Upcoming Bellze National Regatta

The Sunday races have a purpose beyond themselves.  The 2011 Belize Optimist National Championship Regatta will be held here in San Pedro on November 12.  The races now are preparing our student sailors for that.  This past Sunday, we had twelve students race in 3 qualifying heats. In them the the skippers named above earned places in the day’s final race.  And yes, the  three Velasquez children who made it to the final are a brother and his sisters.

Sunday’s (Oct. 9) Optimist races were exercises in handling light wind. All 12 young skippers experienced the important effect on speed of patience, weight distribution, and raising the center board when it’s appropriate while going down wind in these conditions. They will be ready if the winds are light during the Nationals.  Photos of last Sunday’s efforts, and announcement of the Nationals below.  The nationals will decide which young skippers Belize ought to send to one or more international Optimist regattas. That of course will depend on funding, but some of the venues in 2012 are not too far away.  Optiworld optimist international sailing event calendar.

Youth Sunday Saiboat Race Results from, Oct. 9, 2011
Place         Skipper                       Boat Sponsor
1st          Mitch Sersland              Palapa Bar
2nd         Kevin Velasquez            Caribbean Villas
3rd         Samantha Velasquez      San Pedro Weather.com
4th         Blanca Velasquez           Ambergris Lake Villas

Belize Sailing news from:  Forrest Jones, Press Officer, San Pedro Sailing Club.

The 2011 Belize Optimist National
Championship

Saturday 12th November 2011
San Pedro Sailing Club, San Pedro, Ambergris Caye

NOTICE OF RACE

1. RULES

1.1. The regatta will be governed by the ‘rules’ as defined in the Racing Rules of Sailing 2009-2012.

2. CHANGES TO RACING RULES

The Racing Rules will be changed in the Sailing Instructions in accordance with Rule 86, Changes to the Racing
Rules, as follows:

2.1. Boats failing to finish within 20 minutes after the first boat sails the course and finishes will be scored
DNF, “Did Not Finish”.

3. ELIGIBILITY AND ENTRY

3.1. The 2011 Belize Optimist National Championship is open to all boats of the Optimist class that have all valid
measurement certificates.

3.2. The 2011 Belize Optimist Open Championship event is open to all competitors whether Belizean National,
Resident or Non Resident.

3.3. These Championships incorporate the Belizean representative selection trials. The trials are only open to
Belizean Nationals or Residents.

3.12. All entries must be submitted to the Commodore of the San Pedro sailing club by Wednesday 16th November

2011. Late entries may be considered on a case by case basis.

4. SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

4.1. Saturday 12th November 2011,

Registration
09:00
Sailors Briefing
09:15
Race 1
10:00
Race 2
11:00
Race 3
12:00
Lunch
1:00
Race 4
1:45
Race 5
2:45
Prize Giving will be as soon as possible after racing is complete.

4.2. At the discretion of the Race Committee the day’s schedule of racing may be altered to suit changes in
circumstances.

5. SAILING INSTRUCTIONS

5.1. The Sailing Instructions will be available upon registration and from the San Pedro sailing club’s Facebook
page.

6. RACING AREA

6.1. The races will be held on the waters off Caribbean Villas Beach, San Pedro.

7. COURSES TO BE SAILED

7.1. The course will be a traditional Olympic triangle consisting of a windward mark, a wing mark and a bottom
mark. Details of the course will form part of the sailing instructions.

7.2 The start and finish line will be placed at the “bottom” marker.

7.3 The number of laps per race will be determined before the start of each race.

8. FORMAT

8.1. All boats will race together in the same fleet.

8.2. Each registered competitor will be allocated 1 boat and will remain with that boat for each of the 5 races.

9. SCORING

9.1. A boat’s score will be based on their finishing position.

9.2. Four races to count with the worst score being discarded.

9.3 Lowest score wins.

10. PRIZES

10.1 The following trophies will be awarded

1st Belize National Championship
2nd Belize National Championship
3rd Belize National Championship
1st Female Competitor
1st Team
2nd Team

11. FURTHER INFORMATION

Andrew Milner : andrew_milner@ymail.com
Phone: +501-632-4101