The Junior Sailing section is one of the most active and well-supported sections at the Royal Varuna Yacht Club. There are currently about 20 youngsters, aged 8-14, who sail regularly. The boat they sail is the Optimist Dinghy, affectionately called an "Opti".

The Club organises race weekends on many weekends during the year and the more experienced kids are encouraged to participate in the Opti class when the race is suitable. The dates will be indicated on the race calendar. Trophies and certificates are awarded from time to time to winners, placegetters and participants.

Varuna Opti Kids have the opportunity to participate in National and International events: each year sailors from Varuna are selected to participate in the Thailand Optimist Nationals. In April Varuna hosts the Admirals Cup and early May the Thailand Optimist Nationals are hosted at Ocean Marina as part of the Tp of the Gulf Regatta.

Opti kids learning to help each other

A training camp will be held in March and April, for young sailors and beginners aged 8+. Children of non-members can apply to participate in this camp, but naturally children of members are given priority. Private lessons can also be arranged.

The Junior Sailing programme is directed by Dave Littlejohn, the Club's Junior Sailing Secretary. Most weekends there will be training by a qualified teacher. For more information about
Junior Sailing at RVYC see the Contacts page here.

Start in the Opti Nationals

What is an Optimist? The Optimist or "Opti" is, quite simply, the dinghy in which the young people of the world learn to sail. It is sailed in over 100 countries by over 150,000 young people. The Optimist is the only dinghy approved by the International Sailing Federation exclusively for sailors under 16 years of age. Ex-Optimist sailors won medals in every sailing event except one at the last two Olympics.

Opti Links:  Junior Sailing Squadron of Thailand.  International Optimist Dinghy Assn.  U. S. Optimist Dinghy Assn.

It is fun having training races

With a light trailer the kid can move the Opti easily