2 ft 9 in (0.84 m)
Daggerboard
7 ft 5 in (2.26 m)
35 sq ft (3.3 m )
1646
Rewind the clock back 66 years:
Beginings: In 1947, the Clearwater Florida version of the “Soapbox Derby” called the “Orange Crate Derby” was sponsored by the Clearwater Optimist Club . Optimist member, Major Clifford McKay promoted the idea, and it finally made some headway with other members. He contacted local boat builder, Clark Mills about the idea and asked Mills to design a small sailboat that could be made for under $50.
Design Phase: Mills started sketching and soon ran into a basic limitation. Plywood comes in eight foot sheets. So, he knew the boat had to be less than eight feet. Since it was hard to put a pointed bow in an eight foot boat, he designed it as a pram. Clark Mills noted that the size and shape of the world’s largest class was dictated by the dimensions of a sheet of plywood and by McKay’s $50 budget. Mills chose a sprit rig, to allow some shape in the poorly designed, often home-sewn sails of the era. Mills vividly recalls the very first Optimist hull. “It wasn’t pretty, because Major McKay wanted it fast, for the next Optimist Club meeting. I hammered it together in a day and a half with 10 penny galvanized nails, slapped on a coat of paint, and called her an ‘Optimist Pram.’ We rigged her up in the hotel lobby where the Optimist Club met.”
Birth of the IOD: The Optimist was mainly a Florida phenomenon until 1958, when Axel Damgaard, the captain of a Danish tall ship, visited the United States and was inspired by the design. With Mills’ permission, he took an Optimist back to Europe, modified it, and renamed it the International Optimist Dinghy. The IOD had a battened sail and much simplified running rigging. The new design spread quickly, first through Europe then all around the world.
The Decline of the Pram: The IOD collided with a large, established fleet of Optimist Prams in the U.S. As more and more IODs landed on the shores of the U.S., regattas were scheduled for both Prams and IODs. As late as 1985, separate regattas were held for both boats. Many sailors from the 1970s and 1980s owned two boats, to sail in both types of regattas. In the early 1980s, the scales were tipping in favor of the IOD. The number of Prams steadily declined and, by the mid 1980s, Pram racing opportunities had dried up.Today, Prams are occasionally found in learn-to-sail and community sailing programs but they are no longer an organized class and are virtually never raced.
Image shows the design changes from the 1947 Optimist to the modern IOD: For more history and images visit Wooden Optimist
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By tom coleman.
The Optimist; at first glance a simple little kids boat…right? The more you get to know this “simple” little kids’ boat, the more you realize it’s not so simple. But little Jimmy starts sailing class in a month and you’re told to provide a fully rigged Optimist for his use. Where do you start? What do you really need and what’s it all gonna cost? Tom “Optiguytom” Coleman, long associated with junior sailing, is considered internationally as an Optimist guru, especially when it comes to getting kids started in racing. In this article he helps parents get started into the world of the Optimist, unraveling the mysteries of understanding, choosing and purchasing an Optimist sailboat.
Optimist Basics
The Opti, or Optimist Dinghy, is relatively unchanged from the first prams designed and built by visionary Clark Mills in Clearwater, FL, 65 years ago. Testament to Mills’ genius, the Opti remains the largest and fastest growing sailboat class in the world, a phenomenon as THE definitive teaching boat for hundreds of thousands of children the world over.
The Opti is not for everyone. It was designed for children. Optis are sailed by kids as young as five* years old and can be officially raced by kids up to age fifteen. Although it’s possible for a parent to sail an Optimist alone or with a small child, realistically adult sized sailors just don’t fit well. That’s part of the magic behind why they work so perfectly for kids.
Mills originally designed the Opti to be garage-built out of $50 worth of materials… hence the “one sheet of plywood” nearly 4’x8’ size. Little did Clark know that one day two Optis could easily slide into the back of a Suburban or mini-van, or that Mom and a teen could lift it onto the car top, or that the spars (mast, boom, and sprit) could be shipped UPS or flown as baggage.
Why Buy Them Their Own Boat?
Many learn-to-sail programs provide Optis for participants, but some have gotten so popular that you will need to supply your own boat. Check with the program and solicit their recommendation on procuring a suitable Optimist. As a rule, Optis hold their value extremely well, making the overall investment quite reasonable. While a brand new, ready to race Optimist will start at less than $3,000, completely rigged Optis suitable for beginners can be had for less than $1,000. Another reason to buy your child their own Opti is the pride of ownership that comes from taking care of their own vessel. It’s a great way to build responsibility and help get them invested in this life-long activity.
