Team GBR shines at the Optimist Worlds
by Suzie Holland 20 Dec 2024 21:49 AEDT
5-15 December 2024
The Optimist World Championships in Mar del Plata, Argentina recently concluded with a week of thrilling racing, exceptional teamwork, and superb results for Team GBR.
With five talented sailors representing Great Britain, the team delivered an outstanding performance in both the individual fleet racing World Championships and the Team Racing World Championships, showcasing skill, determination, and sportsmanship in the face of challenging conditions. Even before the racing started, a particularly special moment took place at the Opening Ceremony where GB sailor, Eliana Edwards read out the sailor's oath on behalf of all the sailors competing.
Stellar results against the world's best
The six days of fleet racing showcased everything from big breeze and rolling waves to shifty light conditions, testing the sailors' versatility and resilience.
Highlights from the series include:
- Leo Gosling: 13th overall, including a race win on Day 1 - the first British Worlds race victory in over a decade.
- Harry Draper: 27th overall, finishing strong with an 11th place in the final race.
- Hugo Fletcher: 44th overall, with standout results of 2nd and 4th on his scorecard.
- Eliana Edwards: 49th overall and an impressive 12th girl in Gold Fleet.
- Pippa Shepard: 81st overall, finishing 6th in Silver Fleet and claiming 1st girl in Silver Fleet.
The variety of conditions over the week, from 25-knot winds and enormous waves to tricky light airs, provided a true test of skill. All five GBR sailors made the top 81—an amazing accomplishment against a fleet of world-class competitors.
In unexpected last day drama, the Championship lead changed, Arthur Back from Brazil, who led the competition for nearly the whole week, unfortunately had a tough day and lost the overall championship to Jason Panagopoulas of Greece. This was his first World Championship win to go with his three European Championship titles including 2024. Jason sailed a hugely consistent series with a 2nd and 4th on the last day, and displayed that he is clearly an all-round Champion as the Europeans was predominantly light winds and the Worlds included a range of conditions. A truly worthy and very impressive winner.
Team Racing: A historic performance
Two days of intense team racing took place midway through the championships, with races held right inside the harbour near a bustling spectator wall and a beach filled with sea lions. Team GBR's recent focus on improving their team racing skills through initiatives like the IOCA UK Team Racing Nationals paid off in spades.
Having used the Venice Team Racing event earlier in the year as a key training opportunity, the GBR squad came into the Worlds better prepared than ever before. Day 1 started strong, with two wins and a loss, but the pivotal moment came in their final race of the day—a knockout against Team USA, one of the pre-event favourites. In a dramatic rematch of their Venice encounter, Coach Pancho made a strategic last-minute substitution to make it the same team as Venice, and to fire up the team. The Brits delivered a nail-biting victory that knocked the Americans out of the competition and took the Brits into the finals as part of the top 16 nations.
Day 2 brought even tougher challenges, including a matchup against reigning champions Italy and eventual silver medallists Singapore. Despite a valiant effort, GBR finished 10th overall—a remarkable achievement and the best British performance in team racing at the Worlds since 2014.
Nations Cup success
Team GBR's collective performance earned them 5th place in the Nations Cup standings (the combined scores of the top 4 sailors in each team) —an incredible result that reflects the team's consistent sailing across the board. This marks one of the highest-ever finishes for a British team at the Optimist Worlds.
Looking ahead
The Optimist Worlds marked the pinnacle of these sailors' Optimist careers, and their achievements in Argentina reflect years of dedication and hard work. With the support of Team Leader Hattie Morsley and local Coach Pancho, the team gained invaluable experience and created lifelong memories.
As they now transition to new youth classes, Leo, Harry, Hugo, Eliana, and Pippa can take pride in their performances and the knowledge that they've set a new benchmark for British Optimist sailing.
Congratulations, Team GBR—you've inspired the next generation of young sailors!
For more information and the full results, visit the Optimist Worlds website.