International Teams & Events

Attending an international event is the pinnacle for any Opti sailor’s experience in the class. Meeting young racers from around the globe that are at the top of their sport is truly a life changing experience.

There are many “open international events” that we highly recommend, such as:

  • Orange Bowl in Miami, USA (December)
  • Sunshine State Championships in Florida, USA (March)
  • Miami Sailing Week in Miami, USA (March)
  • Lake Garda Meeting in Lake Garda, Italy (Easter weekend)
  • Palamos in Spain (January/February)

These among many other events are open to any sailor that wishes to attend. For questions on these events or recommendations for your sailor in particular according to their experience and stage of development, members can contact CODA’s Class Development Officer and Coach Rep who would gladly provide guidance.

 

IODA Events

Canada, being a member of IODA, is invited to send teams to Continental Championships (North Americans, South Americans and Europeans – if there are vacancies, Canada is also entitled to apply for spots at the Asian/Oceanian Championships and the African Championships) and the World Championship.

 

The IODA Events Teams are selected according to the overall finishes at our annual Canadian Optimist Championships (COCs).

Details on the process are specified on the International Teams Selection Guide.

 

When considering attending an IODA Event, there is a lot to think about:

  • Racing is extremely competitive. Nothing like the sailors that have only raced in Canada have seen before.
  • Venues are often selected for their consistent (or rather high) wind and seas.
  • Most opti racers around the world only qualify for these events when they are 14/15 years old, so in countries in which sailors sail year round and start in the early years, that means they have 7-8 years of racing experience.
  • Some events have boys and girls racing together, some have the fleets racing separately.
  • All events except for Europeans do have a Team Racing Championship as part of the event.
  • IODA events have a cost that varies between CAD$6-9 thousand dollars.

We encourage families to talk to CODA coaches and the CODA Class Development Officer to make a decision based on the sailor’s expertise and experience. We want to ensure the sailors have a good time and they attend events that are the perfect fit to continue ensuring a fun and exciting experience in the sport.

Sailing internationally is an amazing experience and there are vast opportunities as close as open clinics and regattas across Canada, the US and the Caribbean as well as events in Europe, South America, Africa, Asia and Oceania. In addition to those, the IODA Events for which the sailors have to qualify and be selected by CODA.

CODA wants what is best for its sailors and with lots of things to consider before making decisions, we would gladly talk and support our CODA Members to the best of our ability and experience.

Feel free to contact us by sending us a note with your questions.-