Hello there! My name is Reid, and I'm a 10-year-old from Bowen, Queensland, with a big dream of competing in the Olympics and becoming a professional sailor.

I call the Port Denison Sailing Club my home, a club with a rich history dating back to 1864. My sailing journey began when I was just 5 years old in an Optimist Dinghy, and from that very moment, I fell in love with sailing. I soon discovered my passion for racing and have been dedicated to the sport ever since.

Incredibly, I've already achieved some remarkable success in my young racing career. I proudly secured first place at the Queensland State Optimist Intermediate Championships in both 2021 and 2022. This year, in January, I achieved a fantastic 2nd place overall in the Intermediate Fleet at the 2023 Musto Australian Championships in Pittwater, NSW.

Now, I've advanced to the Open Fleet, and I'm excited to share that I recently clinched 4th place at both the 2023 ZhiK QLD Youth Championships and the QLD State Optimist Championships. These accomplishments have given me the incredible opportunity to represent Team QLD at the upcoming Australian Optimist Championships.

Looking ahead, the 2024 MUSTO Australian Optimist Championships are set to take place in January at the Brighton & Seacliff Yacht Club in Adelaide, SA. These championships are of immense significance as they serve as the sole selection event for the Australian Optimist Sailing Team and Australian Optimist Development Team.

However, Adelaide is quite a journey from my hometown of Bowen, North Queensland, and participating in major sailing events like this presents logistical and financial challenges. This is where I kindly seek your assistance.

Any contribution would be a huge help in covering expenses such as travel and accommodation, the cost of transporting my Opti to Adelaide, or chartering one for the event, coaching and on-water support fees, event registration, Queensland team uniforms, and pre-regatta training.

While my immediate focus is on the Nationals in Adelaide, my ultimate dream in the Optimist Class is to secure a spot in the Australian Opti Squad and compete internationally. Your financial support would make a world of difference by providing me access to major regattas and high-performance training clinics, which are primarily held in metropolitan areas.

With your generous support, I can continue to compete at the highest level in Optimist Fleet Racing and work towards realizing my sailing dreams. Any level of support would be warmly welcomed and greatly appreciated. Thank you for considering being a part of my journey in sailing!