2024 Optimist Asian and Oceanian Championship

2024 Optimist Asian and Oceanian Championship 2024 Optimist Asian and Oceanian Championship

23/01/2025

And that’s a wrap on the 2024 Optimist Asian and Oceanian Championship!

Enjoy our highlight video and well done again to all teams from the 19 competing countries and regions.

As we reflect on a successful event, we would like to thank the Clubs and Organisations across Hong Kong that made equip...
16/01/2025

As we reflect on a successful event, we would like to thank the Clubs and Organisations across Hong Kong that made equipment available to us for the duration of the Championships. Without their help and support, this event would not have been possible.

A huge thank you to H**e Haven Yacht Club (HHYC Official) for supplying the Signal Boat and support ribs, to Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club (RHKYC) for supplying the Finish Boat, support ribs, marks and tackle, to Aberdeen Boat Club, Hong Kong (ABC) for supplying the Finish Pin and to Sailability Hong Kong for providing the Start Pin.

An additional thank you to all HHYC, RHKYC, ABC and 中國香港帆船運動總會 Sailing Federation of Hong Kong, China members who volunteered their time to help with the race management of the Championship.

Well done again to all teams from across the 19 competing countries and regions, and see you in Oman for the 2025 Optimist Asian & Oceanian Championship!

05/01/2025

Highlights of Race Day 5 - Final Series Day 2 and Prizegiving

Final Series Day 2 - Summary Race Day 5 concluded the 2024 Optimist Asian & Oceanian Championship, featuring 3 challengi...
05/01/2025

Final Series Day 2 - Summary

Race Day 5 concluded the 2024 Optimist Asian & Oceanian Championship, featuring 3 challenging races in varied conditions for Gold and Silver Fleets. Singapore’s dominance of the results increased, and Ethan Chia (SGP) successfully defended his 2023 title.

Hong Kong’s winter sun emerged for the final day of the 2024 Optimist Asian & Oceanian Championship, providing a picturesque backdrop for the highest-stakes day of racing yet. Conditions varied between 8 to 13 knots, with more unstable winds than previous days. Initially coming from the Northeast, the wind shifted slightly Eastwards over the course of the day, accompanied by swells of over 1.5m.

In the Gold Fleet, Sean K*m (SGP) sought to maintain his lead established from the start of the regatta, with Chia (SGP), ranked 2nd going into the day, close behind on points. However, Race 7 brought some new challengers with Zeph Wan (SGP) finishing 1st on the water before being subject to a scoring penalty. Ashlea Tham (SGP) took 2nd and Feiran Wan (CHN) 3rd.

Race 8 also saw a reshuffling of results compared to previous race days, with Zeph Wan once again crossing the line in first and this time being scored as the winner. Pailin Jaroenpon (THA) finished 2nd - her best result of the championships. Sebastian Cheng (AUS) significantly improved from his earlier results, finishing 3rd.

Race 9 continued the trend of the day with another redistribution of results, partially due to shifts on the final beat. Chia maintained a top 5 position throughout the race, crossing the line in 1st and winning not only the race but the event. 2nd place went to Kento Kahara (JPN), who had led comfortably until the final beat. This was Kahara’s best placed Gold Fleet finish. Kian Anderson (HKG) took 3rd, concluding the event with his best result yet. Gold Fleet races, although highly competitive, saw a larger variation in finish times than on Race Day 4 due to more varied wind strengths around the course and increased swell.

Overall, Chia’s consistent sailing and two Gold Fleet race wins led to him becoming the Optimist Asian & Oceanian Champion for the second time in a row. K*m ended the event in 2nd and Margaux Nguyen-Minh (HKG) was 3rd overall. Nguyen-Minh was also the top girl overall. Nicholas Cooper (AUS), 47th overall, ranked top out of all Oceanian sailors, becoming the 2024 Optimist Oceanian Champion. Singapore’s dominance of the overall results was clear: 7 out of the top 10 sailors overall were Singaporean. The rest of the top 20 consisted of sailors from Hong Kong, China, Oman, Thailand, China PR, Japan, Argentina and the UAE.

In the Silver Fleet, Dante Pierson (ARG) won Race 7, breaking Shreya Krishna Lakshminarayanan’s (IND) unbeaten 1st place record. However, Lakshminarayanan returned to her winning streak in Races 8 and 9, comfortably winning both. Overall, Lakshminarayanan won Silver Fleet, with Yuechen Liu (CHN) taking 2nd after a consistent performance and Luca De Giosa (AUS) 3rd.

