3. The International Optimist
History
The Optimist was designed by Clark Mills in Clearwater, Florida in 1947 and introduced
with modifications to Europe in the 1950s. The first World Championship was held in
England in 1962.
The International Optimist Dinghy Association (IODA) was formed in 1965 and was recog-
nised by the IYRU, now the ISAF, as an International Class in 1974 on the recommendation
of 14 countries on four continents.
In 1995 the hull was restored to a strict one-design and in 2004 the foils were similarly
controlled.
Objectives:
“To provide racing for young people at low cost” (Class Rule 1.1)
“To offer a high standard of international competitive sailing” (ISAF Regulation 26.1)
“To see that Class rules are observed” (IODA Articles 2b)
“To co-ordinate youth work between member countries” (IODA Articles 2b)
In 2006
• Over 800 sailors from 78 countries attended IODA continental championships, thousands
attended international regattas and tens of thousands national or regional events. Charter
boats are available at all IODA and many other events. The lowest price ex-factory is now
under USD1,250 ready to sail.
• The quality of racing was shown by the performance of immediate ex-Optimist sailors in
youth boats. Ten of the twelve Laser and 420 medal-winning helms at the ISAF World Youth
Championship were former Optimist sailors.
• Strict one-design means that 28 builders in 21 countries will produce around 4,000 boats of
identical specification and speed. Nearly 50% of sailors at this year’s Europeans sailed a
boat made in their own or a neighbouring country.
• An active development programme has assisted six countries to acquire 66 Optimists to
create or expand fleets, and 110 countries are now members of IODA.
4. Travel sells sailing Exotic locations
Whatever the other problems of
adult sailing the charter holiday
business is booming.
So it is in the Optimist.
Schooldays may mean that it’s
dark at 1600 hrs and you have to
break the ice to go sailing. But
when the vacations come, sailing
in the sun is a lot more fun. Easy charter
Because the Optimist is so strictly
one-design and because the
builders know there is a sure
market afterwards, charter is
easy to arrange. With foils and
spars now standardised all you
need to take with you is your sail.
And airfares get cheaper every
year.
If your club is well-organised Part of a team
maybe the coach will make up a
group to go some great venue. If
not maybe some noble parent will
lead the team. Your parents may
want to come: if not they are old
enough to be allowed away on
their own!
Destinations read like a tracel
brochure. Next year if you make
an official team you may be going
to Sardinia, Rio, Athens, Bali or Parents can come too
Mexico. If you don’t, how about
Dubai, Lake Garda, the
Caribbean, Singapore, Melbourne
. . . .?
And don’t forget to bring back
the T-shirt to show what you did
in your holidays.
6. Girls Girls at the top
The victory of Tina Lutz in last
year’s Worlds was the “icing
on the cake” for a history of
improvement in the quality of
girls’ sailing in the Optimist.
For the first time there were
four girls in the top 20 and
they were from three different
continents.
More girls qualify
An increasing number of girls
qualify for their countries’
Worlds team.
On the earliest full Worlds
Percentage of girls in the Worlds fleet scoresheet we have (1981)
there were just five girls, 4%
20%
of the fleet of 118 sailors. In
the last seven years that per-
15%
centage has never fallen below
10% 14% and in 2004 it reached a
record of 20%.
5% In 35 of the 52 countries at
? least one girl qualified.
81 86 91 96 01 05
Better results
When Denise Lyttle (IRL)
Place of the best girl came 14th in 1981 her result
1 was regarded as outstanding
5 and only two other girls bet-
10 tered it in the next nine years.
15 In the most recent nine years
20 there has been a girl in the top
25
14 in every year but one.
30
35
40 From a wider world
81 86 91 96 01 05 Increasingly many of these top
results have come from non-
European sailors.
In 1999 Roberta Borges (BRA)
became the first of them to
take girls’ gold. Two years
later Xu Lijia (CHN) matched
that performance and retained
the title the following year.
Most recently Daniela
Zimmermann (PER), Jovina
Choo (SIN) and Victoria
Travascio (ARG) have all
achieved top 20 places.
Siren Sundby and Lisa Westerhof - two previous girls’winners
7. Development
Sailing for a wider world
IODA has more than doubled the number of member national associations over the last fifteen years
and is committed to bringing the benefits of sailing to young people worldwide. It offers limited finan-
cial aid to “newer countries”.
Free boats - the “6 for 5” scheme
Countries seeking to start or enlarge Optimist fleets can apply
for one free boat for every five bought. Over the last five years
more than 220 Optimists in twenty five countries have been
acquired under this scheme.
