2004 yearbook

Optimist
R

Yearbook 2004

Images of 2004

Photo credits throughout: www.timwilkes.com Oskar Kihlborg/ksss Slidebox.it

The Optimist To provide sailboat racing
for young people at low cost

and

to co-ordinate youth work
From between member countries

These are the objectives of the
International Optimist Dinghy
Association.

This yearbook is an attempt to
record how the IODA is
fulfilling its mission.

to

in over 110 countries

Why the Optimist? Why sailing?
What is your child going to do
this summer? Sit in his bedroom
with his computer? Go for nice
long walks? Help in the garden?

Sailing has much to offer.
Sadly man’s old enemy the water
is often safer than what man has
made of the streets.

All sorts and sizes of people sail.
You don’t have to be taller,
stronger, thinner or, initially, even
fitter than the average. Boys and
girls have the same capability.

Sailing brings families together.
Boats need to be transported and
kids cannot drive. So driving to
regattas at weekends becomes a
family activity.

This is not an exclusive world.
40% of top sailors have parents
who do not sail themselves.

Why the Optimist?
It looks funny, doesn’t it?
But Clark Mills knew a thing or
two about kids.

It doesn’t tip over! Beginners
easily learn to balance them-
selves, the wind and the boat.
Fifty six years ago in Clearwater, Florida a group of It can’t run away with you! Let
out the only rope and the boat
citizens wanted to stop their children getting bored. So
will just sit there. The more water
they asked a local designer called Clark Mills to make a gets in, the less it moves. And it
boat for kids to sail. The Optimist was born. won’t sink.

Fifty six years later his design is still being sailed by hun - Being alone in the boat is the
dreds of thousands of young people in over a hundred quickest way to learn. Imagine
trying to learn to ride a bicycle
countries worldwide.
on a tandem with daddy!

Truly this is the boat in which the young people of the You quickly learn from your own
world learn to sail. mistakes and gain that essential
of sailing - and perhaps life -
responsibility for your
www.optiworld.org/ioda-intro.html own decisions.

3

IODA and the boat The first thing you need to
go racing is a boat!

All the same
Unlike most sailboats the
Optimist is a true one-design.
The boats are all the same. If you
want to race a boat where money
or technology make a difference,
look elsewhere.
Every builder is regularly
inspected to ensure that his hulls
conform to tight tolerances and
uses similar raw materials and
building techniques.
But this does not mean a
monopoly or a cartel. Any
boatbuilder can build after he has
satisfied IODA that he is compe-
The objective of the Optimist Class is: tent to do so. Nearly forty
“to provide racing for young people at low cost” builders in 25 countries have
approval,
If racing is to be fair and at low cost, then hulls and associated
equipment must be alike, with no advantage to be gained from Accessories
spending extra money. The ongoing task of IODA is to ensure that There is greater choice of spars
this is so. and sails. The Optimist is used
In 2004 IODA worked hard to police and maintain this one-design for everything from teaching 8-
principle year olds to world-class racing by
15-year olds. This is reflected in
• Luis Miguel Horta, our prototype measurer, made several visits to the equipment available.
builders, including measuring new prototypes from the growing number But by the time a sailors needs
of moulds in Asia. In late 2003, following a course organised in con- top-level gear he or she will be
junction with the Chinese Yachting Association, three new Chinese addicted to their lifetime sport.
measurers were appointed and their ongoing education continues.
Price?
• At Easter in Europe Luis Miguel weighed no less than 36 boats from 16 Prices vary according to markets
builders. He found that 15 of these 16 were producing boats which were
but in Europe a new hull ready to
not only of the correct weight but varied by at most 3.5%. Corrective
action has been taken by the other builder.
sail with basic gear should not
cost over $1,700 + sales taxes.
• Scrutineering (check measurement) at the Worlds and continental cham- The “best of everything” as used
pionships was conducted, usually by IODA’s team of International at the Worlds, has a list price of
Measurers. around $2,500, but ex-charter
boats used for only a few days
• The first of the new foils, agreed in 2003 to gradually exclude some are a lot cheaper and bulk
types of exotic and expensive products and to eliminate rudder shapes purchase can reduce the
ideal for illegal propulsion, became available. price still further.
• Experiments with exotic sail shapes, which threatened to create an
“arms race” between competing designers, were firmly rejected by our
Make it yourself
Annual Meeting. For those with some practical
ability it remains possible to
build your own wooden Optimist.
www.optiworld.org/ioda-technical.html

Racing First steps
It is a small step from sailing
round a triangle to trying to do it
faster than the next person.
Good instructors will ensure that
this step is taken under carefully
controlled and, above all, safe
conditions. It is only too easy to
frighten the sailor at this stage.
Local travel
And it is a small step from racing
in your own club to sailing at a
regatta along the bay.
Boats have to be transported and
kids can’t drive. Parents can
easily become full-time weekend
chauffeurs but in many of the
most successful countries this is
the job of the club coach.
Another idea is to alternate trips
with another parent. Then you
have at least two kids to look
after which stops you getting
obsessive about your own.
And it is amazing what you will
learn about your children and
their friends three hours into a
Racing is the core activity of the Optimist Class five hour car journey!
Parents
Learning to sail may be the first step but in most countries
It is very natural to want to help
this can be safely left to clubs and sailing schools under the your child, especially if you are a
direction of National Sailing Associations. sailor yourself, and to watch and
But if young people are not quickly and intelligently intro - criticise his every move.
It is also natural to question your
duced to racing they will get bored and leave the sport.
daughter’s first boy-friend in
great detail. We recommend that
you don’t do either!
The Rules
The rules of sailing are actually
quite simple and are taught as
part of sailing. They should be
enforced from the start.
“If you look at competition at
junior level you find that rules
are often bent or forgotten with
the excuse that they are only
children. Just when do you
expect them to learn manners
or rules if not at this level”
(HRH The Princess Royal
Member, International Olympic
Committee)

