The Antigua Yacht Club (AYC) will host its fourth major Optimist dinghy regatta, the Optimist North American (OPTINAM) Championships from July 2-9, 2023. The Club’s bid was approved by the IODA (International Optimist Dinghy Association) Executive Committee in May. AYC, located on Antigua’s southern coast and overlooking Falmouth Harbor, spectacularly hosted OPTINAMs in 2015 and 2016. Then in 2019, the AYC hosted the Optimist World Championships, an event that set the country participation record with sailors from 64 nations in attendance.
“We have the know-how to put on a quality OPTINAM from our past experience and we a great location as a base here at the Dockyard,” says Karl James, two-time Olympian in the Laser Class, president of the Antigua & Barbuda Marine Association, and manager and president Optimist Class at AYC. “Hosting the 2023 OPTINAM is important for two other reasons. First, it extends our sailing season into the summer. More importantly, our location means Optimist sailors from throughout the Caribbean can travel here and have a chance to participate in a large international event.”
Antigua is known as a competitive racing hot spot in the Caribbean for big boats and small, due to its predictable trade winds, large rolling seas, and warm island hospitality. www.antiguayachtclub.com