What Will They Need to Start?
When we say Optimist, or Opti, we are talking about a complete, ready to sail package. Although there are many possible accessories and upgrades, this is what your child must have:
Hull – it’s the shell or body of the boat, the vessel itself. The vast majority are built of fiberglass. It includes the deck which runs around the top edge and is for sitting on, not standing. The hull also includes the mast thwart, daggerboard trunk and midship frame. These are all permanently attached during manufacture. Every hull has important parts attached mechanically (with screws), or secured by other means. These include hiking straps, ratchet block, dagger board bungee, three flotation bags, mainsheet, mast step (should be adjustable), and bow line.
Blades – sometimes called foils. They are the rudder (with tiller and extension) and the daggerboard.
Sail – usually white, made of Dacron.
Rig – often called spar set; these are the mast, boom, and sprit; the poles that support the sail. The rig includes the lines (ropes) and blocks (pulleys) that control the sail.
Accessories
Bailers – need two in the boat at all times, flimsy plastic bottles don’t work and are NOT safe.
Blade Bag – protects and stores the daggerboard and rudder, makes for easier carrying.
Life jacket – must be USCG Approved and appropriate size.
Whistle – secured to life jacket with a short lanyard.
Bow bumper – protects not only your investment but those of others.
Dolly – for dockside transport, launching, sometimes storage. Some programs require them.
Covers – depending on how boat will be stored a top or bottom cover may be a good investment.
Praddle – one handed paddle. Regular canoe or telescopic paddles DO NOT WORK!
New, Used, Chartered?
New complete Opti packages start at around $2700 while used Optis range from $500 on up depending on age, condition, and accessories. A third option is called a “chartered” or “event” Optimist. Think of these as demos, typically used at a few regattas by good sailors. Often these come with brand new spars and sail, carry new boat warranties, and sell for $200 – 300 below retail.
Club, Intermediate, Advanced, Premium Racer?
Those are names of various Opti packages differentiated by the equipment each comes with. Beginning sailors should be most interested in the “Club” or “Club Racer” version. Besides being the most economical, it’s designed for their level; a little heavier duty with less parts to loose or break. The Intermediate will have some upgrades mainly of interest to racing. The Advanced (read more expensive), are aimed at delivering a product suited exclusively toward competitive sailing and bear no advantage to those starting out. It’s important to know that the hull is really the same in each package and can be upgraded as the sailor progresses with the purchase of different spars, blades, and sails.
Where to Buy
Local Sailing Programs
Check the bulletin boards at local yacht clubs and community sailing centers and you’re likely to find at least a couple of formerly sailed Optis available. Ask around, during weekend and after school Opti classes (yes, most have already started), and you may uncover some unadvertised bargains.
Friendly Neighborhood Dealer
Shopping new or used Optis at your local dealership is perhaps the easiest way to obtain the right boat for your child. Typical small boat sales staff, as a rule, are local sailors and have insight on the surrounding programs and what each expects. You’ll find them to be very knowledgeable, highly enthusiastic, but not pushy.
The best deals can be found at the many spring open houses, boat swaps, or Opti auctions. You’ll be able to compare $600 fixer-uppers and $1,000 bargains (privately owned, taken in on commission) to used, chartered and brand new Optis, all at one location. The dealer can fix you up with necessary accessories, including roof racks to transport the newest addition to your family.
Online shopping can produce some real bargains, but has its limitations. eBay and Craig’s List occasionally have listings, but the drawback of buying sight unseen or traveling a long distance to see only one boat may not prove prudent. A recent search produced only one Opti on ebay and five scattered from New Jersey to Rhode Island.
JSALIS.org has a page of used Optis and equipment for sale as does the Opti Class at usoda.org.
Yes, but is it “Class legal”?
Class legal means that the hull, spars, sail and blades (and some accessories) meet certain rigid requirements pertaining to materials, measurements and construction. These requirements keep the Optimist safe for your child while ensuring that every Opti is virtually the same and one doesn’t have a significant advantage over another on the race course. Your Opti may be class legal if it has a sticker with a unique ISAF number or if very old, an IYRU number. The best guarantee is if you have the measurement papers issued by USODA (United States Optimist Dinghy Association) that came with the boat.