The boats may be bought from any approved builder and are owned
by an association, club or other ‘not for profit’ organisation. They
must be available to the children of non-sailors.
In the last twelve months beneficiaries have included the Cook
Islands and Papua New Guinea (shown at right), Libya to help
found new sailing centres, Mauritius, Bulgaria and the Faroe
Islands in the North Atlantic.
As a variation, countries which build batches of wood/epoxy
Optimists can receive free spars, sails and fittings.
“6 for 5” Scheme
Faroe I.
Serbia
Caribbean etc. Bulgaria
Bahamas Tunisia South Pacific
Barbados Libya Cook I.
Dominican R Papua NG
El Salvador Sri Lanka Samoa
Neth. Antilles Solomon I.
Nicaragua Uganda Vanuatu
St. Vincent Kenya
St. Lucia Angola Tanzania
Trinidad
Mauritius
The effect
There is always a question over the long-term effect of develop-
ment projects.
In several of the countries the introduction of a few Optimists has
rapidly led to fleets of over 50 boats. It is easier to find sponsors and
state support for established projects. Of the 25 countries which
have received “6 for 5” grants in the past five years 19 have already
started to participate in international regattas and, as the sailors age
out, fleets of Lasers and other “follow-on” boats are being added.
and also . . . .
Grants are also available for instructor-training and travel to
regattas. Details at: www.optiworld.org/ioda-develop.html
8. The Optimist World
Members (former members in italics) 110
•
•
Attended the IODA World Championship 2005
Attended an IODA Continental Championship 2006
Built GRP Optimists 2005-2006
52
78
21
North America $ Received Development Grants 2004-2006 20 Asia
Anguilla $
Bahrain
Barbados
• Europe Chin. Taipei
• •
•
Bahamas
Bermuda
• •
$
Andorra
• •
•
Italy
• •
• •
China
Hong Kong
•
• •
Austria Latvia
Br. Virgin I.
Canada
• •
Belarus
• •
Lithuania
• India
Indonesia
•
• •
Belgium Malta
Cuba
Dominican Rep.
• • $
Bulgaria
Croatia
•
• •
•
$ Monaco
Netherlands
•
• •
Japan
Korea
•
El Salvador
G. Cayman
$
Cyprus
• •
Norway
• •
• •
Kuwait
Kyrghyzstan
• •
Czech Rep. Poland
Grenada
Guatemala
$
Denmark
•
• •
•
Portugal
• • Malaysia
Myanmar
• • •
Estonia Romania
Mexico
Neth. Antilles
• • $
Finland
•
• •
•
Russia
• Pakistan
Philippines
• •
France San Marino
Nicaragua
Puerto Rico
• •
Germany
• • Serbia/M.
• •
• •
$ Qatar
Singapore
• •
•
Georgia Slovakia
St. Lucia
St. Vincent $
Great Britain
•
• •
•
Slovenia
• •
• •
Sri Lanka
Thailand
•
$
• •
Greece Spain
Trinidad & T.
U.S.A.
• •
Hungary
• • Sweden
• •
• •
U.A.Emirates
• •
Iceland Switzerland
U.S. Virgin I. Ireland
Israel
• •
•
Turkey
Ukraine
• • Oceania
Am. Samoa
South America
Argentina
• • Australia
• •
•
Brasil
• • Africa
• •
Cook Islands
Fiji
•
$
$
• •
Colombia Algeria Seychelles
Chile
Ecuador
•
• •
•
Angola
Egypt
•
S. Africa
Tanzania
• •
• $
New Zealand
Papua N.G.
• $
Paraguay
• •
Kenya Tunisia
• Samoa
Solomon Is.
