Allen Academy Optimist awarded to Colchester sailor

Allen Brothers MD, Liz Adams hands over the official measurement papers for the Allen Academy Optimist to 11 year old Nick Evans from Colchester © Jeremy Nicholson

The Southminster based performance sailing hardware manufacturer, Allen Brothers, is increasing its support for the sport by adding a promising young competitor from Colchester to its team. Nick Evans, from Colchester, is 11 years old and has been selected in a national competition to sail the Allen Academy Optimist in 2017.

He received a top class racing package, comprising an Ovington built optimist racing dinghy, North Sails and a full Allen hardware fit-out, from Allen Brothers MD Liz Adams on Thursday, March 16th.

Nick will be racing the boat in major regattas in the UK this summer, with trips to Ireland and Holland. In 2016 he finished 55th in the Main Fleet at the Optimist Winter Championship. “I am really excited to have been awarded the Allen Academy Optimist”, he said, adding, “last year’s winner really moved up the rankings with this support and I am hoping I can do the same.”

Allen Brothers MD Liz Adams added, “It was a very hard decision this year, but we ultimately decided Nick would get the most out of the boat. We run the Allen Academy as part of Team Allen, which presently includes eight sailors in the British Sailing Squads for the Tokyo Olympics. We see this as a way of supporting the entire spectrum of our sport, from Optimists to Olympic 49ers and 470s. It is wonderful to help a promising sailor like Nick at the start of what could be a great sailing career.”

Allen Brothers is in its 60th year as a UK manufacturer of performance sailing hardware and has been based in Southminster, Essex since the 1970s and exports its products all over the world.

Find out more at www.allenbrothers.co.uk and allensail.com