Proven from Sydney Hobart to Tahiti Named Dimension-Polyant cloth Designed in Geelong, shipped worldwide Talk to a sailmaker
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Optimist

Optimist Training / Club

dinghy

A step up from a pure school sail, built for club training and informal racing as sailors start pushing harder and trimming for themselves.

LOA
2.3
M
YEAR DESIGNED
1947
DESIGNER
Clark Mills
One-Design Sails

Sails For This Class

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Technical Data

Specifications

LOA
2.3
M
Beam
1.13
M
Draft
0.84
M
Hull Weight
35
KG
Crew Min
1
Crew Max
1
Year Designed
1947
Mainsail Area
3.3
M²
Jib Area
0
M²
Spinnaker Area
0
M²
Class Profile

Class Facts & History

Category
Optimist
Type
dinghy
Designer
Clark Mills
Class Association
International Optimist Dinghy Association (IODA)

History

Clark Mills designed the Optimist in 1947 for a junior sailing programme in Clearwater, Florida, built from two sheets of plywood so any family could afford one. The design was standardised in 1960, the class became strict one-design in 1995, and IODA now oversees a class sailed in more than 120 countries with well over 150,000 boats registered, more than any other sailing dinghy in the world.

Sailing Characteristics

Cut with more attention to shape than a school sail while keeping tough, durable cloth, so it holds up to club use but still rewards a sailor learning to trim properly. It's the sail most clubs put on fleet boats once kids move from lessons into regular racing.

Racing Context

Suited to club racing, local regattas and the transition from lessons into regular Wednesday night or Saturday racing, before a sailor moves into a dedicated race wardrobe like our Light, Medium or Heavy range.

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