Opti TV

May 26th, 2020 Hey everyone, we are back with another edition of The Roundup! This one is featuring some videos and articles that have recently cropped up - we have to say, it's awesome to see sailing put out so much content! It may just drive the interest of many a landlubber to try it out this year - the original Social Distancing! Here's a few things we think you should check out: What Coaches Want To See This Summer From our friend Phil Muller, Head Coach of the uber-successful 2Niner Skiff Squad - he dives into the conversation that sailing is having as a sport at the moment, and shares what coaches think sailors should do with their time now that regattas are on pause. Really insightful article, we can't recommend it enough.  How Worlds Reshaped Me As A Coach "Friend Of Opti TV" Bernat Gali writes on Sail1Design Airwaves about his experiences coaching the Puerto Rican Worlds Team at the 2019 IODA Worlds this past year in Antig

We sat down with Hillary Oswald from the Youth Sailing Foundation Of The Palm Beaches to learn about what it takes to make a sailing program viable and inclusive - and at the same time have children in the sport and manage a professional career. Learn more about the YSFPB at Youth Sailing Foundation Of The Palm Beaches Thanks to Professional Boats for sponsoring Opti TV Presents, check out their fleet renewal specials at: Professional Boats Equipment Used: Peak Design Travel Tripod Carbon GoPro Hero 7 Black iPhone 11 Pro PolarPro Litechaser Pro Deity D3 Pro Shotgun Microphone Edited On: BlackMagic Davinci Resolve 16 Black Magic Design DISCLAIMER: We participate in the Amazon Affiliate Program, where we earn a commission from purchases at no extra cost to you.

3 Tips From Miami, Florida (sponsored) We thought it's great to have top opti coaches share their insights and knowledge, but it's the sailors after all who are doing the...well, sailing. For our first ever Sailor Tips 4 Sailor video, we have Sara from CGSC sharing some tips on how to keep extra sail ties handy, and setting a short pull length on the sprit halyard for easier trimming and avoiding that annoying wrap that sometimes happens when its too long.  This video and post was sponsored by Leland General Store - check out their  Stay Connected  Collection to look your best for all those video conference calls!  Leland General Store

Wow! It's only been 5 months of OPTI TV and things are starting to groove! We are taken aback by the interest and kind words of support and we are stoked to continue to bring you the best Opti content for sailors, parents, and coaches! We are very excited to bring to you the next evolution in Opti TV, one that will allow us to create more content for you - we have more sponsors! We'd like to thank Professional Boats for sponsoring our ongoing Interview Series (still searching for a catchy name...) and supporting the Opti TV project! In the demanding world of sailing, your boat is everything - when you need a support boat you can count on, count on Professional Boats delivering a world-class Tornado RHIB! As the US's premiere Tornado dealer, they have the selection of support boats that fits your needs; whether it's for sail coaching, race committee or simply getting around your waterways - Professional Boats has it covered.  Learn more about Professional

Disruptions In Opti Calendar Worldwide Expected May 15th, 2020 In an announcement, IODA informed members today that Italy had withdrawn as host of the 2020 Optimist World Championship, scheduled to take place this July at Riva De Garda on the picturesque lake that shares the name. Although the championship was already postponed, this effectively nixes any chance that there will be an Opti Worlds this year.  It also throws into doubt if many classification regattas will continue around the IODA member countries, organizers may see little point in trying to reschedule their classification regattas for the summer.  Many programs and member countries are echoing the IODA sentiment that this was a prudent move and the sailor's safety is more important. There still remains a chance that a new host will be found, but only time will tell as travel restrictions are still very much in effect across the world.  Full Press Release Below: Italy Withdraws as Host of the 202

We Talk To The Performance Director Of The USODA NT When we sat with Joakim to hear about his thoughts on the Opti Class, we did not expect to learn that he has such an interesting background - we've been finding from our guests that community and a DIY approach led to their passion in sailing and the sport. Check out the interview below so you can see why Joakim thinks community is the key to any success in sailing as a sailor or a coach. 

New Guests Being Added! As early May turns into late May, we are continuing our interview series as we prepare more educational content - take a look at the upcoming guest lineup which we will be adding to on a rolling basis - stay in phase and make sure you're following us on social media and have signed up for email updates!

We Sit Down With Agustin Ferrario - Head Coach of Royal Nova Scotia Yacht Squadron and Development Officer for CODA Agustin Ferrario, known to most as Agus, is the driving force behind a lot of what goes on in the realm of Opti Sailing up in Canada. We sat down with his recently to discuss his experiences sailing Optis and now as an organizer for the class. Check out the video chat below and we hope you'll come away with a new perspective on what a multi-faceted approach can do for opti sailors and young athletes.