5

International racing Other parts of the world
Parents rightly believe that
experience of other countries and
other cultures is a vital part
of education.
But it can be difficult to organise.
Exchange visits and language
schools are often disappointing,
and we have all seen at holiday
hotels and campsites bored kids
just longing for some excitement
and to meet new friends.

International regattas
At Optimist regattas you won’t
find many bored kids.
Immediately they have a common
interest with the people of their
own age from different parts of
the world, and the excitement of
using their existing skills in a
new environment.

Calendar
You don’t have to travel abroad
often and it is entirely possible to
reach the top without doing so.
But if you can there are literally
hundreds of regattas worldwide
Travel sells sailing! to choose from, almost all of
them welcoming foreign sailors
The function of an International Class, as stated by ISAF of all levels of experience.
At Easter thousands of young
Regulation 26.1, is to provide international competitive
sailors in the northern hemisphere
sailing. head south to begin their sailing
year. In the summer those not
Young people today have many attractive choices and sail - selected for championships can
ing will not keep them interested if it is confined to little find a warm welcome at
regattas with the same sailors in the local club. national events which are
almost always open.
International travel has been the growth industry of recent
and it’s so easy
years and in sailing this has led to the boom in sailing If you can drive there, an
holidays in the sun. Optimist fits easily on the roof of
almost any car. And if you can’t
The Optimist, with its international network, has made use there is a good chance of
of this trend to offer opportunities to the young people of chartering or borrowing a boat
when you get there - just like the
the world.
one at home!

www.optiworld.org/ioda-04calendar.html

Some regattas
No Grand Prix!
Easter
Unlike later sailing and indeed many other sports at this age, there is no
Braassemermeer
ranklist, Grand Prix or circuit in the Optimist Class. This is sailing for fun Netherlands 9-12 Apr.
and many parents (and even more schoolteachers!) would not accept that you 264 sailors from 11 countries
have to go to a certain event on a certain date. 1. Viktor Bergström SWE
Nor is it necessary to compete at frequent international events in order to do 2. Gijs Pelt NED
well. The top four at this year’s Worlds had not competed outside their own 3. Henrik Grirn SWE
country earlier in the year. 4. Sander van Bladel NED
5. Freek Wijman NED
Most sailors who do compete abroad do so during the Easter and Christmas
holidays. Garda Meeting
Italy 8-11 Apr.
Easter 791 sailors from 22 countries
While Americans North and South take part in the IODA South American 1. Kacper Zieminski POL
Championship, Europeans have the four huge Easter regattas. This year, 2. Tim Saxton GBR
helped by yet another record turnout in Garda, over 1,300 sailors from 24 3. Martino Tortarolo ITA
4. Lukasz Przybytek POL
European nations (and a few very welcome visitors) took part in these four
5. Filip Matika CRO
regattas with an average (and that includes San Marino!) of over 50 sailors
per country. Portoroz
Slovenia 9-11 Apr.
274 sailors from 8 countries
1. Nik Pletikos SLO
2. Mihovil Fantela CRO
3. Jakob Bosic SLO
4. Rudi Hravatin SLO
5. Simon Laganis SLO

Optispring
Netherlands 17-18 Apr.
1. Ben Saxton GBR
2. Tim Saxton GBR
3. Gijs Pelt NED
4. Adam Johansson SWE
5. Mathieu Willemart BEL

“an average of over 50 sailors per country” Christmas
Teams from Denmark and San Marino in Garda. St. Nicholas Race
Pula, Croatia 4-7 Dec.
Christmas 1. Lukasz Przybytek POL
The December holidays are becom- 2. Filip Matika CRO
ing increasingly popular for Optimist 3. Jas Farnetti ITA
regattas. While many families head
for the ski slopes, venues in the sun Malta Euromed
Malta 17-21 Dec.
keep others sailing.
A growing trend is for smaller island 1. Valentino Valacchi ITA
members to run more or less invita- 2. Federico Magnano ITA
tional regattas, seeking entries from 3. Benji Borg MLT
other countries to provide interna-
tional competition for local sailors. XL Capital Invitational
Bermuda 19-22 Dec.
Including the Asian Championship 43 sailors from 10 countries
an estimated 850 sailors from 60 1. Filip Matika CRO
countries took part. 2. Victoria Travascio ARG
3. Sebastian Peri Brusa ARG
Malta Euromed

