Latest News

Kids from areas such as Parkwood, Lavender Hill, Seawinds, Pelican Park and Mitchell’s Plain who all attend the River Church Youth Group had an exciting outing to The Little Optimist Sailing Academy. “The opportunity to go on the boats and...

9Miles Project is a community-based non-profit organization that was founded in Cape Town in 2013.Using surfing as a form of engagement and empowerment, 9Miles provides safe spaces and structured afterschool programs for at-risk children and youth in coastal communities; and...

Brainstorming with the CrewIt is important for us at The Little Optimist to give every team member an opportunity to share their ideas and ask questions.Our recent discussion was about creating a logic model together as a team, that made...

Erica and Adrienne from The Little Optimist, attended the Monitoring and Evaluation workshop at Laureus Sports for Good in Stellenbosch on the 30 and 31st of July. This was the last of a series of workshops that formed part of...

Oranjekloof kids learning to sail with The Little Optimist Sailing Therapy Academy We would like to thank Independent Online for their article: Underprivileged children to reap reward as The Little Optimist Trust wins top grant We are absolutely delighted to...

The Little Optimist Trust, a non-profit organization in Cape Town, has received a €26,000 (R516,087) grant from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) as part of the Sustained Insight and Impact Initiative, launched to promote the social impact legacy of the...

A San Francisco program is empowering young Guatemalan and Mexican teens through sailing and structured activities. @tiscsailing is fostering mental health, growth mindset, and connection. Inspired by the idea of interconnectedness, the program uses the ocean as a classroom. Sailing...

Renowned adventurer and philanthropist, Greg Bertish, captivated a San Francisco audience yesterday with his extraordinary tale of courage and resilience. The event at Hook Fish Co. featured a screening of the inspiring documentary chronicling Bertish’s audacious journey around the Cape...

Yesterday, the prestigious St. Francis Yacht Club hosted a memorable “Wednesday Yachting Luncheon,” featuring an inspiring talk by Greg. Kathy Trafton, Vice Chair of the Wednesday Yachting Luncheon and Special Speakers Series, expressed her gratitude for Greg’s impactful presentation. She...

This Mandela Day, one of our very own team members, Adrienne, embraced the spirit of giving and embarked on a special mission to Hout Bay Educare. Her goal? To share the joy of storytelling and leave a lasting impression on...

Yesterday, the Little Optimist team set off on an adventure that wasn’t on the water – but it was definitely all about making a positive impact! We were thrilled to be invited by JICS to Catkin High School to host...

This Monday, the Little Optimist Trust got an electrifying boost when Verity Price, the renowned public speaking champion, graced us with her presence! Ms. Price, the first South African and only the sixth woman ever to win the World Champion...

Planning a birthday party that keeps the little ones entertained and the grown-ups stress-free? Sounds like a challenge, but for The Little Optimist Trust, it’s what we do best! This past Saturday, we threw an epic bash for Logan, and...

12 June – Royal Cape Yacht Club , Cape Town It was an honour for our founder, Greg Bertish, to be invited as the guest speaker at Royal Cape Yacht Clubs Winter Wednesday evening. It was a packed room and...

The Little Optimist Trust recently hosted a vibrant book launch event at the Two Oceans Aquarium, filled with not just fascinating marine life, but also a creative explosion of colour! We’re thrilled to announce the winner of our exciting colour-in...

On June 25th, the Little Optimist Academy transformed into a seafaring haven for a fantastic group of Grade 10s from Laureus Sports! It was a joy to have these enthusiastic young adults on board (or should we say, on boat!)...

Ahoy there, sailing enthusiasts! We’re thrilled to share the incredible journey we recently embarked on with the fantastic team at Marsh Memorial. This marked our first-ever multi-day program at the Little Optimist Sailing Academy, and it was an experience filled...

Ahoy, mateys! We’re back with another update from Little Optimist Sailing Academy’s multi-day sailing program! Today marks day two on the water with the fantastic kids from Marsh Memorial, and things are going swimmingly (pun intended!). Yesterday was all about...

The Little Optimist Sailing Academy set sail on a new adventure today, kicking off a multi-day program with the fantastic team from Marsh Memorial! The excitement was palpable as our young sailors arrived, eager to explore the beauty of the...