…and is it Necessary?
It’s only necessary if those holding the race say it is. Within your program it shouldn’t matter and most green fleet regattas (for beginners) are only concerned that it is safe and a reasonable facsimile. As your child progresses and begins to do more racing (regionally, nationally and even internationally), having a class legal Optimist is an “Opti-must”.
* It’s generally agreed that most kids are not developmentally ready for formal sailing instruction until 8 years of age.
Tom “OPTIGUYTOM” Coleman has been associated with the Optimist Class as a coach and instructor trainer for over a decade. He was Marketing Manager for McLaughlin Boat Works for nearly fifteen years. In 2004 he was chosen by the US Olympic Committee as Developmental Coach of the Year for Sailing. You’ll find him running the Green Fleet at many top Optimist regattas.
You can reach Tom for clinics and regatta coaching at Optiguytom@yahoo.com .
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Class contact information.
Click below
Class Email
Class Website
One-Design Class Type: Dinghy
Was this boat built to be sailed by youth or adults? Youth
Approximately how many class members do you have? 1200
Photo Credit:
USODA is the national class organization for Optimist sailing in the United States.
Our mission is simple: USODA will support and sustain junior sailors, their families, and junior sailing programs with leadership, information, and organization which facilitates the growth of Optimist sailing at all levels. We will accomplish this while promoting fun, safety, self-reliance, and good sportsmanship.
USODA is a 501(c)(3) educational organization, able to receive tax deductible contributions from individuals. Its interest is in promoting a boat, the International Optimist Dinghy (IOD), and promoting sailing across the United States.
Boats Produced: Over 23,000 in the United States
Class boat builder(s):
The Class has multiple builders, with McLaughlin being the sole builder in the United States. The main vendors in the United States for new boats are:
McLaughlin Simmons Boatworks KO Sailing Zim
Approximately how many boats are in the USA/North America?
Where is your One-Design class typically sailed in the USA? List regions of the country:
The Optimist Class is active throughout the US.
Does this class have a spinnaker or gennaker? No
How many people sail as a crew including the helm? 1
Ideal combined weight of range of crew: 75-110 lbs
Boat Designed in 1947
Length (feet/inches): 7’2″
Beam: 3’8″
Weight of rigged boat without sails: 77 lbs
Draft: 2’9″
Mast Height: 7’5″
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Copyright ©2018-2024 United States Sailing Association. All rights reserved. US Sailing is a 501(c)3 organization. Website designed & developed by Design Principles, Inc. -->
Designed in 1947 by Clarke Mills, Fla, the Optimist is a single-handed one-design dinghy which is ideal for children who are at first learning to sail, and in which they can then carry on to experience exhilarating racing at all levels, up to the World Championships. For fascinating information on the birth of the Optimist Dinghy, see the link below.
The best way to introduce kids to sailing is through the Optimist class. Optimist sailboats are designed especially for children, with a broad beam for exceptional safety and stability. The boats are simple to operate – just one sail, one line, and one centreboard. They’re also simple to transport – just strap it to the roof of your car or stow it in the back of a van or sport utility vehicle.
Sailed in over 100 countries by over 150,000 young people, it is the only dinghy approved by the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) exclusively for sailors under 16 years of age.
Optimist Class Specifications
Length: 2.3 m / 7′ 9″ Beam: 1.1.m / 3′ 8″ Draft: 2′ 9″ Sail area: 35 sq.ft Weight: 77 lbs / 35 kgs. (FRP hull) Hull: Wood or FRP Spars: Wood or aluminum Racing: crew 1 First built: 1947 Number built: 500,000 + worldwide
Designer Clark Mills 1947, modified by Axel Damgard 1954
More info on the origins of the design/class: http://www.balancedrig.com/landsendmarina/mills.html
2002 – Clarky Mills, the colorful boat designer who changed the boating world with his innovative Optimist pram, died Dec. 11 in Clearwater, FL, at the age of 86.
International Optimist Championship 1970 International Optimist Championship 1970 BarcelonaA lot has changed in 48 years Posted by Optiparts on Saturday, January 26, 2019
Canadian Optimist Dinghy Association
© 2024 Canadian Optimist Dinghy Association.
