This past weekend, the Squadron proudly hosted the successful The Moreton Group 2024 Optimist Queensland State Titles, featuring 63 entries—23 of which were in the Green Fleet. This was the largest number of total entries in the past eight years!

To cap off an amazing regatta and make RQ proud, we had 13 Green Fleet, 7 Intermediate Fleet, and 12 Open Fleet RQ sailors competing. A huge congratulations to Joshua Dale, who claimed the title of State Champion (overall and male), and to Monty Morse, who secured second place. Both sailors have been dedicated members of the RQ Opti rigging lawn for years, and it’s wonderful to see their hard work and perseverance rewarded.

Harriet Behrens earned the title of Female State Champion, finishing 11th overall. Harriet is a valued member of the RQ Open Opti team, and her strong performance throughout the regatta was inspiring.

In the Intermediate Fleet, RQ sailors achieved an impressive clean sweep, with Luca von Bibra, Alex Walker, and Lawson Barnes taking 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places, respectively. We also had Avalon Hartley 3rd girl and Bengamin Starkings 3rd boy in Green fleet. Across all fleets, our RQ sailors demonstrated exceptional confidence, sportsmanship, and commitment, making this regatta a truly memorable event.

These outstanding results highlight the strength of the renowned RQ Youth Squad Program, led by Adrian Finglas. As parents and supporters, we are deeply appreciative of Adrian’s expertise, dedication, and the invaluable skills he has passed on to our young sailors. Special thank you to Kate, Libby and Will for their coaching and support on the weekend and also their continued support of the Opti sailors. Kate has coached some of our open sailors ever since they started out in green fleet, to now being at the top of the open fleet. Big thanks to all the Opti coaches and instructors who support the Opti program at RQ.

We are excited to build on this success and look forward to The 2025 Musto Australian Optimist Championships Hosted by Royal Queensland Yacht Squadron from the 10th to the 17th of January 2025.

– Thank you to Chris Woodforth for this update.

See the Results Here