Greg Bertish’s recent interview with Fine Music Radio 101.3 FM shed light on his remarkable journey from professional sailor to founder of The Little Optimist Trust. Facing a life-threatening heart condition, Bertish turned adversity into opportunity, using his love for...

On June 8th, the Two Oceans Aquarium buzzed with excitement as we at the Little Optimist Trust joined the global celebration of World Oceans Day! Our mission? To spark a love for our precious oceans in the hearts of our...

Calling all Little Optimist adventurers! This past Saturday, June 8th, the Little Optimist Trust Sailing Academy traded in our trusty sailboats for a taste of fierce dragon boat racing! Held right here on our waterfront, it was a day filled...

Calling all ocean adventurers! The Little Optimist Trust and the Two Oceans Aquarium joined forces for a splashtastic book launch event on June 1st, and it was a resounding success! The event celebrated the release of Greg Bertish’s captivating children’s...

The Little Optimist Sailing Academy was buzzing again with the return of a familiar crew – the enthusiastic young sailors from Heideveld! This time, they weren’t just learning the ropes, they were building their own mini sailboats! Laughter filled the...

Calling all young ocean enthusiasts! The Little Optimist Trust, a non-profit focused on youth development and ocean conservation, is teaming up with the Two Oceans Aquarium for a fin-tastic book launch event. Get ready to celebrate the release of Greg...

Ahoy, mateys! Here at the Little Optimist Sailing Academy, we’re all about fostering a love for the water and the thrill of sailing. Recently, we had the pleasure of welcoming a special group of young adventurers: a group of children...

Ahoy, mateys! The Little Optimist Sailing Academy crew here, sharing another sunny adventure on the canals! Recently, we had the pleasure of welcoming the French Consulate, and her two sons for a fantastic day. One son had a taste of...

On Wednesday evening, 15 May, The Little Optimist Sailing Academy set the stage for an unforgettable evening, hosting a captivating talk with Kirsten Neuschäfer, the first woman to win the grueling Golden Globe Race. Sponsored by a team of champions...

The wind whips through your hair, the spray of the ocean kisses your face, and the thrill of gliding across the water fills you with joy. That’s the magic of sailing, a feeling that the Little Optimist organization wants everyone...

Ahoy, mateys! We’re excited to announce that Little Optimist recently charted a course for positive change and landed a fantastic feature on Good Things Guy! This feature spotlights our impactful school bathroom renovation project, undertaken in partnership with the incredible...

The Little Optimist Sailing Academy was buzzing with excitement last Saturday, May 11th, as we welcomed a fantastic group of young sailors from River Church Cape Town! Led by our very own instructor, Josh, these future captains got their first...

We dove headfirst into a fascinating movie night and panel discussion at Jack Black’s Brewery. The documentary “Wade in the Water” took centre stage, exploring the multifaceted relationship between Black people and water throughout history. Sure, surfing is a major...

The Little Optimist buzzed with activity today as we welcomed Astra Special School for a day filled with fun and inspiration! The children were captivated by Greg Bertish’s creative “Little Optimist” cartoon, its message of perseverance and teamwork resonating brightly....

We are proud to introduce our new staff members on the YES program – sponsored by Laurium Capital This is the second year Laurium Capital has sponsored staff to The Little Optimist via the YES program. We look forward to...

The Little Optimist Academy & Trust is honoured to have been selected as one of the Laureus Sports for Good Incubation Hub delegates. This is a platform for collaboration, growth, learning and development as a non-profit organisation using sports as...

On opening night – 12 April, documentary – OPTIMIST – was screened along with 2 other films. Academy Award winning Director Pippa Ehrlich (My Octopus Teacher), filmmaker and storyteller Bryan Little, local documentary filmmaker Dean Leslie along with our Founder...

Congratulations to Josh September, Senior sailing Instructor, who placed 2nd in Western Cape Sailing Champs. Josh has been a part of The Little Optimist team for a few years and is a mentor and ambassador to the kids at our...

Greg Bertish’s sailing documentary “Optimist” has been selected to debut at the Cape Town Adventure Film Festival. Cape Town, South Africa (10 April 2024) – A Capetonian ocean and charity hero’s sailing documentary has been selected to be screened on...