Sailors then returned ashore to scenes of celebration, with a sea of Singaporean flags held high. Sails from the 19 participating countries and regions were rolled, and OnePlus charter boats were returned as all derigged for the final time. Prizes were awarded to winners by Dr. Jack Wong, Chairman of the Clearwater Bay Golf & Country Club, Mei Han Chung, President of the Sailing Federation of Hong Kong, China and Karl Kwok, Vice President of Sports Federation & Olympic Committee of Hong Kong, China. Ajay Narang, the IODA Vice President of Asia, Oceania, and Africa, presented a participation certificate to each competitor and declared the event officially closed. Finally, the Hong Kong and Oman teams participated in a Flag Ceremony, passing the IODA Flag to the host of the 2025 Optimist Asian & Oceanian Championship – Oman.

Well done to all participating sailors and see you on the start line in Oman!

Thank you to all supporters and sponsors that made this event possible, including the organizer and co-organizer: the Sailing Federation of Hong Kong, China and the Hong Kong Optimist Dinghy Association. Thank you to the Clearwater Bay Golf & Country Club for providing the venue and keeping all the sailors, teams, and volunteers fed. Hong Kong’s Leisure and Cultural Services Department provided invaluable support, and the event was subvented by the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau Arts & Sport Development Fund. Additionally, thanks go to AS Watson, the key event sponsor, and of course to IODA.

中國香港帆船運動總會 Sailing Federation of Hong Kong, China
Hong Kong Optimist Dinghy Association

Race Day 5 - Final Series Day 2 and Prize-giving3 additional Final Series races were completed today in varying breeze b...
04/01/2025

Race Day 5 - Final Series Day 2 and Prize-giving

3 additional Final Series races were completed today in varying breeze between 8-13 knots and 1.5m swells.

Positions of the Top 10 were reshuffled, with Singapore continuing to dominate, finishing with 7 of the Top 10 sailors. Sailors from Hong Kong, China, China, PR and Oman rounded out the Top 10.

Well done to all 133 competitors from 19 teams, and especially well done to Ethan Chia (SGP), 1st Overall and Defending Champion, Sean K*m (SGP), 2nd Overall and Margaux Nguyen-Minh (HKG), 3rd Overall and 1st Girl.

For more photos, see: drive.google.com/drive/folders/1T12ubtnpB4Mn2veXW38DiSnDEyz0NQDl and for full results see: https://2024asianoceanians.optiworld.org/en/default/races/race-resultsall

Race Day 4A mixture of fleet and team racing. 2 Final Series races were completed by the Gold and Silver Fleets in 13-16...
03/01/2025

Race Day 4

A mixture of fleet and team racing. 2 Final Series races were completed by the Gold and Silver Fleets in 13-16 knot northerlies.

The 2024 Optimist Asian and Oceanian Team Racing Championship was also completed, with Singapore successfully defending their 2023 title to be the 2024 Optimist Asian and Oceanian Team Racing Champion.

For more photos, see the Event Photo Gallery: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1UXyeKX-_VV_f4GqpDizLPTxmIEHW7oPV

Final Series Day 1 - SummaryRace Day 4 provided a mix of action: two Final Series races were completed by the Gold and S...
03/01/2025

Final Series Day 1 - Summary

Race Day 4 provided a mix of action: two Final Series races were completed by the Gold and Silver Fleets in the breeziest conditions yet, followed by the conclusion of the Team Racing Championship in lighter winds. Singapore continues to dominate – both in the overall results and in the team racing.

The Gold and Silver fleet races were sailed in steady northerlies of 13-16 knots, with 1m swells adding an element of challenge. Racing was more intense with the top-performing sailors from the Qualifying Series competing in the same fleet.

In Gold Fleet, Race 5 initially saw a general recall as the top sailors pushed each other on the start line. After the restart, defending champion Ethan Chia (SGP) led the fleet around the course and took his first win in the event. Sean K*m (SGP), the leader going into today’s racing, was close behind in 2nd. Singapore rounded out the top 3 in Race 5, with Nigel Tan (SGP) finishing in 3rd – his best result yet. Finishes were extremely close, with most boats crossing the line within 5 minutes of K*m.

