Napier OptiWorlds- 38 nations already entered

by Jodie Bakewell-White on 13 Jul 2011 Six months from now the world’s best Optimist sailors will descend upon Napier, New Zealand set to play host to the 2011 Optimist World Championships and already 38 nations have confirmed their entry.

'We are hoping for 50 countries to be entered by the start of the regatta but it is hard to get a read on it,' explains Pete Dawson from the Regatta Organising Team. 'Some big sailing countries like China, Thailand and Malaysia are yet to enter but we’re very pleased to see the likes of India coming with a full complement of five sailors.'

The list of nation’s entered so far show that the great majority will bring a full team of five sailors to compete in the world’s most prestigious junior regatta and do battle for the World Championship crown.

The 2011 OptiWorlds is expected to attract 400 competitors and team officials to Napier. The main event, which will be the biggest international yachting event for a single class ever hosted in New Zealand, runs from December 30th – January 10th and is preceded by an Invitational Pre-Worlds Regatta.