More than 80 young sailors raced on Sydney Harbour as Woollahra Sailing Club in Rose Bay hosted the opening round of the 2026 NSW Optimist Interclub Series.
Young Sailors Race At Rose Bay
The first round of the 2026 NSW Optimist Interclub Series was held at Woollahra Sailing Club on 3 May 2026, bringing together junior sailors from clubs across New South Wales for a full day of Optimist racing.
Now in its third year, the Interclub series remains free to enter and volunteer-run. The format is aimed at giving young sailors early racing experience while keeping junior competition accessible across the club sailing community.
Competitors raced in the Optimist class, an internationally recognised entry-level dinghy for sailors aged between 8 and 15. The class is commonly used to develop boat handling, tactical decision-making, racecraft and sportsmanship.
Racing began late in the morning after a competitor briefing, with officials completing a full schedule of short-course races across the day.
Favourable Conditions On Sydney Harbour
The opening round was held in warm autumn conditions on Sydney Harbour, with the day reaching 26 degrees. Wind conditions were reported as a northerly to north-easterly breeze, with ranges given between 10 and 17 knots across the day.
The steady conditions gave the fleet the chance to race through the full program and allowed competitors to test their handling, decision-making and consistency on the water.
Onshore, families and supporters added to the club atmosphere as the series began its 2026 program at Woollahra Sailing Club.
Open And Intermediate Fleet Results
In the Open Fleet, Walter Healy from Woollahra Sailing Club placed first sailing Fish. Luca De Giosa from Hunters Hill Sailing Club placed second with Faccenda Sailing Team, while Sijia Deng from Hunters Hill Sailing Club placed third with Come Together and was also recognised as the first female sailor in the fleet.
In the Intermediate Fleet, Omar Mansour from Georges River Sailing Club placed first sailing Bolt. Max Hughes from the Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron Academy placed second with Far Out, while Lara Dorling from the Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club off-the-beach program placed third with Lord Lion and was recognised as the first female sailor in the fleet.
Volunteers Support Junior Sailing Series
The Interclub series relies on volunteers, parents, race officials, coaches and club support to run each round. Woollahra Sailing Club hosted the opening event, with Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron and Hunters Hill Sailing Club also supporting the broader series.
The event was also supported by Ronstan, Boatcrewgear.com, North Sails, White Bay Marine Park, Vaikobi, NB Sailsports and Rooster Australia, with gifts and prizes provided for competitors throughout the series.
Round 2 of the 2026 NSW Optimist Interclub Series is scheduled to be hosted by Royal Sydney Yacht Squadron on 24 May 2026, giving sailors another opportunity to build on the opening round.
Published 6-May-2026
