CHINESE OPTIMIST CHAMPIONSHIP

The Optimist Class in China is growing! There has been both an increase in the number of sailors and also in the number of cities and provinces where Optimists are now sailed.

The Chinese National Optimist Championship 2009, held in Hainan Province, attracted 75 !! sailors representing 6 cities and 9 provinces (Hangzhou City, Guizhou City, Qingdao City, Shanghai City, Gansu Province, Ningbo Province, Fujian Province, Shandong Province, Inner Mongolian Autonomous Region, Zhejiang Province, Tibet Autonomous Region, Quanzhou City, Xiameng City, Jiangsu Province, Hainan Province). All the competitors sailed in chartered boats, supplied fully equipped by the organisation.

The rainy and moderately windy conditions of the first three days were followed by light winds and sunny skies during the next four days; but rain took over again on the last two days of the competition. Sailors didn