7
and yet others ASEAN Championship
Distances between countries outside Europe prevent much international Thailand Dec.
competition apart from the continental championships. But there are 53 sailors from 5 countries
1. Quek Ju Lian SIN
exceptions.
2. Sean Lee Teik Ran SIN
The Dubai International is relatively accessible to Europeans and provides 3. Sherman Teng Feng Yuan SIN
an ideal antidote to the prospect of February! More importantly it gives
the fast-growing fleets of the Gulf a chance to train and compete with XL Capital Regatta
their visitors. Bermuda 19-22 Dec.
Schoelcher Week serves much the same func- 43 sailors from 10 countries
tion for the islands of the Caribbean while 1. Filip Matika CRO
the deliberately low-key Scotiabank (photo 2. Victoria Travascio ARG
right) in St. Thomas is an ideal introduc- 3. Sebastian Peri Brusa ARG
tion for younger sailors in the region.
Caribbean Invitational
Back in Europe the Dutch Open serves
Trinidad Dec.
as last minute trials and practice for north 34 sailors from 8 countries
European teams. 1. Sebastian Peri Brusa ARG
The (northern) summer is dominated by 2. Andrew Lewis TRI
the World, European and North American 3. Nathalie Zimmermann PER
championships, attended by some 650 nation-
ally selected sailors, but this is also the season of Orange Bowl
national championships, almost all of them open to foreign visitors and Miami, U.S.A. 27-30 Dec.
some of them huge. The biggest we have found is the French with over 194 sailors from 8 countries
550 sailors! 1. Stephanie Roble USA
2. Sean Moynahan USA
No one designed this calendar and no doubt somewhere there is 3. Adrian Hernandez PUR
a committee which would like to rationalise it. All we can say is
Trofeo M. Campobasso
that no one has to go anywhere, and a lot of sailors have a lot of
Naples, Italy 3-5 Jan.
fun! 134 sailors from 10 countries
1. Tim Saxton GBR
Team Racing Events 2. Michaz Gryglenski POL
3. Ben Saxton GBR
Team Racing is hugely popular in the Optimist and is included in
all continental championships except the European (those who
advocate doing so forget that it would involve doubling the jury costs and yet others
for the benefit of 80 of the 268 sailors present). Dubai International
Dubai, U.A.E. 24-30 Jan
Instead three separate European events have developed, each with dif-
ferent entry criteria. 1. Filippo Rocchini ITA
Earliest is the Trofeo Marco Rizzotti in the Venice lagoon in May. 2. Federico Maccari ITA
3. Gijs Pelt NED

Schoelcher Week
Martinique 20-25 Feb
88 sailors from 10 countires
1. Nathalie Zimmermann PER
2. Mattthieu Mariani MON
3. Romain Marie FRA

Open to regional and national teams, the 2004 event attracted eight Dutch Open
Workum, Netherlands 20-23 May
countries.
Result: 1. Croatia 2. Tuscany/Umbria 3. Friuli/Venezia 4. Florida 1. Nik Pletikos SLO
Unique is the GrandOptical Champions Cup in Valle di Ledro, Italy. 2. Matheusz Hanke POL
This event is open only to the champion club teams of European coun- 3. Jonas Müller GER
tries which run national inter-club team racing championships. Fourteen
such teams entered in 2004 and results were: Scotiabank Caribbean International
1. Grafham W.S.C. (GBR) 2. C.V. Bellano (ITA) 3. H.J.B.K. (SWE) St. Thomas, USVI 17-20 Jun
Finally in October Berlin hosts the Opti Team Cup. 2004 results are 1. David Alfonso PUR
not yet available but the 2003 event saw 16 teams from 14 countries. 2. Haley Powell BER
Result: 1. Russia 2. Norway 3. Italy 4. Poland 3. José Nigaglioni PUR

IODA championships All six continents
With the creation of an IODA
African Championship in 2001
the Optimist became the first boat
class to organise, in addition to
In 2004 over 800 young sailors from its Worlds, a championship on
over 70 countries will represent their each continent, though the
Oceanians is held only biennially.
countries at IODA championships.
Achievable goals
Young people need goals.
As local fleets develop
IODA aims to keep
the sailors interested by
providing the achievable
target of selection as part of a
national team. Who has not
dreamed of representing
his or her country?

Selection
From the start of the first
Optimist championships in the
60s and 70s teams to participate
in them have been selected
on the basis of trials held
in the Optimist.

. . . . of as many as possible
But, almost from the foundation
of the IODA European
Championship in 1983, the
Optimist Class took
the unusual path of having
different sailors selected for
different championships.
In this way most larger
countries select at least
thirteen sailors each year for
national teams.
The Championship Year in figures Memories
To represent your country is an
Event Sailors Countries unforgettable experience. Many
of those who participate in our
Worlds 228 50 championships may never aspire
Europeans 268 38 to do so as adults. But they will
S. Americans 163 13 always be able to look back
N. Americans 119 12 and say:
Asians 74 12 “I was an under-16 sailing
Africans Cancelled international”.
Oceanians to be held in December

9

World Championship

Sailors from 84 countries have participated
The 2004 Worlds, held in Salinas
in IODA World Championships Ecuador attracted 228 sailors
from fifty countries, the same as
The Worlds remains the ultimate goal of Optimist racers in Gran Canaria last year.
The North African members did
not make the long journey but
While IODA has recently encouraged the growth of continental
their place was taken by sailors
and regional championships to facilitate sailors worldwide, the
from six Caribbean members.
Worlds remains the focal point of the year.
Each member country may send up to five sailors, who race in The championship saw the first
six divisions to reduce congestion on the start line. ever Asian world champion and
The best sixteen teams also compete in the IODA World Team- for the first time in eight years
Racing Championship. the team-racing event was won
by a European team.
Our special millennium Worlds for 2000 in Spain attracted
sailors from 59 countries, our record to date but by rotating New Zealand and hosts Ecuador
venues 84 countries have attended at least one championship. won medals for the first time.