$
$
• •
Peru Libya $
Uganda
Uruguay
Venezuela
•
• •
• $
Mauritius
Morocco
• Zimbabwe
• Tahiti
Vanuatu $
9. IODA Continental
IODA European Championship Boys
Workum, Holland. 231 sailors from 42 countries Open Euro
1. Theofanis Kavvas Greece 1
2. Tadeusz Kubiak Poland 2
3. Vassilis Papoutsoglou Greece 3
4. Pedro Carlucci da Luz Brasil
5. Leif Ole Dreyer Germany 4
6. Carl-Fredrik Fock Sweden 5
7. Jes Lyhne Bonde Denmark 6
8. Simon Meister Austria 7
9. Gustav Pettersson Sweden 8
10. Juan Calvo Spain 9
Girls
1. Elia Borrego Spain 1
2. Ewa Ilska Poland 2
3. Sara Piasecka Poland 3
4. Emma Oljelund Sweden 4
5. Maria Voulgaraki Greece 5
6. Amalia Chalaiou Greece 6
7. Lara Vladau Austria 7
8. Julia Gross Sweden 8
9. Gil Cohen Israel 9
10. Tomoyo Wakabayashi Japan
IODA African Championship Over-all
Open Afro
Alexandria, Egypt. 44 sailors from 11 countries 1. Alexandre Massard Switzerland
2. Ahmed Ahmed Ragab Egypt 1
3. Ashwynn Daniels S. Africa 2
4. Timothy Manley S. Africa 3
5. Zianni Wassim Algeria 4
6. Benoval Mohamed Algeria 5
7. Cherkit Merziane Algeria 6
8. Mohamed Ziad El Bokl Egypt 7
9. Antoine Gerard Mauritius 8
10. Cherif Sahraoui Yannis Algeria 9
Girls
1. Dewi Couvert Netherlands
2. Mariem Zribi Tunisia 1
3. Seddour Merieiue Algeria 2
4. Alison Maher Belgium
5. Jenny Robertson S. Africa 3
Team Racing
1. Algeria 2. Egypt 3. South Africa
IODA South American Championship Over-all
Cartagena, Colombia 194 sailors from 18 countries Open. S. Am
1. Timothy Seet Singapore
2. Sean Lee Singapore
3. Rufina Tan Malaysia ◊
4. Jonathan Martinetti Ecuador 1
5. Edgar Diminich Ecuador 2
6. Faizani bin Yahaya Malaysia
7. Manfredo Finch Uruguay 3
8. Griselda Khng Singapore ◊
9. Tomas Dietrich Argentina 4
10. Alejo Morales Uruguay 5
S. American Girls
1. Arianna Villena Ecuador
2. Kamilla Sabogal Ecuador
3. Maria José Cucalón Ecuador
Team Racing
1. Ecuador 1 2. Argentina 2 3. Ecuador 2
10. Championships 2006
IODA North American Championship Over-all
Ponce, Puerto Rico 189 sailors from 22 countries 1. Sean Lee Singapore
2. Victor Díaz de Leon Venezuela
3. Iván Aponte Puerto Rico
4. Taylor Lutz U.S.A.
5. Alejo Morales Uruguay
6. Alexander Zimmermann Peru
7. Arianna Villena Ecuador ◊
8. Alex Maloney N. Zealand ◊
9. Stephanie Zimmermann Peru ◊
10. George Kool New Zealand
N. Americans
1. Iván Aponte Puerto Rico
2. Taylor Lutz U.S.A.
3. Diego Reyes Mexico
4. James Leighton Trinidad
5. George Kutschenreuter U.S.A.
N. American Girls
1. Marissa Lihan U.S.A.
2. Haley Powell Bermuda
3. Marlena Fauer U.S.A.
Team Racing
1. Peru 2. Singapore 3. Argentina
IODA Asian Championship Over-all
Fulung, Chinese Taipei. 63 sailors from 14 countries 1. Sean Lee Singapore
2. Griselda Khng Singapore ◊
3. Chuancheng Zhou China
4. Caho Gui China
5. Rufina Tan Malaysia ◊
6. Wei Ni China
7. Lihua Zhang China
8. Jing Zhou China
9. Faizani bin Yahaya Malaysia
10. Timothy Seet Singapore
Girls
1. Griselda Khng Singapore
2. Rufina Tan Malaysia
3. Lihua Zhang China
4. Jing Zhou China
5. Benjamas Poonpat Thailand
Team Racing
1. China 2. Singapore 3. Malaysia
IODA Oceanian Championship Over-all
Aitutaki, Cook Islands 26 sailors from 7 countries
1. Nicholas Porée France*
2. George Lane New Zealand
3. Laszlo Horvath France*
4. Vincent Labroy Tahiti
5. Emanuel Mousset Tahiti
6. Hugo Oudart Tahiti
7. Roch della Patrona France*
8. Samantha Johnson Cook Islands ◊
9. Henry Wilkinson New Zealand
10. Helena Williams Cook Islands ◊
Team Racing
1. Tahiti
2. France*
3. Cook Islands
* = New Caledonia
11. Some Regattas Christmas
Dubai Junior Regatta, U.A.E.
