Singapore sweeps titles at 2012 Asian Optimist Championships

by Singapore Sailing on 11 Jun 2012 At the 2012 Asian Optimist Championship held in Trincomalee, Sri Lanka from second to 10th June, the Singapore Optimist Team has swept all titles at stake, continuing a fine run at major Optimist events around the world. The Singapore team comprised Loh Jia Yi, Elisa Yukie Yokoyama, Jessica Goh, Scott Lau, Edward Tan Yizhu, Ryan Teo and Samuel Neo.

Team Racing

The team secured the first title of the event by defeating Thailand in the finals. A most delightful win, especially after having lost to Thailand narrowly at the 2011 finals. The steely comeback after a year, with some new team members, echoes the depth of the squad.

Individual Racing

With strong leads going into the final day of racing, Loh Jia Yi and Elisa Yukie Yokoyama finished strongly to take the top two positions in the open fleet. With Yukie claiming the overall girl’s crown as well.With four Singaporeans finishing in the top 10 – Jessica Goh in sixth and Scott Lau in ninth, the team makes its presence felt in the overall standings.

Great effort from Edward Tan (26th), Ryan Teo (32nd) and Samuel Neo (44th) to round off a strong performance by the whole team. A true demonstration of the in-depth preparations over the past months and the strong team spirit, guided by coach Fernando Alegre and team manager Soh Ling Ying.

Continuously Building…

The strong showing at the first key Optimist event of the year for the team augurs well for the upcoming 2012 international events, including the 2012 World Championships. Said Mr Tan Wearn Haw, CEO of Singapore Sailing Federation, 'This is a remarkable performance by a young team, and we are pleased to see that their hard work and determination has been rewarded by their results on water. More importantly, beyond results, they are out making friends and gaining new experiences and having fun! At times we forget the importance of simply enjoying the sailing, enjoying the journey… and how this attitude and approach will ensure that our young sailors continue to progress in their sailing and Olympic journey and continue to find success along the way.'

Singapore Sailing Federation joins the sailing community in congratulating our 2012 Asian Optimist champions!