42 Years of the IODA Worlds
Venues and nations participating

1962 G. Britain 3 1973 CANCELLED 1984 Canada 28 1995 Finland 41
1963 Sweden 4 1974 Switzerland 20 1985 Finland 32 1996 S. Africa 39
1964 Denmark 8 1975 Denmark 23 1986 Spain 29 1997 N. Ireland 41
1965 Finland 9 1976 Turkey 19 1987 Holland 29 1998 Portugal 44
1966 U.S.A. 6 1977 Yugoslavia 22 1988 France 32 1999 Martinique 47
1967 Austria 11 1978 France 25 1989 Japan 30 2000 Spain 59
1968 France 14 1979 Thailand 16 1990 Portugal 38 2001 China 44
1969 G. Britain 15 1980 Portugal 24 1991 Greece 39 2002 U.S.A. 45
1970 Spain 14 1981 Ireland 24 1992 Argentina 29 2003 Spain 50
1971 Germany 13 1982 Italy 30 1993 Spain 41 2004 Ecuador 50
1972 Sweden 15 1983 Brasil 22 1994 Italy 39

IODA World Championship Miami Herald Trophy
1. Wei Ni China (Team Aggregate Scores - 4 sailors, no discards)
2. Paul Snow-Hansen New Zealand
3. Eugenio Díaz Spain 1. N. Zealand 18. Bermuda 35. Portugal
4. Daniel Willcox New Zealand 2. Poland 19. Greece 36. Puerto Rico
5. Lukasz Przybytek Poland 3. Italy 20. Singapore 37. S. Africa
6. Kacper Zieminski Poland 4. Croatia 21. Netherlands 38. Norway
7. Matthew Scott Trinidad & Tobago 5. Mexico 22. G. Britain 39. Barbados
8. Filip Matika Croatia 6. Peru 23. Trinidad 40. Austria
9. Baepi Lacativa Pinna Brasil 7. China 24. Finland 41. Colombia
10. Corentin Guegan Tahiti 8. Japan 25. Switzerland 42. Australia
11. Gabriel Melchert Brasil 9. Slovenia 26. Uruguay 43. Guatemala
12. Tina Lutz Germany 10. Brasil 27. Belgium 44. Dominican R.
13. Diego Reyes Mexico 11. Ecuador 28. Malaysia 45. N. Antilles*
14. Erik Brockmann Mexico 12. Germany 29. France 46. Bulgaria*
15. Paolo Cattaneo Italy 13. Denmark 30. Tahiti 47. C. Taipei*
16. Leonardo Dubbini Italy 14. U.S.A. 31. Chile 48. Uganda*
17. Oskar Taurell Sweden 15. Argentina 32. Ireland 49. Monaco*
18. Wataru Kamiya Japan 16. Spain 33. Venezuela 50. Malta*
19. Francesco Falcatelli Italy 17. Sweden 34. Canada * Incomplete team
20. Austen Anderson U.S.A.
Girls
1. Tina Lutz Germany
2. Nathalie Zimmermann Peru
3. Stephanie Roble U.S.A.
4. Griselda Khng Singapore
5. Susannah Pyatt New Zealand
6. Saki Goto Japan
7. Arianna Villena Ecuador
8. Claire Lasko Great Britain
9. Daniela Zimmermann Peru
10. Sophie Weguelin Great Britain

IODA World Team Racing Championship
1. Poland 5= Denmark
2. Italy 5= Spain
3. Ecuador 7= Greece
4. China 7= New Zealand

101 countries are current members of IODA*
50 attended the 2004 Worlds
73 attended the most recent continental championship
23 built GRP Optimists
17 received development and training grants in 2003/4
* Italics indicates that membership has lapsed

Asia
Latvia Bahrain
Lithuania Chin. Taipei
Malta China
Moldova Hong Kong
Monaco India
Netherlands Indonesia
Norway Japan
Poland Korea
Portugal Kuwait
Romania Kyrghyzstan
Russia Malaysia
San Marino Myanmar
Slovakia Pakistan
Slovenia Philippines
Spain Qatar
Sweden Singapore
Switzerland Sri Lanka
Turkey Thailand
Ukraine U.A.E.
Yugoslavia Uzbekistan
Oceania
Am. Samoa
Australia
Cook Islands
Seychelles Fiji
S. Africa New Zealand
Tanzania Papua N.G.
Tunisia Samoa
Uganda Solomon Is.
Zimbabwe Tahiti

Development & training
Sailing for a wider world
“Co-ordination of youth activity” includes extending sailing. 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 financial aid to “newer countries” in three areas.

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.
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 chil-
dren of non-sailors.
As a variation, countries
which build batches of
wood/epoxy Optimists
can receive free spars,
sails and fittings. In 2004 beneficiaries have included Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Netherlands Antilles
(above) and Tanzania.
Over the last three years more than 150 Optimists in thirteen countries have been acquired underthis scheme.

