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December 2007 - Feb 2008
August-November 2007
Top 10 at the Worlds
Worlds Report 2007
Continentals - July 07
Ex-Optimist in Cascais
May-June 2007
Easter 2007
Worlds Report 2006 Overview: July/August 2006
Ex-Optimist Youth Results
Technical
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Development & General
A report about Kyrgyzstan
Ex-Optimists at the Olympics
Click for an Optimist view of Athens |
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Sail Measurement Templates Save up to $100+ freight.
The new mylar IODA sail measurement templates will be available at the European Championship in Italy at USD 309, free of freight charges. Orders must be placed by 15th June and pre-paid by MasterCard or Visa.
Send orders by fax to +44 1782 801222 giving card number, expiry date and name of cardholder. |
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Notices of Race Notices of Race of all seven IODA championships for 2008 are now online at www.optiworld.org/ioda-08calendar.html
Potential participants should note the following important restrictions: - Wooden rudders and daggerboards are not permitted
except if used with wooden hulls.
All Optimists other than those chartered from the official supplier to each event shall be correctly registered in the country of the competitor and shall carry the correct sail numbers for the boat. They shall present at measurement the relevant original IODA Registration Book.
Age: sailors born in 1997 or later are not permitted to participate in the IODA World Championship and sailors born in 1998 or later are not permitted to participate in the IODA continental championships unless they can show that they were selected on merit in national trials.
Sailors must be either nationals or residents of the country they represent. A sailor who has represented one
country at an IODA World or Continental Championship shall not
represent another country except in cases of alteration of residence,
which cases shall be approved by the IODA Executive. In certain countries national laws prevent non-nationals from representing that country. |
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Meetings at the Worlds The schedule of meetings planned at the IODA World Championship in Turkey is available at www.optiworld.org/08AGMProgramme.pdf. A detailed agenda of the Annual Meeting will be issued to member countries by 15 May.
The name of the official representative and his proxy if any shall be
received by the Secretariat or delivered to the Executive Committee
in writing prior to the opening of the Annual General Meeting.
Members should select as their official representatives persons in
their organisation who would secure the best possible continuity of
their representation and work.
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IODA South American Championship
Paracas, PeruCaribbean triumph!
Ten or even five years ago the idea that the top four places at the championship would be taken by sailors from the Caribbean would have been unthinkable. But at the completion of the scheduled 12 races Ian Barrows of the U.S.Virgins emerged a clear winner with 2006 North American champion Iván Aponte leading three Puerto Ricans next in the ranking. With Just van Aanholt from Curaçao in 13th and Niki Barnes (ISV) taking girls' silver, the elation of the islanders is understandable.
| In the "closed" South American Championship the medals were taken by
1. Gonzalo Bisi (ARG)
2. Brian Higgins (ARG)
3. Mario Mazzaferro (BRA)
and Maria José Cucalon (ECU) took both open and closed girls' gold. | 
| | Peru retain team racing title In the team racing event held on Wednesday 19th Peru retained its title. Perhaps more surprising was the silver taken by the much improved team from Chile. Argentina were third.
Results
Paracas, which suffered severe earthquake damage just a few months ago, is to be congratulated, together with the many volunteer organisers for an excellent event. WEBSITE |
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Garda Easter Meeting 999 sailors: the biggest world's biggest single-Class event just got bigger.
The Garda Easter Meeting, already in the record books as the biggest single-Class event in the world, has this year moved up several gears to record an entry of 999 Optimists from 29 countries.
The reason may be partly that these waters will host this year's IODA European Championship but the increase in popularity also reflects the general growth of Optimist sailing in Europe. Reports of previous years that Lake Garda provides brilliant sailing combined with excellent value in accommodation and meals have obviously spread to the new sailors and their families. For many of the participantd Riva itself and neighbouring clubs have been hosting a multitude of training courses for up to ten days prior to the regatta.
The logistics are incredible. Three race courses run five simultaneous races, three for the 866 under-16 "juniores" and two with shorter races for the 133 11- and 12-year old "cadetti". As well as the three race-committee teams totalling over 60 peple, over 200 support boats, each because of local law with a qualified driver and tightly controlled crew, are involved. The attention to detail is shown by providing pizza and hot chocolate - 140 litres a day! - to sailors coming ashore.