Labor Day Sale - 15% Off With Code LABORDAY2024
The Optimist dinghy (Opti) is one of the world's most popular sailboats for youth training and racing, with an active regatta circuit and great competition from green fleet to the most competitive world class regattas. Zim Sailing offers race ready Optimist sailboats in a variety of options, including Club and Race spec boats and the regatta winning Pro Opti by Fighter. Trust the experts at Zim Sailing with your next Opti purchase.
Stay informed.
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| Monohull |
| Fibreglass |
| 77 lb (35 kg) |
| 7 ft 9 in (2.36 m) |
| 7 ft 2 in (2.18 m) |
| 3 ft 8 in (1.12 m) |
| 5 in (130 mm) |
| Daggerboard |
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| 7 ft 5 in (2.26 m) |
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| 35 sq ft (3.3 m ) |
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The jig produced on the ShopBot retains the correct shape and supports the boat, while it is being built, to retain the exact design measurements. The plans for the boat can be found from many sources for free on the internet. Plans are available in many languages, as well. One such source is http://www.optiworld.org/Woodguide05.pdf Another guide to building an optimist is http://www.burcotboats.co.uk/howToBuild.pdf , as well as half a dozen other well written articles on the internet. But none provide CAD quality drawings or files to work with modern computer controlled machine tooling. Well, here they are: The jig as well as the major parts of the boat. The jig sides , mast step, rudder, dagger board , dagger board case ends and doubler pieces are made from 18mm or 3/4" ACX or marine grade plywood; (1219.2mm x 2438.4mm) 48" x 96".
Now to get started, the jig we have designed is the exact dimensions of a finished hull shape. Both ends of the jig have interlocking pieces to allow for inserting and removing as needed during the building of the boat. The cross members are standard 2" x 4" cut to 44" long and with a 3/4" dado 8" to each side of center to fit into the grooves of the forms. These should be cut so as to be flush with the top of the form and screwed into place to prevent movement. The bottom boards provide a stable platform for the jig to sit on. The jig should be placed on a flat surface for the build, as distortion to the jig will transfer to the boat being built. Save the scraps for blocking.
Privacy overview.
COMMENTS
Optimist Fleet of Optimists Typical Optimist storage Rigging on shore Optimist dinghies waiting to a wind. The Optimist is a small, single-handed sailing dinghy intended for use by young people up to the age of 15.. The Optimist is one of the two most popular sailing dinghies in the world, with over 150,000 boats officially registered with the class and many more built but never registered.
Immensely popular youth trainer, designed for and built by a large number of home builders. The list shown here can only represent a small fraction of past and current professional builders. U.S. Optimist Dinghy Assn. P.O. Box 150127 222 E. Westmonte Dr. #101 Almonte Springs, FL 21401 407-774-7880 Fax: 407-774-6440
Optimist Dinghy (Int) is a 7 ′ 8 ″ / 2.3 m monohull sailboat designed by Clark Mills and built by Hartley Boats, Phileas Boats, La Prairie, Winner Boats S. L., Johnson Boat Works, SIBMA Navale Italiana, Performance Sailcraft, Far East Boat Co., Xtreme Sailing Products, McConaghy Boats, LaserPerformance, Nautivela, and Zim Sailing starting in 1947.
The Optimist dinghy was designed by Clark Mills in Clearwater, Florida. It is a single sailor, 2.3m by 1.13m flat bottomed, hard-chine, pram-bowed dinghy. The boat weighs 35kg and is easily car topped frequently with two on the roof. The Optimist is a very stable vessel, which is difficult to capsize even in strong winds.
SKU: MC1 McLaughlin Optimist. McLaughlin Optimist. The only Optimist hand built in the United States by experts for over 25 years. McLaughlin has built World Champion hulls for years and have put in the hard work to come out on top. With the stiffest hulls available, minimum weight guaranteed, and best rigging options available, these boats are ...
The pram-style Optimist is a great starter boat for learning to sail and later learning to race, and youth sailors can literally take their Optimist Dinghy to whatever level they want. Any motivated young Optimist sailor will develop both confidence and dinghy sailing skills, from boathandling techniques to big-fleet strategy and tactics; some ...
Meet the Optimist Dinghy. December 4, 2013 by Sail1Design Editor Leave a Comment. by Airwaves writer Emma White. The optimist, originally designed by Clark Mills in 1947, became a registered One-Design boat in 1995; after a few modifications. It is roughly 8 feet long, precisely 3 feet and eight inches wide, and weighs approximately 77 pounds.
