“Sailboat racing becomes a game of chance only when you are not prepared.” Buddy Melges “The good sailors all know how to race very well, but the champions have won the regatta before the racing begins.” Paul Elvstrom If you’re…

Here’s a fun activity for newer Optimist sailors. Use the worksheet to match the parts of the boat to the arrows in the drawing. This is a matching exercise – the worksheet lists the parts. Download the worksheet and answer…

If you want to maximize performance and minimize frustration, it pays to learn the best techniques to tie an Optimist sail. We pulled tips from manufacturer’s tuning guides, books, and online sources to make the process easier. We added performance…

The Winner’s Guide to Optimist Sailing, by Gary Jobson and Jay Kehoe is the most comprehensive Opti reference we’ve found. It’s geared for beginning to intermediate levels. It’s clearly written and is suitable for both sailors and parents. The authors…

Want to help your young beginner opti sailor get started on the right foot? Get a copy of Kiwi Goes Sailing. Rob Coutts’ years as a professional sailing coach in New Zealand inspired this book. Rob saw the need for…

There are lots of Optimist tuning guides available.  We’ve put together a collection of the most informative guides from major sailmakers and boat manufacturers. Optimist Tuning Guides North Sails Quantum Sails UK Sails Ullman Sails Olimpic Sails McLaughlin Boat Works…