No Grand Prix! Trofeo Ciutat de Palma, Spain 22-29 January
3-7 December 91 Sailors from 16 countries
284 Sailors from 12 countries 1. Leonardo Dubbini (ITA)
The aim in the Optimist is 1. Elia Borrego (ESP) ◊ 2. Mathias Svendsen (DEN)
to give as many young peo- 2. Diego Botin (ESP) 3. Jes Lyhne Bonde (DEN)
ple as possible the chance to 3. Baltazar Montaner (ESP)
KABB International, Spain
sail internationally. 17-19 February
St. Nicholas Race, Croatia
8-11 December 188 Sailors from 20 countries
So, unlike later sailing and 258 Sailors from 11 countries 1. Jolbert van Dijk (NED)
indeed many other sports at 1. Matea Senkik (CRO) ◊ 2. Carl Strombeck (SWE)
2. Lovre Perhat (CRO) 3. Giles Cleeren (BEL)
this age, there is no ranklist,
3. Kasia Kurtin (CRO) ◊
Grand Prix or circuit in the Easter
Optimist Class. Malta Euromed, Malta
Many parents (and even 17-20 December Optispring, Belgium
more schoolteachers!) would 67 Sailors from 12 countries 8-9 April
1. Okan Arin (TUR) 158 Sailors from 10 countries
not accept that you have to 2. Gil Cohen,(ISR) ◊
go to certain events on a 1. Jolbert van Dijk (NED)
3. Gabriel Pace (MLT) 2. Carl Strombeck (SWE)
certain dates. 3. Giles Cleeren (BEL)
XL Capital Bermuda
Most regattas take place in 18-21 December Lake Garda Meeting, Italy
53 Sailors from 12 countries 13-16 April
school vacations. Around 1. Magnus Kaeldsø (DEN)
1,000 sailors participate in 661 Sailors from 21 countries
2. Joshua Greenslade (BER) 1. Leonardo Dubbini (ITA)
international events in 3. Mathias Svendson (DEN) 2. Augusto Poropat (ITA)
December, 1,300 in the four 3. Mathias Svendsen (DEN)
Al Kharafi Regatta, Kuwait
great Easter regattas and 19-23 December
unknown thousands in July/ Portoroz Regatta, Slovenia
20 Sailors from 7 countries 13-16 April
August. 1. Mohamed Shaiful (MAS) 236 Sailors from 9 countries
2. Mohamed Azrul (MAS) 1. Jakob Bozic (SLO)
Many events are primarily 3. Ahmed Ragab (EGY) 2. Titto Rodda (ITA)
holidays with club friends 3. Rasi Bajons (AUT)
Rioplatense, Argentina
or parents. But selection for 26-31 December Magic Marine Regatta, Holland
a national team is a major 70 Sailors from 4 countries
incentive so many national 1. Gastón Bisio (ARG)
2. Armando Zulian (ARG)
associations pick lower- 3. Pablo Volker (ARG)
ranked teams to give as
many sailors as possible the GHG S. Caribbean, Trinidad
unforgettable chance to 26-31 December
27 Sailors from 6 countries
“represent their country”.
1. Matthew Scott (TRI)
2. Anthony Alkins (TRI)
3. Wesley Scott (TRI)
Orange Bowl, U.S.A.
27-30 December
215 Sailors from 11 countries
1. Will Haeger (USA)
2. Edgar Diminich (ECU)
3. Matthew Wefer (USA)
Trofeo M. Campobasso, Italy 15-18 April
4-6 January 267 Sailors from 14 countries
177 Sailors from 14 countries 1. Herman Tomasgaard (SWE)
1. Fanis Kavas (GRE) 2. Phil Sparks (GBR)
2. Leonardo Dubbini (ITA) 3. Hampus Appelgren (SWE)
3. Matteo Ramian (ITA)
GBR 3rd team at the French Nationals
12. Dutch Youth Regatta British Open Team Racing Events
25-28 May Holland 5-11 August Great Britain
359 Sailors from 16 countries 114 Sailors from 7 countries
1. Julian Autenrieth (GER) 1. Phil Sparks (GBR) Team Racing is hugely popu-
2. José Manuel Ruiz (ESP) 2. Aaron Smith (GBR) lar in the Optimist and is
3. Mathias Svendsen (DEN) 3. James Grant (GBR) included in all continental
Sailextreme Denmark Istanbul International Optimist championships except the
3-6 June 13-18 August Turkey European.
