British Optimist Association sending a team for US Nationals in Florida
by Talbot Wilson 4 Mar 2018 13:33 UTC
13-22 July 2018
Optimist filled the bay in Pensacola for the 2015 USODA Optimist Nationals © Talbot Wilson
Great Britain's National Optimist Dinghy Association, IOCA UK, is excited to announce that following Selections in May, this year's Development Team will be heading to the 2018 USODA US Nationals in Pensacola, Florida from 13 - 22 July 2018.
At Selections in May, the following IOCA UK Optimist teams are selected: Worlds, European, Development and Flanders. The event for the Development team changes each year. The Class ideally looks to attend a pre-worlds event at the venue where the following year's World Championships will be held. This helps with planning for the following year. However, when this isn't possible an alternate event is chosen.
John Perham, IOCA UK spokesperson said, "This event promises to be a fantastic opportunity for our Development Team sailors as the event at Pensacola Yacht Club comprises of a National Championship, Girls Championship and Team Racing Championship. Over the years we've enjoyed having USA teams represented at the British Nationals. We are delighted this year, to be able to support the US Optimist Dinghy Association by sending a GBR team to attend the US National Championships."
IOCA Marketing Officer Claire Mueller added, "We are delighted and excited to confirm we will be sending a GBR optimist team to the US Nationals, led by our GBR Optimist Head Coach, Sarah McGovern. Five sailors will be named following our Selections event in May."
Sailors will arrive on July 12th and depart July 23rd and will register for all 3 championships as appropriate.
For information about the IOCA UK, contact either John Perham, IOCA UK Class Administrator or Claire Mueller, IOCA UK Marketing Officer .
Tom Pace, the 2018 Optimist Nationals chairman, noted, "We are clearly excited to host a full British team in Pensacola. We have also had interest from a Spanish team, Canadians, a group from Bermuda and perhaps a team from the US Virgin Islands. One of the first sailors to register is from Denmark. Any international teams interested in coming to Pensacola should contact our housing coordinator, Melissa Hackle at ."
Registration is now open online at www.usoda.org for the three-event 2018 Optimist Nationals scheduled for July 13-22 at Pensacola Yacht Club (PYC) in Northwest Florida. A separate Notice of Race for each of these three national events is also posted on the site.
Pensacola Yacht Club is hosting the four-day Optimist National Championship, the one-day Optimist Girls National Championship, and the three-day Optimist Team Race National Championship. Check out PYC's event site usoda2018optinationals.com and on Facebook at USODA Nationals for updates and details.
Check-in and measurement for these strict one-design eight-foot prams will be July 13-14. Racing is scheduled for July 15-22, 2018.
The overall Optimist National Championship leads the schedule on July 15-16-17-18. The Optimist Girls National Championship will be sailed July 19 and the Optimist Team Race Championship wraps up the action July 20-21-22. Prizes are awarded after each event.