The Optimist sailboat, affectionately known as the Opti, is a popular and iconic single-handed dinghy designed specifically for young sailors. Renowned for its simplicity, stability, and ease of use, the Optimist has become a staple in youth sailing programs worldwide. With a distinctive pram-like hull and a single, sprit-rigged sail, this ...
7 ft 2 in (2.18 m) Beam. 3 ft 8 in (1.12 m) Draft. 5 in (130 mm) 2 ft 9 in (0.84 m) Keel/board type. Daggerboard. Rig.
World Sailing Learn to Sail Boat Optimist The International Optimist is sailed by under-16 sailors in over 200 countries. The boat in which 80% of Olympic boat skippers learned to sail. Technical Details: Length - m 2.3 Beam - m 1.12 Hull weight - kg 35 Mainsail area - m2 3.3 Jib area - m2 N/A
The Optimist Dinghy - sailed by kids since 1947. May 10, 2013. LaserPerformance is one of 31 builders around the globe that produce the IOD (International Optimist Dinghy). The LaserPerformance version is called the Optimist Vapor and is made for first-time-on-the-water sailors all the way to the very highest levels of international competition.
The Opti, or Optimist Dinghy, is relatively unchanged from the first prams designed and built by visionary Clark Mills in Clearwater, FL, 65 years ago. Testament to Mills' genius, the Opti remains the largest and fastest growing sailboat class in the world, a phenomenon as THE definitive teaching boat for hundreds of thousands of children the ...
Its interest is in promoting a boat, the International Optimist Dinghy (IOD), and promoting sailing across the United States. Design. Boats Produced: Over 23,000 in the United States. Class boat builder(s): The Class has multiple builders, with McLaughlin being the sole builder in the United States. The main vendors in the United States for new ...
Optimist Class Specifications. Length: 2.3 m / 7′ 9″ ... 2002 - Clarky Mills, the colorful boat designer who changed the boating world with his innovative Optimist pram, died Dec. 11 in Clearwater, FL, at the age of 86. International Optimist Championship 1970.
If you are a boat enthusiast looking to get more information on specs, built, make, etc. of different boats, then here is a complete review of OPTIMIST DINGHY (INT). Built by La Prairie (FRANCE) and designed by Clark Mills, the boat was first built in 1947. It has a hull type of Pram (Daggerboard) and LOA is 2.34.
Class Rules. The object of the class is to provide racing for young people at low cost. The Optimist is a One-Design Class Dinghy. Except where the Class Rules specifically permit variations, boats shall be alike in hull form, constructions, weight & weight distribution, rigging spars and sail plan. For any interpretations of the Class Rules ...
The Optimist dinghy (Opti) is one of the world's most popular sailboats for youth training and racing, with an active regatta circuit and great competition from green fleet to the most competitive world class regattas. Zim Sailing offers race ready Optimist sailboats in a variety of options, including Club and Race spec boats and the regatta winning Pro Opti by Fighter.
The thickness of the assembled stop battens and dagger- board shall be 45 mm +/-5 mm throughout. The exposed edges of the battens shall be rounded to a radius of 5 mm +0/-2 mm. The battens shall be fixed with glue, and two 5 mm +/-1.5 mm metal bolts and nuts. The length of these fasteners shall be the same +0/-.
for building the very best boat possible. We recognize that in order to build the best boat, we must understand it, test it, and learn from it. This is only possible if there is a way to provide constant feedback and testing. McLaughlin works with coaches and sailors to test over 250 boats annually, in all conditions. The
5 in (130 mm) 2 ft 9 in (0.84 m) Keel/board type. Daggerboard. Rig. Rig type. Sprit-Rigged. Mast length. 7 ft 5 in (2.26 m)
Optimist Sailboat Build: Building the Wood/Epoxy Optimist In 1947 a gentleman named Clark Mills designed a small sail boat for kids to learn to build and sail called the Optimist. This boat was designed to be built from 3 sheets of plywood, with basic woodworking abi…
The Optimist was the natural choice as they wanted to compete against other clubs. After building an Optimist to the IODA standards in our shop, we realized it would be extremely difficult for an amateur (old or young) to build a boat which would comply with the hundreds of specs/standards.
SAVE & ACCEPT. McLaughlin Boat Works is the world's largest Optimist charter provider, and we see all the major Optimist racing spars sets in action.