2024 October VIODA News and More!

VIODA Membership Renewal | Building the Fleet, Supporting Community

VIODA membership for the 2024-2025 season is due for renewal at https://vioda.org.au/registration

Opti sailors wishing to participate in trainings and regattas with VIODA support must be current financial members. To enhance parental involvement in our community, we have introduced a parent membership at no cost, which grants voting and election rights where each child in Opti allows for one voting parent.

Membership with VIODA offers a range of valuable benefits, including:

1. Regular updates on upcoming events, skill improvement tips, and regatta reviews.
2. Access to specialist coaching and training materials for your club.
3. Eligibility to participate in VIODA-led Optimist training programs, including our winter program at Albert Park Lake.
4. Eligibility to compete in both the Opti State Championships and Opti National Championships.

Your membership fees help fund important initiatives such as:

1. Developing Optimist training programs for the benefit of all Victorian Opti sailors.
2. Providing training materials to clubs and assisting club coaches in enhancing their Opti programs.
3. Subsidizing additional coaching and on-water support for major regattas when club support is unavailable.
4. Covering costs associated with the State Championships, including trophies and prizes.
5. Supporting special events like the Annual Girls Weekend and Development Camps.
6. Managing administrative needs, including compliance fees, insurance, website maintenance, and other costs.

2025 Australian Optimist Championship | Registration Opens

AIODA is hosting the 2025 Musto Australian Championships at Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron from January 10-17, 2024. The Championships will be the sole selection event for the 2025 AOST and AODS. A team of close to 30 Victorian sailors will be heading up to the Australian Championships as part of Team VIODA. For more information on registration and selection criteria, please visit the AIODA website at https://www.optimist.org.au

2024 Sail Sandy | Two days of Good Sailing

Picture sourced from Sandringham Yacht Club Facebook Page. Posted on 20 October 2024.

A fleet of 36 Optimists sailed at Sail Sandy 2024! Along with the ILCA class, the Optimist class had one of the two largest fleets at the event. Congratulations to the Green fleet winners where every single one of them had sailed and did amazing! We also welcome the strong entourage of excellent Opti sailors from the Royal Yacht Club of Victoria !

Green Fleet Winners:

1st - Alexander S.

2nd - Noor T.

3rd - Hunter B.

Intermediate Fleet Winners:

1st - James E.

2nd - Alex A.

3rd - Aubrey T.

Open Fleet Winners:

1st - Augustas B.

2nd - Ashlea T. 

3rd - Rachael B.

2024 ZHIK NSW Youth Championship | Bonding and Learning

Picture sourced from NSW International Optimist Dinghy Association Facebook Page. Posted on 8 October 2024

A team of Victorian sailors and their parents set off to NSW to train and compete in the ZHIK sponsored coaching clinic and championship. Team Victoria was represented by the following sailors:

Augustas B, Acklin S, William R, Louis C, Lily C, Fred C, Tate C, Rachael B and Ashlea T.

Congratulations to Augustas for winning third in the NSW ZHIK Youths Championships and a big thumbs up to the entire team of Victorian water warriors!

Thailand Eastern Sea-board Regatta | Our Victorious Warriors Return

We welcome home our two Australian development squad warriors - Tate C and Acklin S for not only representing the state but Australia at the event, attended by 120 Optimist sailors from all over Asia. The two of them have done VIODA and the country so proud with their outstanding effort and performance. Congratulations to you both and we look forward to seeing more of our Victorians being selected into the Australian Sailing Team and Development Squads at the Brisbane Australian Optimist Championships in January 2025. 

Picture sourced from Royal Varuna Yacht Club Facebook Page. Posted on 23 October 2024.

The Floating Families | Name the Vessels

The two trusty VIODA RHIBs (rigid-hull inflatable boats) have been our loyal companions, providing comfort and support to VIODA sailors over the years. These boats are always there for our sailors, guiding them through regattas and training camps. Now, it’s time to make them officially part of the family by giving them names!

We’re calling on everyone, especially the kids, to get creative and share your fun, imaginative name ideas! All appropriate suggestions are welcome. Please send your ideas to us via email or in the Parents’ WhatsApp group—we can’t wait to unveil the chosen names!

Sail Country and VIODA Training Camp | Time to Bond and Camp

Twenty-Six of our Opti sailors have signed up for the most anticipated sailing event in the country! As the Albury Wodonga Sailing Club slogan says, "Because everyone deserves a weekend in the country." With numbers capped at 100, the regatta already boasts nearly 70 registered boats, and the Optimists make up the largest fleet for the two-day event.

VIODA has also organized a coaching camp for the following Monday and Tuesday to maximize the long weekend. VOST and VODS coaches Will McKenzie and Anna Cripsey, alongside Jack Italia will be there to guide and support the Optimist fleet over the four days. We’re excited for fun on the water for the kids and plenty of relaxation in the shade for the parents!

To register for the regatta, training camps and accommodation, please see the VIODA website for more details.

Lipton Cup and VIODA Training Camp | Green Friendly and Ready

The Lipton Cup has officially opened Expressions of Interest for all Green Fleet sailors on their regatta website! With nearly 10 EOIs already in, the Green Fleet is almost confirmed, so get your EOI in soon!

We’re also expecting strong participation from our Open and Intermediate Optimist sailors, who will be joining the regatta and the following weekend’s training camp in Williamstown as preparation for the Nationals. This will likely be our final training camp for Victorian sailors before the big competition in Brisbane, Queensland, in January 2025.

For details on regatta registration, training camps, and accommodation, please visit the VIODA website.

Follow the Sailors | Sail with the Fleet!

• 2 ~ 5 Nov   Sail Country Regatta and VIODA Training Camp I (Albury Wodonga Yacht Club)
• 16 ~ 17 Nov   Lipton Cup 2024 (Royal Yacht Club of Victoria, Williamstown)
• 23 ~ 24 Nov   VIODA Training Camp II (Royal Yacht Club of Victoria, Williamstown)
• 30 Nov ~ 1 Dec   Sail Melbourne 2024 (Royal Brighton Yacht Club)
• 14 ~15 Dec  Kingston Sprint 2024 (Sandringham Yacht Club)
• 6 ~ 17 January 2025   Australian Optimist Championships (Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron, Brisbane)

Events Calendar | Where and When?

Information on sailing events:  https://vioda.org.au/opti_events

Meet The Sailors | Can we feature your sailor?

VIODA features Optimist sailors from different clubs. Find out more about our little sailors on this page! https://vioda.org.au/about-vioda/meet-the-sailors

All Rounded Communications | Sail more and some more!

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/optimistvic

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vicopti/

Official webpage: www.vioda.org.au

WhatsApp community: https://chat.whatsapp.com/Bw8Qp1O7tbwFP7nxNDQzwk