Classes we sail at Llandegfedd

Optimists

Optimists are great boats for our youngest sailors. They are among the only boats well suited for complete beginners to intermediate sailors between the ages of 8 and 15. They are of a size that small children can handle by themselves safely in all weathers and are the first boat that most beginners will learn to sail.

Optimists are suitable for all standards as they are easy to sail but very competitive. As well as the annual world championship the class also has six continental championships, attended by a total of over 700 sailors a year. Many thousands more take part in international and national regattas. The Optimist is regarded as a brilliant stepping stone to larger boats. Over 60% of Olympic sailors started off in Optimists.

At the end of the year in which the sailor will turn 15 they cannot sail in large competitions any more. At this time, or even earlier the sailor moves on to a bigger boat. Many sailors move into a Topper for a year or so and then on to a Laser, while others go into double handers, such as Fevas, 420s and 29ers.

At the club we have a fleet of 6 Oppys for beginners' training and have recently bought three race standard Optimists with Grant Aid that are loaned out to club members at a small fee per year. We have a large number of Oppy sailors at the club who have had great success both here and overseas; including two sailors in the Welsh National Squad.

Toppers

Toppers are larger single-handed boats that are suitable for young teenagers upwards. They are largely aimed at people of a similar age to Oppy sailors but who want a faster, heavier boat and can easily be reefed to cater for strong winds. Toppers are very durable and, therefore, very popular with beginners as they will take plenty of bashing about. There are a large number of Topper sailors throughout the UK and the racing is friendly, but competitive.

We currently have one sailor who sails in the South Wales Regional squad on a regular basis, having moved up after sailing an Optimist for several years. As the Topper is easy to handle and rig, on a calm day many of our Oppy sailors take our 5 club toppers out on the water.

Lasers

The Laser is an Olympic class boat and with the Radial and Full rig, the boat is suitable for the larger youths with higher skill levels. The laser can also be sailed with the 4.7 rig to allow smaller sailors to compete in higher winds.

The Club does not own any Lasers, but they are popular all over the world. It is supported by the WYA squad training system, and we coach our youths in these boats. There are several Laser sailors at the club, all of whom sail to a very high standard.