Lymington Oppies
The Optimist dinghy needs little introduction - 300,000 children sail these boats in 120 countries around the world.
Colloquially called ‘Oppies’ or an ‘Opti’ if you live on the other side of the Atlantic, they are known to many as the ‘medal factory’ - 85% of the sailors competing at the 2016 Olympic Games started out in Oppies. To others, these dinghies are fondly recognised as the boat that many young people find their life-long passion for sailing.
Here in Lymington, the iconic white sprit-rigged sails are out on the water regularly. We have in excess of 60 active oppie sailors at the Club and organise in the region of 75 training or racing activities each year.
The Royal Lymington Yacht Club won the prize for the best Club at the 2019 Optimist National Championships and both the 2018 and 2019 British National Champions are RLymYC members!
Sailors typically join us in the ‘Regatta’ fleet from 8 years old once they can competently and confidently sail upwind in a moderate breeze before progressing in to ‘Main’ fleet as they get older and racing skills develop.
One of the secrets of the Royal Lymington Optimist fleets’ ongoing success in nurturing Champions as well as life-long sailors is the location we are fortunate to enjoy. The river gives sheltered sailing should sailor experience or weather conditions require, Oxey Lake offers a large expanse of water with little tidal stream and the Western Solent provides strong breeze, complex tides and challenging wave conditions.
RLymYC Optimist Training provides:
- Regular weekend training and racing
- Monday evening racing
- Tuesday evening Spring and Autumn term training
Please do get in touch with the Class Captains Richard Breese & Dan Howe cvia lymingtonoppies@yahoo.co.uk if you would like to find out more about sailing Oppies in Lymington
Optimist Winter Training 2020-21
The Royal Lymington Yacht Club will be offering Optimist winter race training between December and April.
The training program has been created under the guidance of Hugh Styles (RLymYC’s Head Coach - Junior & Youth) and will be delivered by Ollie Hill (RLymYC’s Optimist Lead Coach) supported by their coaching team to create a high quality, fun, engaging and well executed program. Everything is ‘COVID-permitting’ – so subject to change – but this is our plan!
The program
Most months will have four activities:
- Club Squad training day & optional Sunday clinic
- Open training weekend
- Coached Racing
- Mini Racers
Club Squad Training will be for of Transition and Regatta fleets with the dates coinciding where possible with those dates of the RYA’s Regional Training Groups (RTG). This will be Saturday training with an optional ‘sailing clinic’ on the Sunday.
Open Training for Main, Transition and Regatta fleets across Saturday and Sunday.
Coached Racing will give sailors from all groups the opportunity to race together creating a larger fleet (COVID permitting) to practice on a busier start line and race course. This will be open to sailors training in Lymington through the winter as well as visiting Clubs (providing their own safety cover). The day will begin with Coach preparation ashore and afloat followed by racing. Racing will be offered on both Saturday and Sunday however it is not mandatory to attend both days.
Mini-Racers – is for sailors who are new to the river and for those who would prefer to sail for a couple of hours on a Saturday morning each month. A great way to keep the skills learned over the summer fresh for the spring!
COVID-allowing, the training and clinic days will conclude with a hot meal offered by “Mosimann”- the RLymYC’s new caterers – which will coincide with the Coaches’ debrief.
Training objectives
Our Head Coach has identified specific skills that will be covered over the winter program with each month having a new focus.
| December |
Boat speed (inc. rig set-up) and starting |
| January / February |
Boat handling and team racing |
| March / April |
Race training and tactics |
Onshore winter training
The Royal Lymington Yacht Club have an engaging and comprehensive onshore evening program to support the on-water training.
