Wakatere is pleased to announce the opening of the Club's Sponsored Optimist application process for the 2025/26 season.
This programme has been established to allocate five Optis to club juniors who would most benefit from a quick fibreglass boat to speed up their progress and increase their love of the sport. A club locker is included in the package. The boats were generously donated in 2019 by a group of sponsors organised by club member Gavin Brady. Each Opti is named after its sponsor - Beau Geste, Rio, Vesper, Doyle Sails & Invisible Hand.
It is expected that sailors will be part of the upcoming Wakatere Green fleet group for the 2025/26 season and have exclusive use of their allocated Opti. Please note that a boat maintenance fee will apply for upkeep during this period. All applications considered.
TO APPLY: Juniors should complete the online form in their own words 👉 2025/26 WBC SPONSORED OPTI APPLICATION *Closing 1st Sept 2025
This thank-you video, created by James Garnham from Wakatere Boating Club, does an outstanding job of showcasing what the Wakatere Sponsored Optimist programme, as well as Green fleet, is all about.
A heartfelt thank you to all the wonderful sponsors listed below. Their invaluable support for junior sailing at Wakatere Boating Club means the world to us.
Vesper
Owners: Jim and Susan Swartz
Jim and Susan are very big supporters of young people around the world, sponsoring many different programs. They travelled to NZ some years ago and fell in love with the country and what it has to offer on and off the water. Vesper yachts have a pedigree racing background, winning major international events around the world. Vesper won the IMA Caribbean Maxi Challenge in St Barth, April 2022, the ORC Mini Maxi class at the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup in the same year, and most recently, Vesper TP52 won the 2025 ORC European Championship in Palma.
Beau Geste
Owner: Karl Kwok
Karl has built race yachts in NZ since 1997, and many of the club members who are pro-sailors have sailed on various Beau Geste over the years. Beau Geste won the 2018 Offshore World Championships; set two new race records in 2019 - the NZ PIC Coastal Classic in 5 hrs 37 secs and the Brisbane to Gladstone Race. Karl Kwok’s TP52 Beau Geste showcased all-around performance at the recent 2025 Admiral’s Cup, finishing 5th overall at this prestigious event.
Invisible Hand
Owner: Frank Slootman
Frank has owned a series of race boats called Invisible Hand. In 2017 Invisible Hand won the TransPac Race and backed that up by winning the PAC 52 Series in 2018. Frank lives in San Francisco and had his 2017 Pac 52 built in New Zealand and is a big fan of what we produce in NZ from sailors to products. Invisible Hand is now sailing as Callisto.
Rio
Owner: Manouch Moshayedi
Manouch is a big fan of the NZ industry and culture. He refitted his super maxi Rio 100 in New Zealand in 2014. Rio 100 went on to win the Barn Door in 2015 and 2017. Rio 100 shattered the Ensenada Race record from Newport to Ensenada, Mexico, in April 2022. More recently, Rio 100 was the first to finish at the 2024 Puerto Vallarta Race (San Diego to Mexico).
Doyle Sails
From dinghies, club racers and cruising yachts, through to Grand Prix campaigns and superyachts, Doyle is one of the biggest sail makers in the world. They are a huge supporter of youth sailing and have supplied all these big boat race teams (listed above) with grand prix sails.
Doyle has supported this sponsored Opti project by supplying the five Wakatere Optimists with Doyle sails. More about Doyle Sails
