Report by Philip Malan
The seasons racing kicked of with the RTIR at 
LDYC on the 2-4th February 2024 with 7 kids on optimists participating in the big round the Island race on the Sunday. Once the bigger fleets departed the kids lined up and in very difficult no wind conditions set off to their first mark in South bay. Mika Malan and Taylor Miln Led the pack with only Max Malan on a Laser ahead of them.
At the top mark the wind finally disappeared totally allowing Kgotso Koetle using all his sailing experience to gain 3 positions. He finished in second place overall. Notable new commers being Ceaser Bill and Taylor Miln, with this event being their first regatta. The other Optimist skippers were Wianro Bester, James Tanner and Michael Bill. The two Gypsey’s from 1st Benoni followed behind the Optimists finishing the fleet.
Prize giving was held on the 09th of March 2024 were the following prizes were awarded to the Optimist sailors.
- Nigel Becket Trophy RTIR 1st Junior Course on Handicap went to Mika Malan
- Taylor Miln winning 3rd Place, First Girl and Youngest finishing participant.
17th February Victoria Lake Club hosted the Oppy Master Championship with 11 Adults participating. Moderate winds and determination was needed for this regatta. Half the fleet were unable to complete their races with the top 4 contestants in sequence of final positions from first to 4th being Phil Bennet, Mark Abbots, Clive Whitburn and Mark Biaggio. Rob Edwards started well taking a second in the first race and gradually finishing 3rd,4th and 6th in the following races. Vaughan Klibbe was very consistent finishing 5th in all but one of his races. John Jansen van Vuuren having to retire in the first race after meeting his boats boom with his head. The remaining suffering contestants being Hans Schwarb, Glen Koetle, Ann Aussel and Philip Malan.
24 to 25th February 2024 the Benoni Open & Junior Cup regatta was sailed at BSC with 9 Optimists competing. The Regatta had good winds with good competition between the Laser Radial and optimist RSA 1389 being very close with the winning Laser taking the regatta at 1,2,1,2,1, 1 and the Optimist finishing 2,1,2,1,2, 2 eventually.
The kids participating in sequence from first to last in the Optimists were Maximilian Malan, Mika Malan, Wianro Bester, newcomers Bernard Assel and Luan bester followed by Kgotso Koetle, Taylor Miln the only girl, Michael Bill and Ceasar Bill.
Interschool’s was held at VLC Germiston on the 16 and 17th Mach 2024 with 12 Optimists and two 09ers ( VLC ran out of optimist and had to use 09ers) participating. The event had good wind and in all 20 kids participated for high and primary schools. The Duetsche Schule Johannesburg DSJ had 4 kids participating both days and two additional kids trying on the Sunday. DSJ won the Primary school division with Maximilian, Mika Malan and Bernard Aussel collectively getting 66 points, Second Shalom Akedemie with the Bester brothers at 209 and Laerschool Akedemie die Ruiter third at 261 points.
New sailors that joined at the event were Luther Aussel, Jack Lewis, Florence Pernie and Clement Pernie. In sequence from first to last the competitors were Maximilian Malan, Mika Malan, Kgotso Koetle, James Tanner, Wianro Bester, Michael Bill, Bernard Assel, Jack Lewis, Clement Pernie, Florence Pernie, Luan Bester, Taylor Miln, Luther Aussel and Ceasar Bill.
.