Coach-Training Courses
For newer Optimist sailing countries and regions IODA subsidises the
travel and fees of expert instructors to train local coaches.
A successful coaching tour in the southern Caribbean led to the
instructor being hired by Trinidad, and other countries in the region
have been helped to employ him for coach development.
In Central America one course has already been held and, with new
fleets in Nicaragua, El Salvador (left) and hopefully soon Costa Rica,
a similar coaching tour is planned

Participation in regional regattas
To encourage regional contacts IODAoffers free entry and/or travel for
countries to send their first sailors to continental and regional regattas.
Favourites for these first steps into international competition are the
Schoelcher and St. Thomas Regattas in the Caribbean, the All-African
Championship, and the Asian and ASEAN championships.
At least as important as the experience for the sailors are the contacts
made by their leaders to exchange information and assistance.
Nine countries received such grants in 2003/4 including most
recently Dominican Republic, Sri Lanka and Uzbekistan.

15

Europe The second home
Europe was the second home of
the Optimist when it was
XXII European Championship - Boys imported to Denmark
Open Euro and modified.
1. Zemke Wojciech Poland 1 For over twenty years
2. Nicklas Dackhammar Sweden 2 Scandinavian sailors dominated,
3. Alex Zimmermann Peru winning fourteen of the first
4. Alexis Katsios Greece 3 twenty Worlds 1962-1982. But
5. Colin Smith U.S.A.
when GRP and mass-production
6. Marko Peresa Croatia 4
7. Fredrik Bergström Sweden 5 arrived the rest of Europe became
8. Kevin Peponnet France 6 competitive with fourteen
9. Jonathan Scharff Denmark 7 countries winning gold over the
10. Tommy Fink U.S.A. next 20 years.
11. Mateusz Hanke Poland 8
12. Magnus Rasmusson Sweden 9
13. Rafal Kalinowski Poland 10 European Championship
14. Kohei Ichikawa Japan 168 boys and 100 girls from
15. Lovre Perhat Croatia 11 38 countries competed in
16. Yvan Beckuis France 12
Sandhamn, Sweden.
17. Enzo Savelli Italy 13
18. Ekin Bahadir Turkey 14
19. Jakub Bajor Poland 15
20. Sam Williams U.S.A.

XIX European Championship - Girls
Open Euro

1. Katerina Koutsougera Greece 1 Poland, which had won the team-
2. Afrodite Kirinakou Greece 2 racing at the Worlds with a
3. Ermina Gerogakapolou Greece 3 different team, showed their
4. Agnieszka Skrzypulec Poland 4 strength in depth with four
5. Lina Stock Croatia 5 sailors in the top 20 boys and the
6. Josefin Olsson Sweden 6
7. Federica Wetzl Italy 7 Swedes also did well on their
8. Anne Haeger U.S.A. home waters.
9. Hanna Dahlborg Sweden 8
10. Anne-Marie Rindom Denmark 9 The Greek girls celebrated the
11. Renata Petani Croatia 10 opening of the Athens
12. Nerea Peponnet France 11
13. Aina Jordi Spain 12 Olympics in style by taking
14. Yui Matsushita Japan all three medals.
15. Tajana Ganic Croatia 13
16. Cassandre Blandin France 14
17. Nina Keijzer Netherlands 15
18. Emma Oljelund Sweden 16
19. Karoline Pepin Germany 17
20. Stephanie Zimmermann Peru

Asia The rise of Asia
It is hard to imagine that just ten
years ago Asia was represented at
our Worlds by just seven sailors,
five of them from Japan.
Now we not only have a Chinese
world champion but hot
competition between the “big
four” - China, Japan, Singapore
and Malaysia, any of which can
produce world-class sailors.

Two Asians
2004 in fact saw part of two
IODA Asian Championships with
the 2003 event, held in December
for weather reasons in Mumbai,
India, actually finishing in the
new year. In their home waters
India showed that they may be
the next force in Optimist sailing
taking team bronze and a 7th
place for their best sailor.

South Asian Regatta
A direct result of the Mumbai
Asians has been the revival after
23 years of the South Asian
Yachting Regatta, a
tri-nations event between
India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka.
XV IODA Asian Championship Held in Enterprises and of course
Hayama, Japan August 2004 now Optimists, the event includes
Open Asian team-racing in both.
1. Valentino Valacchi Italy As a further development
2. Scott Glen Sydney Singapore 1 efforts are being made to
3. Wataru Komiya Japan 2 establish an Optimist fleet
4. Hotaka Ishihara Japan 3
5. Alvin Yeow Jang Shing Malaysia 4 in the Maldive Islands.
6. Kuanas Ku Zamil Malaysia 5
7. Wei Ming Lun Singapore 6 ASEANs
8. Hitoshi Kumakawa Japan 7 The ASEAN (South East Asian)
9. Wu Tong China 8
10. Zhong Hainan China 9 Championship, which is actually
11. Justin Xiaman Liu Singapore 10 older than the Asians, will be
held in Myanmar in December.
Girls
Michael Myint writes that this
1. Wu Tong China
2. Saki Goto Japan event will be widened to include
3. Wang Dong China Asian and Australasian sailors.
4. Jovina Bei Fen Chu Singapore 70 new Optimists are being
5. Haruka Komiya Japan imported for the event, a major
Team Racing boost to the region.
1. Japan 2 3. Japan 1
2. Singapore 4. China

