5TH CHINA CUP REGATTA, 28-31st Oct. Shenzhen, China.

China Cup sailors enjoyed a competitive three days racing across the 10 boat FAREAST 26 One Design fleet.

Both Chinese and international sailors were invited to sail the company supplied boats, along with many staff members who helped with the fleet. With double the number of FAREAST 26s from last year’s event, the fifth China Cup, saw plenty of thrills and spills as the conditions reached 18 knots making for an exciting regatta finale for the 700 sailors.

This year’s China Cup attracted an even larger contingent of international sailors including youngest woman around the world Jessica Watson, along with international yachting media who enjoyed watching all the action

amid the 87 boat fleet.

International yachting journalist and former editor-in-chief of Yachting Australia magazine skippered a FAREAST 26 during the regatta and was duly impressed. “These boats are great value and nicely laid out for sailors.  They are built with quality gear including Harken deck fittings, a Selden mast and of course European design,” he said.

Among the fleet, local sailors were also pleased with the performance of the Simonis Voogd designed boats. Martin Clark, based up the coast at Sanya, is a regular attendee at the China Cup and has been sailing the FAREAST 26 for a year.

“The quality is quickly improving among the FAREAST 26 one design sailors and this year there are strong crews from Singapore and Japan, along with a number of other good teams,” he said.

Clark skippered his boat and enjoyed close racing, he said. “It’s interesting at the China Cup because the main competing boats, the J80s start at the same time as the FAREAST 26s but the Far East often beats them at the starts, which is surprising because the J80s are a well established international boat.”

Eventually after the six hard fought race series that included a windy offshore race around the islands near the marina at the Shenzhen Maritime base, Singapore team Constant Wind took final honours.

Check out Multinational Boat Source Ltd. for the FAREAST 26 in North America!

Multinational Boat Source's Sponsored Sailor: Chris Volkers

We've Sponsored Chris by providing him the use of a Pro-Championship Optimist Dinghy.  The boat is fully decked out with the same gear that's used on the charter boats for the IODA World Championships.  Including FarEast Championship Hull, Optiparts BlackGold Spars, FarEast Championship Foils, and the FarEast Championship Mainsheet System this boat is ready for racing!  Chris also loves our FarEast trolly with bright yellow wheels!  

Chris's passion for sailing is obvious!

The competition is stiff at the Pumpkin Bowl.  

Chris (right) keeps an eye on his competitors.

Chris prepares his boat for the competition.  Check out the cool 

trucker hat from Multinational Boat Source!

Chris testing the Pro-Championship Optimist from 

Multinational Boat Source.  He  commented during 

the outing that he was "able to hold higher lines" and 

"the boat feels FAST!"

Training with fellow team mate.  Both boys are using 

Optimist Dinghies from Multinational Boat Source.  

Following coach Rob Douglas, Chris has been able 

to improve his skills in a hurry!

Chris navigates the marina on his way to the 

races at the Pumpkin Bowl Chris finished the 

event in 2nd place!

 Chris has had a great season in the Optimist and we looking forward to following his progress.  He'll be racing one more Opti race in our boat at the upcoming BC Optimist Championship in Comox BC.  


On October 8th and 9th, Chris qualified to represent the South Coast/Island Region in the 420 class by winning the Provincial Qualifying Regatta for Sea Cadets.  Great job Chris!  Keep up the good work!

Press Release: Multinational Boat Source Ltd., Developing Youth Sailing Communities

Multinational Boat Source’s belief in the power of community youth sport is unwavering!  We aim to find community groups interested in launching a sustainable youth sailing program for kids ages 6 to 15.

When communities step forward, we believe kids will learn, play and ultimately have fun!  We have access to quality, affordable equipment and the knowledge to help programs soar. Contact us and let’s get kids sailing in your community!

Email:  info@multinationalboatsource.com

Web:  www.multinationalboatsource.com

The Optimist Dinghy - A 25 Year Perspective Safe Design Breeds Success by: Steve Sherman

In 1970, I was living in Muncie, Indiana. My three sons were reaching the age when I wanted them to share the joy that sailing had brought me. I talked our sailing club into starting a junior sailing program. We bought ten Optimists.

The first day, seven-year-old David sailed from shore enthusiastically, motivating four-year-old Mike to try it too. We rigged a second boat for Mike and out he went. Even having never skippered before, he made it out and back in the eight-knot breeze- although with a lot of instruction. In hindsight, it was probably unwise to send Mike out, but the experience was a positive one for him, a fact that is almost entirely due to the excellent design of the Optimist.