Every once in awhile, we'll be gathering some articles, videos and information to keep your bow down and stay in phase with the sailing world! This curated series will often times include things that are not Opti specific - but aren't we trying to keep the big picture anyways? Enjoy! Solo Sailing Drills And Safety - McLaughlin Boat Works A great article on making sure everything is up to par before heading out alone - especially useful to those of us who may be able to go sailing during quarantine! IODA Sustainability Topic 3 Published The International Class continues to publish its publication on sustainability and education - as we wrote in our " Is This A Chance To Start Fresh? " article, we think this information would be fantastic to make part of sail education curriculums across the country. Mr Childers' Boat House Episode 6 Finale The child-friendly series from the US Sailing Starboard Portal concluded with Episode 6: Having Fun At S

The Opti Class is a large enterprise spanning some 150,000 sailors (probably more) worldwide. They all love to sail, and some love to race. Under COVID-19 racing as we know it will not be possible in the near term. That does not mean we can’t race, it means we need to do things differently. There are many really smart people who race sailboats and organize racing and regattas. Plenty of them are in the medical field. There is tremendous brain power at work right now sorting through the issues of how we can continue to facilitate the development of young sailors in a safe way.  The first recommendation is for us to let kids get back to sailing for the fun of it, simply to enjoy sailing for what it is. Just get them out and let them explore their watery world. Sailboat racing, like many other things in life, has been heading in the direction of more and more perfection and complication. We are going to be dialing it back. As we ease into racing it will be with fewer people out

McLaughlin Boat Works is the premier Opti boatbuilder known for their customer service and friendly approach. But did you know that they didn't always make Optimists? We sat down with their Sales Manager, Brian Holloway, and talked about his experiences growing up sailing Optis and Congratulations to the winner of the 1st ever McLaughlin/Opti TV giveaway! Make sure to rock that Team Rider gear the next time you go sailing! Check out McLaughlin at Opti Stuff and on Instagram @sailmclaughlin

Omari is a well known coach in the US circuit, and respected internationally for his coaching style - he recently sat down with the editor to discuss his beginnings in sailing, coaching style, and what he thinks lies in the future for the Optimist class. Take a look below Don't forget the next episode is an interview with Brian Holloway, the Sales Manager for McLaughlin Boat Works - the largest Optimist manufacturer in North America. Check in later today as the episode drops on YouTube and the website!

It seems that Covid19 isn’t quite yet ready to let the sailing circuit go as today the IODA announced that Estonia was withdrawing as host of the 2020 IODA European Championship. This is surely to affect many sailors and families who were hoping to get to their regatta this year.  Not all is lost, though, since IODA provides for this scenario and will be working to find a suitable host for the event. Full press release: May 7th 2020 Press Release We are in unprecedented times and in uncharted waters with respect to the global COVID-19 pandemic and the effect it has on our IODA Events in 2020. With the health of our sailors, coaches, team leaders and volunteers as our top priority, after much consideration,  the Organizers of the 2020 European Championship have regretfully confirmed that they are withdrawing as hosts of the championship . We respect their decision. IODA Members who have officially registered and made payments for the event will be refunded.  The  O

IODA Publishes Topic 2 of New Education Initiative, Covid-19 Continues To Affect Opti Circuit APRIL 30 - Miami Sailing Week is postponed indefinitely, after an initial reschedule to May 1-3, Regatta Organizers decided to push back the event to the Fall of 2020. Official press release: Dear MSW Participants and Families, First of all, we hope you are all safe and doing well in this time and we are writing to you with an important update regarding Miami Sailing Week. CGSC and the Regatta Organizers were waiting for better news this week but due to the unfortunate reality we are in, marinas and parks remain closed in the City Of Miami for the foreseeable future. As such we must follow social distancing guidelines and postpone Miami Sailing Week indefinitely with hopes of hosting the event in the Fall of 2020 We are still intending on hosting this great event in the Fall in a more limited capacity and are are exploring September as a suitable month but dates for competition

We've Launched Our Webstore! Help support the Opti TV project by picking up a sweet shirt or phone case from our TeeSpring store! All the shirts are made from upcycled cotton and your purchases help support the channel and blog - check em out! Check back in as we add other offerings over time, in the meantime take a look at the store below: OPTI TV WEBSTORE