NZ Opti Worlds Team - Tanger 2026

28/06/2026

And it's done! It's the final day and closing ceremony for the 2026 Opti Worlds, Tanger. The sailors have learned resilience, determination, how to navigate the rigours of international-level competition, and have made connections with kids from all over the planet. Congratulations to Manual Bracanca of Brazil (Gold), Elliot Novara of Sweden (Silver), and Andre Zhakov of Malta (Bronze). Ines Mendez-Larminaux of Paraguay (First girl and 6th), and Margaux Nguyen-Minh of Hong Kong (2nd girl and 14th), and Mara Penalver of Spain (3rd girl and 20th).
Our team finished: Will Handley - top 20 in Silver Fleet (Go Will!!). Jeffrey Du - 50s in Silver Fleet. Noah Petersen - 60's in Silver Fleet. Tom Hall - 50s in Bronze Fleet. Ally Burfoot - 50s in Bronze Fleet. What an achievement for first-time Worlds competitors! We are very proud of our Kiwis taking their first flight on the Worlds' stage.

27/06/2026

Day two of the finals saw an E N E wind ranging 11 to 15 knots, with some gusts of 20. Temperatures were in the very high 20s. The start line proved challenging as always, and a bad start was impossible to recover from. Our team had a mixed bag for the day, but noticeable mentions were Jeffrey Du's 13th in a silver fleet race, Tom Hall's 14th in a bronze race, and a remarkable 15th (silver race) for Will Handley despite battling a bad stomach. Noah Petersen gain a 21st in his silver fleet race. Then it was back to the hotel to begin the negotiations of shirt trades with other teams.

26/06/2026

It's time for the finals! The fleet has now been split into quarters based on rankings from the qualifying rounds: Gold, Silver, Bronze, and Emerald. We have Jeffrey, Noah, and Will in Silver, and Ally and Tom in Bronze. On this first finals day Coach Wills said the bay had "a stellar 10 to 15 knots and the steadiest we have experienced to date" with a NW breeze and strong current. Ally Burfoot gained a second place in one of her Bronze races after working the favoured side well. It was a photo finish between Ally and first place. Will Handley rounded the top mark in first place in one of his Silver races, got overtaken by a few on the next leg, but finished with a fantastic 12th placing. The team hopes the favourable conditions continue for finals days two and three.

Actions shots by Mathias Capizanno https://capizzano.photoshelter.com/index/G00002Pg3je27dTA/thumbs

New Zealand International Optimist Dinghy Association Wakatere Boating Club Tauranga Yacht and Power Boat Club - TYPBC Murrays Bay Sailing Club

23/06/2026

Day three of qualifying and another postponement, waiting for wind. Q5 for yellow flight (Jeffrey, Will, and Ally) finally got underway with light winds. The right side of the course was paying off today again. Ally had a fabulous race coming in 17th place. Will and Jeffrey didn't enjoy the lighter wind, but their very strong day one has ensured them a spot in silver fleet. After yellow raced they returned to shore with no plans for a Q6. The other flights could not get started and teams waited until after 6pm for the wind to return. Tom and Noah were in green, the last of the colours to race, so faced hours out there in the Moroccon heat. It was a great lesson in endurance and focus. Q5 for green finally started 615pm. Winds had filled in to 15 to 20 knots. Noah's 35th result put him in the range for silver fleet, and Tom had a good start and first mark rounding, but hit a lull in the reach. Admirable effort given both had sat for hours on the course. The fleets for finals are not published yet but it appears we will have Jeffrey, Noah, and Will in silver and Tom and Ally in bronze. Such a great result for their first Worlds and first international regatta for most of them. We are very proud of our Kiwis.

22/06/2026

June 21st was day two of qualifying, with races Q3 and Q4. It was a long day on the water after racing was postponed, waiting for wind, and the sailors didn't get back ashore until 630pm. Once they got racing it was worth the wait with 10-18 knot NE winds. There was strong current and choppy waves for Q3. The pin end was heavily favoured with a fight for space and difficulty getting clear. Will had a tough time with a yellow flag on the start line and had to battle back. Jeffrey also had a rough start in his flight. Tom and Ally started well and had their best races so far with a 21 and 35 respectively in Q3. Noah was mid fleet in Q3. In Q4 the wind was dropping, the current gone, and there were numerous general recalls for each flight. Jeffrey and Will unfortunately got BFDs. Noah, Tom, and Ally had clean starts with Noah getting a 23rd for Q4.

21/06/2026

21/06/2026

Opening Ceremony! June 19th. Go Team NZL Kiwis!

20/06/2026

First day of racing, and the fleet was split into four flights with roughly 75 boats in each. By D-Flag the temperature had reached 29 degrees. Winds in the bay were hot and shifty, like our training days, but ranging from 8 to 20 knots.
Jeffrey Du was on fire in the first flight, navigating the shifts up the middle after a midline start, and rounding mark one in fourth. He finished the race in eighth. Will Handley showed strong speed and fitness, scoring in the teens in both races. Noah Petersen achieved solid upwind speed and recovered well after a big shift off the start. Tom Hall didn’t let his injured hand slow him down, though a wave swamped his boat in race one. He came back stronger in race two to finish 23rd. Ally Burfoot overtook many boats on the downwind and is excited for tomorrow.

Coach Wills said it was a solid first day for all, considering four out of five have never competed in an IODA international event.

New Zealand International Optimist Dinghy Association

20/06/2026

Catch the racing on YouTube. 2026 IODA Worlds, Tanger.
20 - 22 June preliminaries.
23 & 24 June teams racing
25 - 27 June finals
https://www.youtube.com/live/qC2H4HXuoag?si=qj1F822K4bOEKyr2

Official Livestream by Royal Yacht Club Tanger. Hosted by Road to G...

19/06/2026

Opening Ceremony 2026 IODA Worlds. Sailors from 77 nations with different races, cultures, and languages, but all sharing a love for sailing.

Team New Zealand are ready to go hard!

New Zealand International Optimist Dinghy Association NZL Sailing Foundation