(Too) Interested parties...

I have been doing a bit of research about Optimist sailing in New Zealand. Not the technical parts, like mast rake or sprit tension, but the people part. The parents, race committees, juries and organisation.

The New Zealand Opti sailors are 11 to 14 years old. My son Grant, 12, has been racing for a year and in that time he has done six regattas with fleets of more than 50 boats. Two of the regattas had more than 180 boats - bigger fleets than I have ever sailed in. So the programme is strong and kids are coming to sail, but there are aspects that don't seem right to me. I have seen lots of interesting things.

To read the remainder of this article please go to the June 2004 edition of Seahorse, available at selected newsstands or by calling: + 44 (0) 1590 671899 or by email at: info@seahorse.co.uk

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