2018 Optimist Nationals start in one month
by Talbot Wilson / Pensacola Yacht Club 15 Jun 2018 07:24 PDT
15-18 July 2018
Optimist filled the bay in Pensacola for the 2015 USODA Optimist Nationals. They are coming back July 13-22, 2018 for more great sailing on Pensacola Bay © Talbot Wilson
The countdown to the 2018 Optimist Nationals at Pensacola Yacht Club continues. Check-in and measurement— July 13 & 14— for the July 15 start of racing is one month from today. Opti parents, famous for late entry in their events, will be finalizing plans this week. So far, organizers expect competitors from the four corners of the U.S. and 14 countries including Australia, Brazil, Dubai, several European countries and more. Registration is on-line only at www.usoda.org.
American Magic is Coming
The Opening Ceremony in downtown Pensacola's historic Saenger Theater will set the pace for this three-event week of youth sailing. Following a photo session at 5:00PM on June 14, team members from New York Yacht Club American Magic, U.S. Challenger for the 36th America's Cup, will deliver the keynote presentation to the young sailors, their siblings, coaches and 'general admission' parents and other public guests. One lucky Opti sailor will breeze away with a new racing Optimist Dinghy and Quantum racing sail. The Opening Ceremony will be live streamed for global viewing.
From the welcoming ceremony onward, it's eight straight days of racing. The fleet racing 'open' Optimist National Championship is scheduled for July 15-18, the Optimist Girls National Championship is July 19. Then the action turns to team racing with 24 teams on two courses fighting for the podium July 19-22.
One week from today, June 21, is the deadline for "NO Penalty" entry in the 2018 Optimist National Championship and the 2018 Optimist Girls National Championship to be sailed out of Pensacola Yacht Club in Pensacola, Florida. From June 22 through June 28 a late fee of $25 will apply and then from June 29 through 12:00 PM CDT on July 5 an additional late fee of $25 will apply.
Team registration is closed with 24 teams signed up. However, the names of sailors on each registered team may still be submitted up until midnight CDT, Thursday, July 5, 2018 at Team Member Registration.
Young sailors will also be flocking to Pensacola Yacht Club for the USA Junior Olympic Sailing Festival — Gulf Coast (JO) scheduled for June 29 through July 1. Optimists will sail the same course planned for the Optimist Nationals fleet racing. Lasers and 420s will be on another separate course. The LOOT (Lake Ontario Optimist Team) will sail in the JO and stay in Pensacola for two weeks to practice.
Pensacola Yacht Club, located at the mouth of Bayou Chico, is a 22-acre property with a 250 foot white sand beach for launching dinghies.
The Pensacola Bay sailing area is about 7 miles north-south and 3 to 4 miles east-west. The bay is protected by a barrier island with the pass into the Gulf of Mexico offset to the west. Current is minimal with only a foot to a foot and a half of tide once a day.
Summer sea breezes building and shifting west through the afternoon and current from various bayous and down the ship channel to the pass can make sailing tricky. With a breeze of 12-17 knots in the afternoons, the bay will offer some choppy racing. Coming for practice will give those sailors a nice edge on the competitions.
Download the US Sailing Events App
This summer US Sailing, the National Governing Body of the sport, introduced a new US Sailing Events App available for free download on your devices. The 2018 Optimist Nationals in Pensacola is featured.
Getting App'd up is simple... Open the App Store, search for US Sailing Events, touch "GET" and install. The app is available now and content is being added as it becomes available.
From there you can select Your Events... Optimist... and you are set to go. This site is an aggregator so you will have access from this one site to the event website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and more. Video and photo links will be posted and daily results and final standings will be at the fingertips of spectators anywhere as well.
Mike Waters, Chief Technology Officer for US Sailing says, "Make the most of your experience at the 2018 Optimist National Championships and download the customized event app provided by US Sailing. The app offers spectators, sailors and race organizers a stream for specific communications about the event, including start changes, venue changes, postponements, and protest locations. Important information from the official Notice Board will be posted to the app for better accessibility and knowledge share."
"The app also features real-time scoring updates and standings." Mike points out. "We want sailors and friends of sailors and sailing to join the conversation and track social media posts about the event. Using the app is a one-stop-shop for all the buzz at Pensacola's 2018 Optimist Nationals."
Make lodging reservations through Pensacola's central tourism bureau at www.VisitPensacola.com and get more Pensacola area sports information at www.pensacolasports.org. Pensacola Sports and the Florida Sports Association www.flasports.com both support the Optimist Nationals at PYC.