WHAT IS OPTIMIST SAILING?
This site is dedicated to the sport of Optimist sailing, enjoyed by countless young sailors around the world. The Optimist has one of the largest class of competitors in the world, and is the entry-level boat for many future international and Olympic sailors. Optimist is often referred to simply as “Opti”. The Opti was designed by Clark Mills in Florida in 1947 at the request of the local businessman’s Optimist club, which presumably, was what gave the boat its name. It was later introduced to Denmark and the United Kingdom before spreading internationally. The International Optimist Dinghy Association, the governing body for this class of boats now has 112 member countries.