Race 6 saw Tan (SGP) improve his performance even further – he gained his first bullet. Zihan Liu (HKG) achieved her second Final Series Top 5 finish, crossing close behind Tan and breaking the Singaporean trifecta of Race 5. However, another Singaporean sailor Chia was close behind, placing 3rd. Overall, after today’s Final Series races, K*m (SGP) is in 1st, with Chia (SGP) in 2nd, Liu (HKG) in 3rd, Margaux Nguyen-Min (HKG) in 4th and Tan (SGP) in 5th. K*m and Chia have a comfortable lead on Liu points-wise. Liu has now overtaken Nguyen-Min and is currently the leading female sailor. Out of the top 10, half are Singaporean, with the rest coming from Hong Kong, Oman, Thailand and Japan.

In Silver Fleet, Shreya Krishna Lakshminarayanan (IND) achieved comfortable bullets in both races, while Luca De Giosa (AUS) sailed notably well, finishing 2nd in Race 5 and 3rd in Race 6. Lakshminarayanan now leads the Silver Fleet, with De Giosa 5 points behind in 2nd. Guanghao Zhang (CHN) lies in 3rd.

The majority of sailors then returned ashore, whilst the 8 teams still competing for the title of Team Racing Champion remained afloat. 7 tight team races were completed in softening wind conditions, while those ashore added to the atmosphere by cheering on their favourite team. Those not at the venue watched via livestream and all waited in anticipation to see who would emerge victorious. After some extremely close racing, with frequent lead changes and several resails, SGP 1 emerged victorious. THA 1 took silver and SGP 2 bronze.

For the full results, see here: https://2024asianoceanians.optiworld.org/en/default/races/race-resultsall

Good luck to all tomorrow for the Final Series Day 2, and congratulations to SGP 1 for winning the 2024 Optimist Asian & Oceanian Team Racing Championship!

03/01/2025

Highlights from Race Day 3 - the 2024 Optimist Asian and Oceanian Team Racing Championship

2024 Optimist Asian & Oceanian Team Racing Championship Summary16 teams went head-to-head in intense 4 vs 4 boat team ra...
02/01/2025

2024 Optimist Asian & Oceanian Team Racing Championship Summary

16 teams went head-to-head in intense 4 vs 4 boat team racing. 22 close races were completed in moderate to light breezes.

Race day 3 provided an alternative challenge for competitors - the 2024 Optimist Asian & Oceanian Team Racing Championship! The team race area, just off the Clearwater Bay Golf & Country Club Marina, turned today’s racing into a spectator event: teams battled it out on the course as those ashore followed the gripping action.

Racing kicked off in an 8 knot northeasterly, with each team competing in at least 2 races before being knocked out. Particularly close races from this initial stage include Race 2, where HKG 2 faced off against THA 2. Both teams had a boat scored OCS, equalising their 10-point penalties. Each ended up finishing with 28 points – HKG 2 took the victory as they didn’t have a boat in 1st place (scoring as per the Racing Rules of Sailing). SGP 2 and CHN 2 had a similar tie in Race 5, with SGP 2 winning. Races 15 and 16 also saw ties on points, with HKG 1 emerging victorious against UAE and AUS 2 beating CHN 1. Many races came down to the final beat, with boats always close together and positions changing frequently: no races saw a team sailing around the course in a 1, 2, 3, 4 combination, testament to the high standard of racing today.

Race 15 was abandoned on the first beat due to insufficient wind. After a pause, the course was reset to a southeasterly axis and shortened slightly. The remaining races were completed with conditions of between 4-6 knots: lighter winds led to many red flags from the umpires for breaches of Rule 42. Race 18 saw country-on-country action: THA 1 faced THA 2, with THA 2 in a winning combination at points on the final beat, only for THA 1 to cross the finish line in a winning combination of 1, 2, 6, 7. Race 21 was a hard-fought battle between CHN 2 and UAE, with UAE crossing the finish in a winning combination of 1, 4, 5, 7. However, CHN 2 snatched victory from the jaws of defeat due to a measurement penalty given to a UAE sailor.

By the completion of Race 22, the wind had weakened to around 1-2 knots. The Race Committee displayed the AP flag and then, after searching for breeze, AP/A. A total of 8 teams remain with a chance to win the Team Racing Championship – SGP 1, HKG 1, HKG 2, SGP 2, JPN 1, CHN 2, THA 1 and OMA. Of these teams, only SGP 1 and HKG 1 have won all their races so far. The next race scheduled sees these teams face each other, with the winner advancing directly to the final.