Over these many years, as I have built Optimists and observed thousands of young skippers, I've come to understand why this design is so great and what it really offers our children.

The hull is not heavy. At only 77Ibs, it sails well in light air. The sail is small, allowing even a 65 lb. skipper to tackle big seas and high winds.

For learn to sail programs, the Optimist is perfect. It can safely accommodate two beginners. Pair them up in one boat, put them in the bottom of the cockpit and send them out on their own. They'll not wander far from the instructor, simply because the boat doesn't move very fast. The speed of the Optimist enhances its safety as a learn-to-sail boat. It keeps the instructor in control and the program safe. Try this with Sunfish and, in five minutes, your beginners will be spread over a mile wide circle-a definite safety problem.  

A young skipper on the left with coach on the right, heading out in light winds.
Rocking the boats to propel them, they make it past the point and have a great
sail together.  The boat on the right is from Multinational Boat Source.

In an Optimist, beginners don't feel in danger of capsizing because the flat bottom gives high initial stability. Also, since they're sitting on the floor, which is below the waterline, their combined weight ably resists the sail's tipping forces. (This secure feeling is, incidentally, lacking in Opti clones, which have the problem that the floor raises the skipper so high that the boat feels like it's on roller skates. The high floor also leaves little room under the boom to tack and gybe.)

Overall, the safe design of the Optimist just about guarantee that a beginner's Optimist sailing experience will be a positive one.

This gives another big payoff: The attrition rate due to fearfulness is significantly reduced. No other boat used in learn to sail programs achieves this as well as the Optimist. In my sailing career, I have taken hundreds of adults out in larger boats, for their first sail. About 20% never get in a sailboat again. Why? Because the wind, waves, and heel terrify them. Children are even more susceptible to these concerns. The Optimist, by contrast, feels "safe and stable, encouraging a higher percentage of children to finish the program, then go on to fully enjoy the benefits of recreational an competitive sailing.

There are other significant benefits to a child under 10 independently rigging and launching their own ship and returning it safely to port. The self-confidence, self- esteem, and self-discipline learned will serve the sailor throughout life. As a young dad I took a course called "Parent Effectiveness Training." It taught that the overriding objective of parenting is to teach your children to utilize all the creativity and potential with which they were born. The Optimist sailing experience is perhaps the best way I have ever seen to attain that goal.

The Optimist (Opti) As A Racing Boat:

A fully rigged Optimist Dinghy ready 

to hit the water for racing. This boat 

is from Multinational Boat Source; 

complete with FarEast Hull and 

Championship Foils, the sail is a 

UK Halsey MEGA II Full Race Sail 

and the Spars are Optipart's BlackGold.  

For its stability, safety, and simplicity the Optimist dinghy is an ideal sailing school boat. But it's also a great racing boat, offering multiple levels of competition for all ages, all the way up to the class maximum age of 15. There are over 400 Opti regattas in the North America each year. Dozens of clinics are held, including clinics for all, clinics for girls only, and clinics for instructors.

The boat's popularity is growing dramatically. U.S. class membership increased eight-fold in the six years post 1992 and continues to grow. With so many Optimist sailors and so many Optimist events, there's virtually no limit to the number of events a skipper can participate in. Nor are these events limited to younger sailors. At the 1998 USA Optimist Nationals in Marblehead, Massachusetts, 257 Opti sailors competed on the Championship course. Another 42 competed on the novice (green fleet) course. Of the 257 skippers on the championship course, 40% were 13,14, or 15 years old. Smart skippers know that the Optimist continues to provide them with excellent racing opportunities, all the way to age 15.  

But the older skippers don't take home all the silver. The Optimist class age groups divide the fleet into novice sailors, sailors 10 and under; sailors 11-12; and sailors 13-15. Awards are made in each of these categories, ensuring that the trophies are spread throughout the fleet.

Optimist dinghy skippers group up in anticipation of the start!

As skippers improve, they can advance from local regattas to national events, like the Nationals, the Midwinters, the Valentine's Day Regatta, and other national level competitions. Top skippers can then earn the opportunity to compete in international events. The Optimist Worlds’, Europeans’, and South American championships draw sailors from around the globe. Participation on these international teams is a level playing field, by regatta selection, and is not only a prestigious honor but a wonderfully enriching life experience.

Author: Unknown