It’s been an exciting few weeks for our junior sailors, with competition happening both overseas and here at home. From the desert shores of Oman to the waters of Lake Burley Griffin, our young athletes have been testing their skills, showing great sportsmanship, and making memories that will last a lifetime.

From the President

I’ve just returned from Al Mussanah, Oman, where four of our juniors—Ethan, Keira, Sijia, and Emma—competed in the Asian and Oceania Optimist Championships. The competition was stiff, and the often very light conditions made for challenging racing where we were chasing those lower scores. That’s sailing, though—and each of the kids came away with valuable experience, new friendships, and experienced a new country and culture. Importantly, they represented themselves, Australia, and the club brilliantly, always sailing in the right spirit. 

A fun highlight of these international regattas is the post-racing gear swaps, so there are now a few HHSC Race Team shirts scattered across the globe—great international exposure for our club and sponsor! A huge thank you to Merryn for her tireless support of all the kids, especially the girls, and for keeping every detail of the trip running smoothly so the sailors could focus on what they do best.

Just finished a dip in the mineral blue waters of Wadi Hoqain 📸 Matt Wilkinson

Back home, it was fantastic to see such strong performances at the recent ACT Optimist Championships. Congratulations to all our sailors who competed, and thank you to the dedicated parents who helped make the event a success.

Finally, a reminder that we need your help each Sunday for our regular club racing. Running a thriving junior and youth sailing program relies on everyone pitching in. We’re always looking for volunteers to help with canteen and BBQ duties, ramp management, mark inflation, and on-water roles. It’s a team effort that works best when many hands share the load. Please reach out to your class rep, Ben, or me if you can lend a hand—your support makes a huge difference!

Learn2Sail

Upcoming Learn2Sail camps 

All holiday camps and Try Sailing sessions are now open for registration via the events page.

Camp Schedule:

• Monday 8-Friday 12 December 2025 (Teens & Tweens only)
• Saturday 20-Tuesday 23 December 2025
• Monday 12-Friday 16 January 2026
• Monday 19-Friday 23 January 2026

Please help us promote our Learn2Sail and Teens & Tweens programs by circulating this flyer through your school, sports, and community networks:

Have family or friends who would like to try sailing? They can register for one of our free Try Sailing sessions being held on Saturdays at 9:00-11:00am on these dates:

• 8 November
• 6 December
• 31 January
• 7 February
• 14 March

The links above are Facebook Events, so please ‘like’ and ‘share’ with your family, friends, and community groups.

Optimist Fleet

All eyes were on our sailors competing at the Asian & Oceanian Championship in Oman! 

It was a steep learning curve for the kids at their first international IODA experience—plenty of learning, great fun, and some serious endurance in the scorching Middle Eastern heat. 

Australian team in Oman 📸 Matt W & Rebecca T

Not long after, the focus shifted to the ACT Optimist Championships—always one of the most enjoyable events on the calendar! 

Nine of our sailors joined the action, and despite a slow start to the breeze, they made the most of it. The highlight of the weekend was definitely the catamaran paddle race, which had everyone laughing and cheering!  

Once the breeze filled in, the racing was on. Luca dominated the Open division, bringing home the overall Open Championship, with Tom also sailing strongly to finish 6th overall.

In the Intermediate fleet, Miles placed 5th and Will 7th in a field of 50 sailors.

Our youngest sailor Louis had a blast in the Green Fleet, especially during the paddle-boat race.

And of course, a special mention to Sylvie, who once again came along to cheer on the team—our good luck charm in Canberra!

          Canberra fun 📸Rebecca Li & Alessio 

Stay Connected

Follow all the Optimist action on the official NSWIODA instagram and on Facebook. Check out the updated NSWIODA website – all regatta dates, photos, useful links, and resources are available there. Stay up to date with everything Opti-related happening in NSW, including the latest news, updates, and regattas via the state group chat.

ILCA Fleet

Regattas

• NSW & ACT Open, Youth & Masters States, 15-16 November 2025: https://laser.asn.au/
• Oceania & Australian Open & Youth, 1-8 January 2026: https://www.auslasernationals.com.au/

Newsletter

Have a great photo from recent events? Share it with us via the club’s Photos WhatsApp group.

Contributions and feedback for the newsletter are always welcome via: newsletter@huntershillsailingclub.org.au