Rutland Sailing Club will host up to 280 young optimist sailors for the Volvo Musto Optimist End of Season Championships this weekend (11 – 12 October 2003). Olympic Champion and former Optimist sailor, Iain Percy who is also the Volvo Musto Optimist Sailing Ambassador, will be attending the Championships on the Sunday , to watch the racing and present the prizes to the young sailors.

“The Optimist is an fantastic boat for any young person who wants to learn to sail or develop keen racing skills”, said Iain Percy, who has also just qualified for the 2004 Athens Olympics in the Star class. “Its great as it is a big class so there are a large number of really good sailors for you to compete against and hone your racing skills.”

The top sailors will be battling it out at the front of the fleet, where the competition will be tough. In the senior fleet, twin brothers Tim and Ben Saxton (13, Baldock) who sail at Grafham Water Sailing Club are ones to watch, as well as last year’s junior National Champion, Claire Lasko (13, Oxford)

In the Junior fleet, Charlie Makepeace (12, Chinnor) and Mathew Rainback (12, Poole) who were first and second respectively at the National Championship, will both looking to secure the Volvo Musto Optimist End of Season title.

The Volvo Musto Optimist End of Season Championships completes a series of three national events including the Volvo Musto Inlands and the Volvo Musto National Championships. The 2004 National Optimist training squad will be selected on the basis of the results of all three regattas. To gain selection to this strong and prestigious squad is the aim of the top young sailors. Once in the squad they will receive a high level of coaching and support to boast their sailing careers.