Australian Optimist Championships - Fremantle local sweeps the fleet
by Steven Bond on 15 Jan 2015
2014 Champion Otto Henry (left) passes baton to Rome - Australian Optimist Championships 2015. Amanda Wilson
At the 2015 Australian Optimist Championships, held at Fremantle Sailing Club, Fremantle local and 2014 Opti Worlds sailor Rome Featherstone sailed brilliantly to lead from day one and sweep the fleet.
Podium finishes were runner-up Alexander Higgins (SA) and Campbell Stewart (WA), with Matt Meaney (SA) and Otto Henry (NSW) making up the top five Australians. Isabelle Kenny (WA) was the top girl and Arthur Fry (GBR) the top International.
Sailed in typical strong WA winds and large seas the 2015 Australian and Open Optimist Championships bought together 225 sailors and their families, many of whom had siblings competing in the Fremantle hosted Australian Youth Championships where all classes except the Hobie 16 were won by former AOST members.
The top sixteen sailors will form the AOST (Australian Optimist Sailing Team) with the first five sailors representing Australia at the world championships in Poland, other team members get to sail in Qatar for the Asian and Oceanian Championships and the New Zealand National Championships.
The Australian Optimist Teams Racing Championships conducted over two days prior to fleet racing was won by the team from SA ahead of NSW.
Each of the state championships happen in the next few months with AOST meeting ahead of the NSW State Championships for the annual clinic , this will be held at Georges River Sailing Club the host of the 2016 Australian Optimist Championships.
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