Sailing managers, Amir and Shane and Sailing Instructor, Renton, took part in the Western Cape Sailing Champs over the Easter Weekend, 2 of which placed 1st and 3rd !! We are super proud of our Teams achievements!

In 2022 and 2023, The Little Optimist Trust, with the generous donations of product and funding from Italtile and Italtile Ceramics, renovated and refurbished the Dormitory bathrooms at Astra Special School. The kids that call Astra home now have beautiful,...

This Easter HIIT Fitness chose to collect toiletries, stationary and easter eggs for the 144 children at Durbanville Children’s Home. The members did not disappoint and as what we have come to expect from HIIT, they knocked it out the...

Hi Greg, A heartfelt thanks from myself and the team. Your talk was fantastic and certainly opened everyone’s eyes to the meaning of charity, grit and life purpose. We live such busy lives and we work exceptionally hard, so to...

On the 16th of March, we had the pleasure of welcoming the kids from Mont Coeur Group for a unique sailing adventure! These enthusiastic kids, overwhelmed by curiosity, were so eager to trade land for the ocean and experience the...

On the 14 March we had the wonderful honour of inviting the 9mile surfing crew to join us at The Little Optimist. Although they are known for conquering waves, they were eager to test out their skills in a new...

On the 12th and 13th of March we had the wonderful pleasure of welcoming Oranjekloof primary for the second, as the air buzzed with excitement seeing familiar faces return to our docks. Our instructor’s eagerness to see curious landlubbers turn...

Sparkling on the water, laughter echoing across the docks, today’s kids sailing programme was a pure bust of joy! From watching the little ones conquer the first fear of being in the water to them actually sailing the boats for...

We were blessed to have the beautiful dance group from Mannenberg visit The Little Optimist to learn how to sail. They shared a dance with us before setting off to the Two Oceans Aquarium to learn more about ocean conservation...

In December we held our annual Teddy Bear Drive which was a huge success! Thank you to the follow places that took the time to do collections: HIIT Fitness, Parklands KOM Surf Dario – Hout Bay Clifton LS Llandudno LS...

The Great Optimist Race adaptive team member, Darren Thomas, makes us super proud by representing South Africa at the recent Crossfit Wodapalooza in Miami. Full Article Here

The wind was howling, but we still had fun! Blikkiesdorp FC showed us what teamwork looks like while playing games and learning how to tie different kinds of knots used for sailing. The team had a good time watching The...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5PrKF7qlY2I

https://youtu.be/5PrKF7qlY2I

Boatica Cape Town plays an important role in promoting the burgeoning blue economy, a sector that injects billions of rands per annum into the city’s GDP. Seventy one exhibitors were on display at the V&A Waterfront at boatica 2023, with...

In our interconnected world, it’s fascinating to hear diverse perspectives from individuals hailing from different corners of the globe. Today, we have the pleasure of sharing insights from Dan, a visitor from the United States. “Hi Greg, Thank you for...

A Grassy Park sailor and his crew walked away as winners of the fourth Great Optimist Race, a charity race that brings people together from all walks of life. The race, which took place at the V&A Waterfront on Saturday...

We believe in forming partnerships with other NGO’s. Surfpop is a surf school focused on building a sustainable future for children and youth from disadvantaged communities around Cape Town. This group from Surfpop exchanged their surfboards for sails for a...

BY OLIVER DANIELS | 4 NOVEMBER, 2023 The Great Optimist Race is an annual sailing competition that brings together 70 skippers from diverse backgrounds, including celebrities, children, differently-abled individuals, and cancer patients. The event celebrates inclusivity and unity through sailing,...

Byron Lukas | November 4, 2023 A Grassy Park sailor is riding a wave of success, as he and his crew won the fourth annual Great Optimist Race. The “world’s most inclusive” sailing event took place last Saturday at the...

Tauhira Ajam | 3 November, 2023 Saturday saw the fourth annual Great Optimist Race take place at Boatica at the V&A Waterfront. Hailed as the ‘world’s most inclusive’ sailing event, the 70 skippers participating included celebrities, children, differently-abled men and...