Wakatere is pleased to announce the re-opening of the Club's Sponsored Optimist application process for the 2024/25 season.
This is to allocate the two remaining top-of-the-line Optis to club juniors who would most benefit from a newer boat to speed up their progress and increase their love of the sport.
It is expected that sailors will be part of the upcoming Green fleet group or existing Green fleet and have exclusive use from now until the start of the 2025/26 season. The sponsorship package includes locker storage. All applications considered.
These boats were generously donated in 2019 by a group of sponsors organized by club member Gavin Brady. Each Opti is named after its sponsor - Beau Geste, Rio, Vesper, Doyle Sails & Invisible Hand.
To apply, children should complete the online form in their own words. Click here:
Thank you to all of the amazing sponsors for their support of junior sailing at Wakatere Boating Club!
Beau Geste
Owner: Karl Kwok
Karl has built race yachts in NZ since 1997 and many of the club members who are pro-sailors have sailed on Beau Geste over the years. Beau Geste won the 2018 Offshore World Championships; set two new race records in 2019 - the NZ PIC Coastal Classic in 5 hrs 37 secs and the Brisbane to Gladstone Race.
Vesper
Owners: Jim and Susan Swartz
Jim and Susan are very big supporters of young people around the world sponsoring many different programs. They traveled to NZ three years ago and have since been back after falling in love with the country and what it has to offer on and off the water. Vesper has a very successful racing background winning major international events around the world. Most recently Vesper won the IMA Caribbean Maxi Challenge in St Barth Apr 2022.
Invisible Hand
Owner: Frank Slootman
Frank has owned a series of race boats called Invisible Hand. In 2017 Invisible Hand won the TransPac Race and backed that up by winning the PAC 52 Series in 2018. Frank lives in San Francisco and had his 2017 Pac 52 built in New Zealand and is a big fan of what we produce in NZ from sailors to products. Invisible Hand is now sailing as Callisto.
Rio
Owner: Manouch Moshayedi
Manouch is a big fan of the NZ industry and culture. He refitted his super maxi Rio 100 in New Zealand in 2014. Rio 100 went on to win the Barn Door in 2015 and 2017. Most recently Rio 100 shattered the Ensenada Race race record from Newport to Ensenada, Mexico in April 2022.
Doyle Sails
From dinghies, club racers and cruising yachts, through to Grand Prix campaigns and superyachts, Doyle are one of the biggest sail makers in the world. They are a huge supporter of youth sailing and have supplied all these big boat race teams (listed above) with grand prix sails.
Doyle has supported this sponsored Opti project by supplying the five Wakatere Optimists with Doyle sails. More about Doyle https://www.doylesails.com/hom...
