Another sailing season has started and with it the Allen Academy Optimist has also gone to a new home. This year’s lucky recipient of the Allen Academy Optimist is Patrick Bromilow of West Kirby Sailing Club.
The Allen Academy Optimist is a concept put together by Allen Brothers with the aim of promoting and helping grow youth sailing. Each year a deserving young sailor is awarded the boat with the hope it will help them take their sailing to the next level. The lucky recipient is awarded the 2016 built Ovington Hull which comes fully re-fitted with brand new Allen hardware as well as a full refit of rope kindly supplied by Marlow Ropes and a new sail this year supplied by One Sails.
When collecting the boat, Patrick aged 12, commented “I was really excited to find out that I was going to get the Allen Oppi for this year. I had seen it at events last year and thought it looked really cool. I can’t wait to use the new Allen AutoRatchet with the new Marlow mainsheet and get the boat set up the way I like to sail it. My dad is going to do some splicing on it with the Marlow Rope. I’m also really looking forward to using the new sail One Sails have provided, I’ve heard its really fast. The first event I will be racing with the new boat will be at the Inland Championships 18/19 May and I’m looking forward to taking it out in a big fleet. I’ve had a couple of practice days at my club in it and I think it’s a quick boat! Thank you, Allen, for giving me the boat to sail this year.”
The boat truly is race ready as Managing Director of Allen, Liz Adams, commented “This is the 4th year we have given away the boat and each time it gives me great pleasure that we are able to help support a budding young sailor with this superb racing Optimist, hopefully, giving them the confidence to go on and race to their full potential.”
Previous winners of the Allen Academy Optimist include Quinn Edmonds, who has now moved out of Optimists and has had a successful season in the RS Feva and qualified for the RYA RS Feva Junior Squad. Nick Evans, another of the winners, is still sailing his own Optimist and has recently finished 4th overall at the Braassemermeer Easter Regatta (1st Brit).
One Sails has been chosen as the sail supplier of choice to the Optimist this year. The One Sails Optimist sail has won the last 3 World Championships in a row. The team at One Sails have also supplied Patrick with a tuning guide developed in conjunction with top Optimist coach Mauricio Bencic.
The rope on the Allen Academy Optimist was looking a bit worn at the end of last season so UK rope manufacturers Marlow Ropes have kindly stepped in to supply a top spec fit out for the mainsheet, sail ties, kicker and sprit halyard.
