Royal Nova Scotia Yacht Squadron Welcomes Young Athletes From Around The World To The 2017 Canadian Optimist Championships

Aug 23, 2017

Optis at last year’s Canadian Championship

Beginning last Sunday and running until Saturday August 26, host club, the Royal Nova Scotia Yacht Squadron (RNSYS), welcomes more than 140 athletes and their supporters from all corners of the world, to compete in the 2017 Canadian Optimist Championships for a national title and to qualify for the 2018 International Optimist Dinghy Regatta.

“We welcome all competitors, coaches, and spectators near and far to our club and to our historic city of Halifax,” says Katrin Heidenrich, Chair of the 2017 Canadian Optimist Championships. “This national event is celebrating its 31st year and we couldn’t be more proud to host this event and to share Nova Scotia’s outstanding sailing conditions with the rest of the country. We are also excited to provide Opti sailors from this region with an opportunity to experience a regatta of this magnitude.”

Sailors from the U.S.A., U.S. Virgin Islands, Bermuda, Bahamas, Italy, and as far as Australia, are making the trip for this regatta, as it is a qualifier for the 2018 International Optimist Dinghy Regatta, an event that draws athletes from around the world for its competitive spirit and prestige.

The Optimist is a single-handed one-design dinghy ideal for children learning to sail but also allows them to test their skills against the best in the world, racing at all levels, up to the World Championships. Sailed in over 100 countries by more than 150,000 young people, it is the only dinghy approved by the International Sailing Federation (ISAF) exclusively for sailors under 16. It is the class in which most world-class and Olympic sailors begin their sailing careers.

“For more than 180 years, the RNSYS has maintained its reputation as the sailing club of choice here in Atlantic Canada, and as one of the top clubs internationally says David Stanfield, Commodore of the RNSYS, North America’s oldest yacht club. “We are committed to the role Optis play in developing confidence, sailing skills, and the vehicle to new friendships. Our primary focus has been and continues to be to encourage and enhance the sport of sailing within our membership and community. And this year, our community reaches around the world as we share in the excitement of hosting this incredible event for young sailors.

The RNSYS has the largest sailing school program in Atlantic Canada, as well as the largest school for disabled sailors in the country.