smoothly.

PS if anyone is missing kit etc I’m not surprised! Plenty of nice things have been left at the club… Please check the Lost Property Box in the Sailing room on your next visit!

by Nicki Stock