Participation rather than results are the keynote: this is, after all, accurately descibed as a meeting rather than a regatta or still less a championship, but the results are far from random. Winner was Harald Faste (NOR), 19th at last year's Worlds and the bronze medal went to current Asian champion Luke Tan (SIN). The top girls were 2007 European bronze and silver medallists Sara Piasecka and Ewa Ilska from Poland.
WEBSITE http://lakegardameeting.fragliavelariva.it/
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Easter Regattas Over 700 sailors are participating in the other major Easter regattas.
The Nokia Easter Regatta in Portoroz, Slovenia had 266 entries including a large contingent from the renascent fleet of Serbia. Winds were not however favourable and only four races were completed. Victory went to Tito Rodda from nearby Trieste, sailing in his seventh edition of this event, followed by the top girl at the 2007 Worlds Lara Vadlau (AUT).
At the Magic Marine Easter Regatta at Braassemermeer in Holland, limited to 270 boats, seven races have now been sailed and racing continues on Monday.
|  | On the other side of the world the New Zealand Toyota Optimist Nationals will see around 200 sailors carrying the sail letters of at least eight countries. Australia is sending its biggest entry ever - 16 sailors including some from Western Australia (5,000+km!).
OOOOOOOOOO a VERY Happy Easter!
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NEW SECRETARY GENERAL
We are delighted to announce that Sally Burnett has accepted the position of Secretary General Designate of IODA.
Sally who is from the English North Midlands combines the knowledge of international sailing and the small-business experience which are the principal requirements of the position.
An ISAF international judge and umpire since 1988, she has most recently been involved in the revival of the ISAF Nations Cup, focused on bringing keelboat match racing to countries with little experience in this discipline.
A university graduate in design Sally has 25 years experience as a partner in a small specialist ceramics business and has also worked in the healthcare recruitment industry.
It is intended that after training - and a "holiday" at the Olympics where she is on the jury - Sally will assume the position of Secretary General in September. Robert Wilkes the present secretary will then remain as a consultant.
The long recruitment process which produced a number of other excellent candidates has been greatly assisted by the services of David Sprague, a recruitment consultant who, as current vice-chair of the International Classes Committee, brought a unique insight into this exciting and challenging position.
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NOTICES OF RACE FOR 2008
Notices of Race are now online for the 2008 Worlds and all IODA Continental Championships except the Asians in October, linked from the 2008 IODA CalendarNote payment deadlines: they will be strictly enforced. If unable to pay on time because of currency restrictions, contact the secretariat now.
Note also that at IODA events in 2008 Epoxy foils will be mandatory. Wooden foils will only be permitted for use with wooden hulls.
National associations are asked to notify Amneris of the dates of major 2008 events. See notes at the head of the calendar page as to which regattas will be listed. |
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Two Major "6 for 5" Grants Approved IODA is delighted to announce the two latest recipients of development grants.
Mauritius
The beautiful Indian Ocean island has placed an order for 48 Optimists to add to the 12 already bought this year. These will be used initially for the IODA African Championship in August and then by the Mauritius Y.A. to expand its bases around the island. This is a major step forward for a country with little tradition of dinghy sailing but an active fleet of traditional pirogues. The main sponsor is Investec Bank (Mauritius) Limited and Indian Optimist builder Praga Marine is donating four of the hulls.
Guatemala
To promote sailing in Central America ASOVELA is buying 18 new Optimists. President Juan E. Maegli writes:
"You might be interested to know that 60% of our Opti sailors now come from very low income families from a local village at our lake. With the increased fleet (we will have around 40) we are going to be able to host the sailors from Salvador and Nicaragua (as well as the Mexicans) for regional regattas."
Earlier in the year IODA sponsored additions to the Optimist fleets of Fiji, Serbia and Macedonia.
Applications for 2008 grants are now being accepted. Details at www.optiworld.org/ioda-develop.html
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El Salvador will be able to borrow GRP Optimists.
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