| Monday |
Sailing fitness with Drew Barnes (small supplement charge) |
| Wednesday |
Junior lecture – various speakers |
| Friday |
VR race training with Hugh Styles |
| Saturday |
Circuit fitness with 29er coaches (small supplement charge) |
Lecture topics:
| Scheduled |
|
| Team Racing |
Nik Froud & Andrew Wishard |
| Vendee Globe & Ocean Adventures |
Dee Caffari |
| Racing Rules |
John Doerr (Chair – International Jury – Tokyo 2020) |
| Boat set-up |
Oppie lead coach |
| Tides |
Graham Sunderland – Winning Tides |
| Sail trim & Setley Cup sail-making |
Ronan Grealish – North Sails |
| Planned |
|
| Campaign Planning |
TBC |
| Starting tactics |
TBC |
| Chartwork – buoys & symbols |
TBC |
| Chartwork – passage planning |
TBC |
Costs & payments:
| Training |
Family members |
Junior members |
Visitors |
| Club Squad |
£20/day |
£35/day |
£45/day |
| Open Training |
£20/day |
£35/day |
£45/day |
| Optional Sunday clinic |
£20/day |
£35/day |
£45/day |
| Race Day |
TBC |
TBC |
TBC |
| Mini Racers |
£ free |
£5/session |
£10/session |
| Visitor launching |
£1.80/day |
£1.80/day |
£1.80/day |
| Fitness |
£1.50/session |
£1.50/session |
£1.50/session |
Notes:
- A block booking is recommended and is incentivised with a 10% discount.
- Booking will close 1 month before each session in order for the Coach and Safety fleet resource to be organised. Applications received after booking has closed will be added to a waiting list and considered at the discretion of the Class Captain.
- ‘Visitor launching’ is the payment required for those dinghies that do not carry a slipway permit.
- Payment will be collected via WebCollect – details to follow
- If a session is cancelled or a sailor cannot attend for COVID reasons, a ‘credit’ will be applied to WebCollect for future use over the winter.
Schedule
| December |
|
|
|
January |
|
|
| Sunday |
13th |
Club Squad |
|
Saturday |
16th |
Coached Racing |
| Monday |
21st |
Open Training & mini racers |
|
Sunday |
17th |
Coached Racing |
| Tuesday |
22nd |
Open Training |
|
Saturday |
23rd |
Open Training & mini racers |
| Thursday |
31st |
Coached Racing |
|
Sunday |
24th |
Open Training |
| |
|
|
|
Saturday |
30th |
Club Squad |
| February |
|
|
|
Sunday |
31st |
Optional Clinic |
| Monday |
15th |
Open Training & mini racers |
|
|
|
|
| Tuesday |
16th |
Open Training |
|
March |
|
|
| Wednesday |
17th |
Coached Racing |
|
Saturday |
27th |
Club Squad |
| Saturday |
27th |
Club Squad |
|
Sunday |
28th |
Optional clinic |
| Sunday |
28th |
Optional clinic |
|
|
|
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| April |
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Saturday |
10th |
Coached Racing |
|
|
|
|
| Sunday |
11th |
Coached Racing |
|
|
|
|
| Saturday |
17th |
Open training & mini racers |
|
|
|
|
| Sunday |
18th |
Open training |
|
|
|
|
| Saturday |
24th |
Club Squad |
|
|
|
|
| Sunday |
25th |
Optional clinic |
|
|
|
|
Notes:
- Where Coached Racing is offered on Saturday and Sunday, each day can be booked individually.
About Lymington & the Club
Lymington offers a fabulous varied training area including tough Western Solent conditions, the flat open water of Oxey Lake as well as the River for boat-handling drills. The Royal Lymington Yacht Club has a thriving Optimist fleet and is the home Club of both the reigning British National Champion and the British Junior National Champion.
The Club has a fantastic new catering service provided by Mosimann’s. We highly recommend parents enjoy coffee and lunch at the Clubhouse whilst the children are sailing – you won’t be disappointed!
The Club may be able to offer dinghy storage for the duration of the Winter program. Please enquire with the Office.
Contacts
Joining the Royal Lymington
They are two ways that children can become Members of the Yacht Club:
1. Full Family Membership
If a parent or both parents join then the children can become family Members. This is the preferred way and offers lots more benefits, such as subsidised coaching, cheaper tariff in the bar, full use of the Club's facilities and access to training courses and opportunities to support the Juniors.
2. Junior Membership
Children can join in their own right as Junior Members. The annual subscription is the only as much as the cost of a buoyancy aid, however there are additional costs for coaching, which don't apply to family members.
For more information on Membership click here or contact the Club Office Alternatively you can email the Class Captain.