142 Sailors from 6 countries 102 Sailors from 6 countries Instead in Europe three
1. Jes Lyhne Bonde (DEN) 1. Alican Mer Keles (TUR) European events have
2. Anne-Marie Rindom (DEN) ◊ 2. Okan Arin (TUR)
developed, each with
3. Hermann Tomasgaard (SWE) 3. Levent Ahiskali (TUR)
different entry criteria.
Scotiabank Caribbean Regatta
Trofeo Marco Rizzotti
Venice 11-14 May
20 teams from 13 countries
1. Italy
2. Slovenia
3. New York (USA)
GrandOptical Champions’
Cup
(inter-club championship)
Ledro, Italy 22-26 August
14 teams from 14 countries
1. C.V. Bracciano (ITA)
2. Mos Ilawa (POL)
3. Kullavik KKK (SWE)
23-25 June U.S.Virgin I. Irish Open
215 Sailors from 11 countries 17-20 August Ireland
1. Iván Aponte (PUR) 143 Sailors from 5 countries
2. Raúl Ríos (PUR) 1. Jordan Factor (USA)
3. Ian Barrows (ISV) 2. Declan Whitmyer (USA)
3. James Grant (GBR)
Singapore Open
21-25 June Singapore Swiss Open
217 Sailors from 7 countries 24-27 August Switzerland
1. Sean Lee (SIN) 215 Sailors from 11 countries
2. Russell Kan (SIN) 1. .Julian Autenrieth (GER)
3. Navee Thamsoontorn (THA) 2. Vincent Trachsel (SUI)
3. Stefano Zilioli (ITA)
Flanders Youth Week Opti Team Cup
1-5 July Belgium Balkan Championship Berlin 28-29 October
16 teams from 12 countries
67 Sailors from 9 countries 1-7 September Turkey
1. Phil Sparks (GBR) 62 Sailors from 6 countries
(2005 results)
2. Ian Storck (USA) Boys:
1. Italy
3. Matthieu Van Schoote (BEL) 1. Fanis Kavas (GRE) 2. Poland 1
2. George Kavas (GRE) 3. Denmark
Danish Open 3. Keles Alican (TUR)
6-9 July Denmark Girls:
177 Sailors from 8 countries 1. Nefeli Papagianagu (GRE) IODA Calendar 2007
1. Mathias Svendsen (DEN) 2. Aimli Xaldau (GRE)
2. Herman Tomasgaard (SWE) 3. Mairi Bulgaraki (GRE)
3. Stig Steinfurth (DEN)) www.optiworld.org/
Polish Open ioda-07calendar.html
Belgian Open 15-17 September Poland
7-9 July Belgium 146 Sailors from 10 countries
Each member country is
236 Sailors from 9 countries 1. Julian Autenrieth (GER)
1. Maite Colombie (BEL) 2. Carl Strombeck (SWE) allowed one entry plus any
2. Sam Van Dormael (BEL) 3. Kacper Staniul (POL) regatta with at least five coun-
3. Stijn Van Hoye (BEL) tries participating.
13. After the Optimist ISAF Youth Worlds
This year ten of the twelve medal-winning helms and four of the Gold:
six crew in the Laser and 420 events at the Volvo ISAF Youth Sebastian Peri Brusa (ARG)***
Worlds were former Optimist sailors. Santiago Masseroni (ARG)*
Belinda Kerl (AUS)**
420 Women Tina Mihelic (CRO)***
Luke Ramsay (CAN)
Silver
Agueda Suria (ESP) *
Marta Martinez-Pons (ESP)
Marit Bouwmeester (NED)*
Emil Cedergardh (SWE)
Bronze:
Marcos Adler (BRA)**
Bruno Leal Faria (BRA)**
Sarah Tan (SIN)**
Lim Tze Ting (SIN)
Igor Lisovenko ((RUS)*
*** Optimist Worlds medallist
** Optimist Worlds participant
* Optimist Continentals
Sebastian Peri Brusa & Santiago Masseroni But also
Gregory Douglas of Barbados
who was by far the best of
those representing the
“newer countries”.
His father, who was not a
sailor, was one of the found-
ing fathers of the Barbados
Optimist fleet.
And elsewhere
Just a few of the other
successes by recent ex-
Optimist sailors included:
Carl Evans (NZL)
Gregory Douglas Reportedly the youngest ever
winner of the 420 men’s
Worlds, just one year
out of Optimists
Hannah Mills (GBR)
420 women’s world champion
Xu Lijia (CHN)
Laser Radial world champion
Colin Cheng and Victoria
Chan (SIN). Laser 4.7 world
champions.
Photos courtesy of World Wide Images (www.w-w-i.com)