17

North America U.S.A. - spreading
The Optimist was invented in
Florida and for forty years did
not get much further. But in the
90’s it took off and there are now
fleets in more than thirty states.
This year’s best sailors came
from Long Island Sound and
Lake Beulah, Wisconsin.

and further
About the same time Mexico
adopted the Class and early
graduates included two future
Olympians. The tradition contin-
ues with two MEX sails in the
top 20 at this year’s Worlds.
Bermuda was rather later on
the scene, appearing at the
Worlds only in 1998. Last year
they produced our silver
medallist and latest reports are
that over 300 kids will take
basic courses next year.

the Caribbean potential
Over the last five years
initiatives in this sailing
IODA North American Championship paradise have established
Open N.Am. Optimist fleets in over a dozen
1. Elijah Simmons Bermuda 1 islands, six of which participated
2. Austen Anderson U.S.A. 2 in this year’s Worlds.
3. Stephanie Roble U.S.A. 3 The incredible 7th place at the
4. Sean Bouchard Bermuda 4
5. Joshua Greenslade Bermuda 5 event taken by a novice with
6. Erik Brockmann Mexico 6 nine months experience confirms
7. Oliver Riihiluoma Bermuda 7 our view that growth will
8. Diego Reyes Mexico 8 identify potential.
9. Haruka Komiya Japan Among the latest additions are
10. Jordan Saints Bermuda 9
11. Jean-Paul de Trazegnies Peru the Bahamas with new fleets in
12. Masao Sasagawa Japan two clubs.
13. Joe Kutschenreuter U.S.A. 10
14. Max Rudolf Schaller Germany 11 and yet further
15. Susannah Pyatt New Zealand
The latest development is in
Girls: Central America. Guatemala led
1. Stephanie Roble U.S.A. 1 the way (and got
2. Haruka Komiya Japan their reward with a
3. Susannah Pyatt New Zealand medal at this year’s
4. Amanda Johnson U.S.A. 2 ISAF Youth
5. Eleanor Gardner Bermuda 3 Worlds). Now new
Team Racing: fleets are being
1. Bermuda 3. U.S.A.1 created in Nicar-
2. U.S.A. 3 4. Japan agua, El Salvador
and Costa Rica.

South America Stimulus of the Worlds
This year’s Worlds in Salinas,
Ecuador provided a a major
incentive for the continent, not
least for the host nation which
dominated the South American
Championship and took a
convincing bronze medal
in the World Team
Racing Championship.
The northern countries of the
continent, Colombia, Venezuela
and Ecuador, have never to date
produced quite the same quality
of sailors as the south but, on
this year’s evidence, this
could be changing.

A change of emphasis
In the Optimist world the 90s
belonged to Argentina
with five individual and four
team-racing World golds
plus a monopoly on the
South American championship.
But in the Optimist no
domination seems to last for
long and Peru has become the
XXX1 South American Championship country to watch, not least
Algarrobo, Chile April 2004 due to a seemingly endless
Open S.Am. supply of Zimmermanns (they
1. Edgar Diminich Ecuador 1 are cousins and not even your
2. Sean Bouchard Bermuda editor is ever quite sure which
3. Pedro Velez Ecuador 2 belongs to which branch
4. Rafael Quintero Ecuador 3
5. Alex Zimmermann Peru 4
of the family!).
6. Juan Pipkin Argentina 5 Brasil continues to produce a
7. Caio Rotolo Brasil 6 stream of fine sailors, inspired
8. Daniela Zimmermann Peru 7 no doubt by the Graels and
9. Erik Brockmann Mexico Robert Scheidt.
10. Cameron Pimentel Bermuda
11. Gonzalo Picco Peru 8
12. Oliver Riihiluoma Bermuda Uruguay 2006
13. Franco Villanueva Peru 9 The 2006 IODA Worlds has been
14. Branko Markinovich Peru 10
15. Diego Reyes Mexico
awarded to Uruguay (after
Christmas) and it is anybody’s
Girls:
guess which will be the best of
1. Daniela Zimmermann Peru 1
2. Arantza Gumuchio Chile 2
the South Americans, competing
3. Nathalie Zimmermann Peru 3 for once at the height of their
4. Alexia Torres Peru 4 own season.
5. Ariana Villena Ecuador 5
Team Racing:
1. Peru 1 3. Argentina
2. Peru 2 4. Uruguay

19

Oceania Oceanians in December
The IODA Oceanians is held,
because of the huge distances, only
every second year.
The 2004 event will be in New
Caledonia in December.
The 2002 championship in Samoa
was attended by ten Oceanian
countries and newcomers this year
will include the Wallis Islands.

A great year for “downunder”
2004 was the year in which New
Zealand made it to Worlds medals,
taking silver in the individual event,
winning the Miami Herald Trophy
for best team and also ranking fourth
over-all and fifth girl.
For Tahiti Corentin Guegan
registered the best ever result, 10th.

National Australian team
The Australian Worlds team was
probably the most representative so
far with sailors from Adelaide,
Melbourne and Perth.

Africa
The African Championship
A great disappointment of 2004
was the cancellation of the4th
IODA African Championship
which was to have been
held in Algeria.

But this is the Optimist Class and
we have high hopes for the the
2005 Championship which is to
be organised by the Kenyan
Optimist Association at the salt-
water venue of Dar es Salaam
which is actually in Tanzania.