Tomorrow, the Race Committee plans to run fleet racing followed by team racing. See you on the water, and good luck to all competitors as we enter the Final Series!

Qualifying Series Day 2 - 1/1/2025 - SummaryThe Opti Asian and Oceanian Championship’s 133 competitors started off 2025 ...
02/01/2025

Qualifying Series Day 2 - 1/1/2025 - Summary

The Opti Asian and Oceanian Championship’s 133 competitors started off 2025 successfully by completing their qualifying series in ‘swell’ conditions, with Singapore dominating the Top 5.

Day 2 provided dramatically altered conditions from the first day, with a steady 10 knots of breeze from the Northeast and swells of up to 1.5m. After a timely start, Yellow and Blue fleets, remaining unshuffled from Day 1, completed 3 quick-fire races. Races were a pure test of sailors’ speed and boat-on-boat tactics, with the wind generally consistent across the course in both strength and direction.

Fleets have raced sufficiently in the Qualifying Series and will now be divided into Gold and Silver Fleets for the remainder of the championships: prepare for even more competitive racing! As results stand, Singapore is currently dominating the Top 5: Sean K*m leads with 3 bullets, defending Champion Ethan Chia lies 3 points behind in 2nd, and Zeph Wan is in 5th after achieving improved results today. Kento Kahara (JPN) lies close behind Chia in 3rd after a strong comeback performance, having achieved 2 wins today. Margaux Nguyen-Minh (HKG) lies in 4th after a continued consistent performance and a win in Qualifying Race 3. Nguyen-Minh is also the top ranked female sailor thus far. In addition to the countries mentioned above, sailors from Thailand, Oman and China, PR round out the Top 20.

Tomorrow brings the Team Racing Optimist Asian and Oceanian Championship – will Singapore, the recent silver medallists at the Team Racing Optimist World Championship, continue to dominate, or is it another team’s time to shine? The Top 5 ranked teams going into tomorrow are SGP 1, HKG 1, SGP 2, JPN 1 and THA 1.

For all Qualifying Series results, see here: https://2024asianoceanians.optiworld.org/en/default/races/race-resultsall

Qualifying Series Day 1 - 31/12/2024 - SummaryThe first day of the qualifying series dawned promisingly, with northerly ...
02/01/2025

Qualifying Series Day 1 - 31/12/2024 - Summary

The first day of the qualifying series dawned promisingly, with northerly winds between 11-13 knots and flat water. The typical Hong Kong winter sun shone on the race village at the Clearwater Bay Golf & Country Club as all looked forward to closing 2024 with a day of close racing. For Day 1, the 133 competitors were divided into two fleets: Yellow and Blue.

Each fleet completed one qualifying race in variable conditions. By the time of the first warning signal, the wind had dropped to 7-8 knots, with consistent gradual oscillations across true north. Yellow fleet started first and under the shadow of a black flag, after an initial general recall. Margaux Nguyen-Minh (HKG) led the fleet until the final upwind, after which lighter, more challenging conditions prevailed. A reshuffle of the top 20 was then seen on the final beat, with sailors who picked the favoured shifts and gusts gaining. Sean K*m (SGP) crossed the finish line comfortably in 1st, followed by Masaya Shiraishi (JPN) in 2nd and Joaquin Balbuena (ARG) in 3rd. Japan and Argentina rounded out the Top 5, with JPN’s Kotaro Matsunaga in 4th and ARG’s Judesson St Cyr Ramos in 5th.



Blue fleet started 10 minutes after yellow in a reduced 6 knots of breeze. Positions of the fleet were variable until the second half of the first beat, where Hasan Al Wahaibi (OMA) pulled ahead after making gains on the left side of the course. Al Wahaibi led around all marks, finishing with a comfortable 2-minute lead. Blue fleet finished under a shortened course at the gate, following a wise decision from the Race Committee to mitigate the softening breeze. Cheuk Hymn Decimus Chan (HKG) crossed the line in 2nd, followed by Sophie Shao (HKG) in 3rd. Hong Kong, China and Oman dominated the top 5 of blue fleet overall, with Alix Nguyen-Minh (HKG) finishing in 4th and Khamis Al Mashaikhi (OMA) in 5th.



Racing was then postponed whilst the Race Committee monitored conditions. The decision to return ashore for the day was made as the wind became un-raceable. Tomorrow’s conditions look favourable, with a Northeasterly between 10-12 knots forecast. All is still to play for, so see you in the New Year and good luck all!

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