| Ages: | 10 – 14 years |
| Weight: | 130lbs MAXIMUM |
| CANSail requirement: | CANSail 2 |
| Session length: | 2 weeks |
Optimist (or “Opti”) is the continuation of the Pram course. In Optimist, sailors will move on from the basics and learn methods of improving boat speed and performance. Sailors will have the opportunity to experience a variety of wind conditions and explore different aspects of dinghy racing.
What a day in the Optimist sailing program is like
Optimist sailors will be expected to rig their own boats without any aid from their instructors, participate in group fitness, and bring a personal log book to take notes during briefs and lessons.
The morning and afternoon water sessions–broken up by an on-land lunch–will focus more heavily on drills and practice races.
The day ends with a debrief and derigging.
What do Optimist sailors learn?
The on-land lessons in this program start to focus into more complex racing theory and strategies, and the on-water sessions give lots of chances to practice the skills from the classroom in real racing scenarios.
Sailors will also learn basic boat maintenance, what the clouds can tell us about the sailing conditions, and how to properly rig for the weather.
Equipment needed
Sailors will need to bringfood, water, sunglasses, a hat, sunsreen and other personal items. They will also need to bring their own:
- Lifejacket
- Sailing gloves
- Closed toe footwear
We will provide more information before sessions begin.
Schedule
2026 Optimist Sailing session dates:
| Session 1: | Monday, June 29 – Friday, July 10 |
| Session 2: | Monday, July 13 – Friday, July 24 |
| Session 3: | Monday, July 27 – Friday, August 7 |
| Session 4: | Monday, August 10 – Friday, August 21 |
Have questions?
Contact us at LTS@armdaleyachtclub.ns.ca