As shown on the development
page, Kenya, Uganda and
Tanzania all have new or much
upgraded fleets in the last three
years and it is hoped that the
2005 turnout will exceed the
nine African countries
present in 2003.

Sailing for girls Together or separately?
There are many theories about
women and sport.
At Optimist age there
is very little difference
in the physical
strength of boys
and girls.

A pragmatic view
The Optimist world
accepts the evidence
as it is.
Some girls are as good
as or better than their
brothers. We have
had two female
open world
champions.
So at the Worlds we
race as one fleet, boys
and girls together.

But we also find that only around
15% of those selected on merit
for their national Worlds teams
are girls. So at continental
championships we reserve
places for them.
As a result nationally girls have
two targets: qualify for the
Worlds by getting into the top
five, or concentrate on being
one of the best girls to go to a
continental championship.

Other cultures
It is often thought that sport for
girls faces extra problems in non-
European societies. This is not
the Optimist experience - this
year the top five girls were from
five different continents.
Sailing for girls seems to be
acceptable to all cultures and
creeds and, wherever Optimist
fleets start to develop, the
girls soon realise that this activity
is far too much fun to allow
themselves to be left out.

21

After the Optimist A lifetime sport
Sailing is a lifetime sport where
those aged 8 to 80 are practising
The Olympic dream the same skills. One of the tasks
Kids dream. Parents dream. Maybe even the men in blue blazers of the Optimist Class is to
sometimes dream! provide the sailors of the future.

It is achievable: 70-80% continue to sail
Research on the internet has
Siren Sundby established that at least two
Optimist European Champion (Girls) thirds of the thousands of
1995 &1996 IODA congratulates of Optimist sailors who
Girls’ Gold & 10th over-all, Optimist all the former Optimist who reach national champi-
Worlds 1997 sailors who achieved their onship level each year
ISAF World Youth Champion 2000 Olympic dreams.
Olympian 2000 continue to sail
OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALLIST 2004 competitively after the
Optimist

Feeding the youth Classes
The medallists The immediate next boat for
74% of the skippers of the medal-winning nearly 80% of top Optimist
boats were former Optimist sailors. And over 70%of these had sailed sailors is the Laser or the 420
in IODA World or continental championships. (though in some countries they
Optiworld congratulates the following ex-Optimists on their medals graduate directly to the 470).
(* = Optimist international): The recent expansion of the
Robert Scheidt* Natalia Via Dufresne* Therese Torgersson* Laser 4.7 has provided a much
Ben Ainslie* John Lovell* Chris Draper* needed additional step especially
Siren Sundby* Ross MacDonald Santiago Lange* in countries with windy
Sofia Bekatorou* Nikolaos Kaklamanakis Xavier Rohart* conditions.
Iker Martinez* Vasilij Zbogar* Pascal Rambeau The Europe remains popular in
Andreas Geritzer* Matthias Kusznierewicz Dorte Jensen northern Europe and among girls,
Rafael Trujillo Signe Livbjerg Sarah Webb and a surprising number go
Nick Rogers* Kazuto Seki* directly to Snipes.
A number of newer boats have
The Olympians been developed specifically for
At least 60% of all Olympic boat skippers were ex-Optimists and the post-Optimist market but few
almost 70% of these were former Optimist internationals. of them seem as yet to have made
much impact worldwide.
But what about the others?
The Olympic dream is not for everyone.
With just over 400 places at each Olympics (including those who do it and later
standing up!) and maybe 6,000 Optimist internationals in a decade, only Older ex-Optimists can be found
a tiny proportion will make the transition. It may take 15 or more years of sailing almost anything
dedicated effort. And it may end in frustration. that races!
The evidence is that only 15% will even try, the percentage of the relevant Even of those with no desire to
age-group which participated in the 2003 ISAF Olympic Classes world go the Olympic way many
championship. remain faithful to their Lasers or
But the others don’t give up competitive sailing. 470s, but the inshore one-design
A study of the sailors at the 1995 Optimist Worlds has found that 66% keelboats also attract many of
of them can be identified as sailing later, and in the European Union this the by now unrecognisable
figure rises to 80%, perhaps because of better internet reporting. former Optimist urchins!

Sailing is for life!

National Associations Over 100 Associations
Worldwide there are over 100
national associations
affiliated to IODA.
It is they who ensure the health
and growth of the local Class.
Parents should not only join but
should offer their skills in the
service of these largely
amateur bodies.
Calendars
Racing is most fun against sailors
of your own level of ability.
Normally this means taking part
in “open” regattas organised by
other clubs. National associations
co-ordinate and publish a
calendar of these events.

Trials
An important function of national
associations is to conduct the trial
races to select national teams.
These are not just intended for
those who expect to qualify and
in many countries are attended
by up to 200 sailors, sometimes
selected from an even
Many run great websites! bigger rank-list.
In the northern hemisphere trials
often start as soon as the weather
allows - so you can see Optimists
sailing while adults are still
trying to find the paint-brush!

Training
All national associations organise
training, and many co-ordinate a
programme of training camps
and courses.

Measurement
Certification by builders that their
products conform to Class Rules
has removed much of the
bureaucracy of measurement. But
boats and equipment still need to
be checked and this is an
important task of national
associations.
Either they or the National
www.optiworld.org/ioda-members.html Sailing Association issue the sail
number, essential before racing.

