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IOCA Optimist Winter Championships at Rutland Sailing Club

by Sarah Ellis 23 Nov 2025 18:02 GMT 15-16 November 2025
IOCA Optimist Winter Championships at Rutland © Olivia Dowling / OCT Films

The IOCA UK Optimist Winter Championships were held over 15-16th November hosted by Rutland Sailing Club with 128 Optimists travelling to compete on a chilly and wet weekend. The British winter was not enough to dampen their spirits and in breezes of 10-15knots they set out onto the water full of enthusiasm.

Main Fleet included 93 boats with Nigel Biggs leading the race committee in control of the race course as the first day was described as 'snakes and ladders racing' within the four flights with variable breeze on the far side of the lake. Laszlo Drummond led on day 1 with three 1st places under his belt.

Day two saw lots of movement in the results table with close scores across the fleets. Six races were completed over the weekend, Jonny Rogers was able to take first overall by 2 points, with Laszlo Drummond 2nd, Sean Di Salle close behind in 3rd overall. Lizzie Hudson took 1st girl in 10th place, Archie Dowling 1st under 10 in 15th overall, and Theo Fox 1st under 11 in 17th place.

Regatta Fleet had 33 entries, their course slightly closer to the clubhouse with more consistent breeze. Race committee was led by George Atwell ensuring 8 races were successfully completed by the fleet. 1st place was taken by Evelyn Rogerson with an impressive six race wins, 2nd place went to Leo Ellis-Asquith who stepped up his game on Day 2, and 3rd place to Xenia Hudson-Evans with points close between the first four sailors in the fleet.

The Coached Regatta fleet included 4 sailors and combined training and racing, with five races completed across the weekend. Led by Coach Lola Andrews their determination and sticking power was unmatched. They were still on the water long after the Main and Regatta Fleets had retired to the shore on Sunday afternoon, running on hot chocolate power and enthusiasm to build their racing skills! Well done to Fletch Sheely (1st), William Zhang (2nd), Zoe Grundy (3rd), Amina Melhem (4th).

Thank you to Rutland Sailing Club for hosting the Championships with excellent facilities, the Race Committees for their knowledge and great timing over the weekend ensuring everyone had fun and competitive racing despite the wet wintery conditions, and the organising committee, parents and sailors.

Main Fleet Results:

PosSail NoHelmR1R2R3R4R5R6Pts
1st6681Jonny Rogers1‑1213319
2nd6659Laszlo Drummond111(UFD)2611
3rd6639Sean Di Salle‑85234115
4th6675Bear Baker4125(UFD)517
5th6687Jacques Kent2334‑10517
6th6680Charlie Holland94412‑1120
7th6664Sebastian Vials685‑141222
8th6505Guy Kent3736‑8322
9th6631Patrick Di Salle5‑11643624
10th6682Lizzie Hudson‑192857426
11th1686Dylan O'sullivan691011‑1727
12th6696Avantika Lees245‑129929
13th6617Finley Browne4127‑155230
14th6610Finn Byrne‑1697251134
15th6648Archie Dowling559‑119836
16th6474Felix Gladman78613‑161347
17th6275Theodore Fox11610‑13101047
18th6695Ajay Lees11134614‑1848
19th6666Zoe Green15‑2212741048
20th6583Natalie Ayling7313‑2221751
21st6685Nia Byrne‑2017898951
22nd6163Arthur Rogers86148‑181753
23rd6683Ayesha Lees1213‑261112856
24th6618Wilbur De La Haye911(UFD)2122357
25th6439Jack Ward14‑18167111260
26th6546Felix Palmer Ward1016‑201617766
27th6644Tom Keegan‑222182171967
28th6608Rufus De La Haye‑24151112151467
29th6524Leon Grundy18‑25229141275
30th6330Thomas Child1319151711‑2875
31st6591Clarissa Jackson13102110‑242276
32nd6686Gracie Allsopp‑20161117171576
33rd6646Max Ellis‑Asquith14‑20198181877
34th6657Callum Marshall1818141019‑2179
35th6517Tomos Martin33039(UFD)6381
36th5947Finn Simmons‑2625171961683
37th6572Sebastian Richardson‑27141726131686
38th6624Ruben Hernandez‑Woodd17191520‑251586
39th6334Cara Lynch177242813‑2989
40th6630Arthur Pattison121493123(DNC)89
41st6620Chloe Davis1610‑3015262289
42nd6689Lumia Greenaway19‑211820211391
43rd6346Felicity Knibb152022(UFD)192096
44th6677Rory Luddington3117‑35142020102
45th6342Amelie Renard30271332(UFD)4106
46th6565Kit Mccarthy‑342616183314107
47th6623Hugo Thomas25152025‑2826111
48th6501Ayla Griffiths23232318‑2725112
49th6632Charlotte Davis21321227‑3521113
50th6489Jacob Richardson1029272424‑33114
51st6658Oscar Stephens292825(UFD)1519116
52nd6440Rose Versey262124‑282524120
53rd6387Charlie Tait30‑3729212223125
54th6381Carwyn Parry21222133‑4032129
55th6692Sam Bourke3227271629(UFD)131
56th5500Alex Welfare25‑3530192831133
57th6048William Foster2324‑33332927136
58th5242Sebastian Bramley3324‑43272726137
59th6633Henry Finch33‑4023302329138
60th6643Finnian Keegan‑353529292030143
61st6602Fraser Smith‑383831252625145
62nd6519Hettie Hutchinson‑383632232234147
63rd6651Sam Wealthy2826362434‑38148
64th6549Rory Bubb31332822‑4335149
65th661Elsie Hutchinson‑353228353224151
66th6652Roisin Epstein2429‑38383032153
67th6522Charlotte Mcgaughey34283526‑4035158
68th5690Harry Cunningham293426‑403237158
69th6609Eloise Mccarthy283134‑353530158
70th6688Amelia Browne36233732‑3931159
71st5997Isaac Thomas‑393425303139159
72nd6600Barnaby Kemp‑424037341633160
73rd6562Archie Tait363632‑373327164
74th6596Maddy White37‑3919363637165
75th6434Henrietta Highfield‑413333233938166
76th6355Olivia Knibb22(UFD)41343144172
77th6553Seb Mears27‑4634383640175
78th6593Henry King‑423836293834175
79th6183Evan Hannaby4039(UFD)363036181
80th6418Hannah Child‑403038373740182
81st6574Hamish Pawson‑Munro41‑4342313439187
82nd5844Robby Mayo32374139‑4341190
83rd6231Beatrice Long‑444142433828192
84th6220Freddie Barnes393131DNCDNC(DNC)195
85th6205Olivia Cleary37‑4340414136195
86th6393Maisie Macintyre434240‑443742204
87th6567Jodie Ferguson‑434239404241204
88th6640Maxim Lucas4541453942(DNC)212
89th6336Mia Tolhurst4644(UFD)424143216
90th6229Callum Priest‑454543424442216
91st6344Jake White4444444144(DNC)217

Regatta Fleet Results:

PosSail NoHelmR1R2R3R4R5R6R7R8Pts
1st6521Evelyn Rogerson1117(OCS)11113
2nd6446Leo Ellis‑Asquith763‑17122324
3rd6628Xenia Hudson‑Evans444155‑10225
4th5506Bear Grube6222635‑1026
5th6371Toby Jones295‑162691144
6th6516Matthew Marshall3‑10781083645
7th5590Lila Coates‑1511119944856
8th6665Oliver Keeble1031012‑14911459
9th6451Blaise Kemp578‑1571181359
10th6365Martha Hughes‑16514481371263
11th66111Odelia Bikard1413611‑1676966
12th5215Angus Long9812613‑15121575
13th6601Leonie Fairhead131593‑171416777
14th6578Tom Hadfield111918‑2141215584
15th6523Georges Appleby816‑2119310141888
16th4790Molly Mears1218‑191318171817113
17th652Abigail Vials182015141521‑2216119
18th6395Frances Oneill17‑21132019191921128
19th647Skye Lynch‑2517202524161314129
20th6294Sophie Sinclair‑3114171827252120142
21st6269Leon Hernandez‑Woodd‑2727252312182022147
22nd4497Daisy Illingworth‑Hofmann‑3225222420202519155
23rd645Emily Vials21232422232223‑25158
24th6320Evelyn Dudley1924165(DNC)DNCDNCDNC166
25th6611Eden Bikard30‑31232721271723168
26th6475Rufus Evans22‑26262625232426172
27th6324George White20123210(DNC)DNCDNCDNC176
28th6507Elle Bourke233028(OCS)26282627188
29th5958Phoebe Thomas262829‑3122292928191
30th5908Anya Smith28‑32302828262724191
31st6510Alice Pattison24222729(DNC)DNCDNCDNC204
32nd381Floriane Parry29293130(DNC)2428RET205
33rd6452Benedict Lucas(DNC)DNCDNCDNC1130RETRET211

Coached Fleet Results:

PosSail NoHelmR1R2R3R4R5Pts
1st6227Fletch Sheehy1111‑34
2nd5202William Zhang2222‑48
3rd4273Zoe Grundy333‑4110
4th6461Amina Melhem‑4443213

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