23

IODA Continuity
In a Class where sailors and
their parents are constantly
Forty years: five presidents changing, the continuity
in the administration of
The International Optimist Dinghy Association was founded in 1965 and the international Class
has had just five presidents in the intervening 40 years. is vitally important.
Viggo Jacobsen 1965-1982
Viggo, from Aarhus, Denmark was elected chairman Democracy
when IODA was founded at the Worlds in Finland The Annual Meeting, attended
with just seven members. this year by delegates from 50
He guided the Class through many technical countries remains the supreme
developments including the first GRP boats and
authority in the Class.
by the time he retired there were 30 nations at the
Worlds. Its collective decisions
Still active, he recently celebrated his 90th birthday show a remarkable
unselfishness, with the
Nigel Ringrose 1982-1985 wealthier nations repeatedly
Nigel had introduced the Optimist to England in banning expensive innovations.
1960 and had acted as Viggo’s vice-president.
His great contribution internationally was that he Committees
travelled widely on business and introduced the
IODA operates with a minimum
Optimist to Argentina, South Africa and else-
of bureaucracy.
where . . . . and re-started them in the U.S.A.!
He remains passionately devoted to sailing in The Executive comprises the
developing countries. president, three vice-presidents
whose job it is to liaise with
Al Chandler 1985-1989 specific geographical areas, and
Al, an American lawyer living in Thailand, had host- the chairmen of the Technical
ed the 1979 Worlds, the last to be sailed in wooden and Regatta Committees.
boats. He is also an experienced ISAF I.J.
As well as promoting the Class throughout Asia Experts
and beyond, Al established the constitutional
groundrules for IODA and its events. In recent years the ISAF has
Al is still deeply involved in sailing: Thailand will established formal qualification
host the 2005 Asian Championship. of experts in different areas and
IODA is fortunate to have the
Helen Mary Wilkes 1989-1998 services of such people. The
From Howth in Ireland, Helen Mary had been Regatta Committee is composed
secretary of the Irish Class and the 1981 Worlds. of International Race Officers
She inspired and led the ‘IOD95’ project which (IROs) or Judges (IJs) and the
restored the Optimist as a true one-design, and Technical Committee of
put IODA on a firm legal and financial base.
International Measurers (IMs).
Following retiral as the first president of the
Women’s Match Racing Association, she continues
to be closely involved with the Class. Secretariat
IODA has had even fewer
René Kluin 1998- secretaries than presidents.
From Rotterdam, René organised the 1987 Worlds and Edith Jacobsen was the secretary
has twice served as a Race officer at the Olympics.
until the retirement of Viggo, at
A longtime member of the IODA Regatta Comm-
ittee René has always sought to achieve the best
which point a dedicated secretari-
possible racing for our young sailors while never at was established in Aarhus
forgetting to keep it child-friendly. under the ever-loyal Hanne Rix.
A financial controller within the Dutch civil service, Following her retirement in 1997
René now oversees the increasingly complex adminis- Robert Wilkes in Dublin
tration of the ever-growing Class. became secretary.

IODA President:
René Kluin I.R.O. (NED)

Vice-Presidents:
IODA was founded in 1965 and became an ISAF (then David Booth (RSA)
IYRU) International Class in 1973. Peter Barclay (PER)
Mimi Santos (POR)
To maintain the strict one-design principle it measures pro-
totypes from each mould, conducts inspections, undertakes
scrutineering at major championships, and maintains a net- Technical Comittee:
work of International Measurers (I.M.s) Curly Morris I.M. (IRL) chairman
Nuno Reis I.M. (POR)
To ensure the quality of racing it provides top International Paolo Luciani I.M. (ITA)
Race Officers (I.R.O.s) for major championships and pub- Consultant:
lishes guidelines for organising them. Luis Horta Moragas I.M. (ESP)

Coordinating national associations on each continent is Regatta Committee:
largely the work of the vice-presidents. Michel Barbier I.R.O., I.J. (FRA)
chairma
The secretariat conducts all correspondence, maintains the Alen Kustic I.R.O. (CRO)
website and publishes newsletters and this yearbook. Luis Ormaechea I.R.O., I.J. (ESP)
Peter Valentino I.J. (MLT)
Consultant:
Tony Lockett I.R.O. (GBR)

International Measurers:
Jean-Luc Gauthier I.M. (FRA)
Ms. Hyo-Kyung Jang I.M. (KOR)
Paolo Luciani I.M. (ITA)
Luis Horta Moragas I.M. (ESP)
Curly Morris I.M. (IRL)
Nuno Reis I.M. (POR)

Members of Honour:
Viggo Jacobsen (President of Honou
Lars Wallin Nigel Ringros
Erik C. Hansen Al Chandler
Jens Andersen Fred Kats
Helen Mary Wilkes Ralph Sjöholm
Norman Jenkins

Secretariat:
International Optimist Dinghy
Association
Balscadden View, Abbey St.
Howth, Dublin, Ireland

www.optiworld.org Secretary: Robert Wilkes
Tel: +353-1-839 5587
Fax: +353-1-839 4528
The back cover shows an Optimist rigged with a ‘crab claw’ rig! e-mail: 100540.2646@compuserve.com
Photo François Chevalier, courtesy of Voiles et Voiliers

2004 yearbook

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2004 yearbook