American Yacht Club Welcomes Optimists for Championship Competition
written by Erin Wojdaszka
On August 7–8, 2025, American Yacht Club in Rye, New York, hosted the JSA of LIS Optimist Championships for red, blue, and white age group competitors sailing in a combined fleet.
The regatta had mixed age group fleets starting together in four divisions identified by a colored streamer affixed to the sprit pole, ensuring clear recognition during the round-robin format. The trapezoid shape Optimist Championship course challenged sailors with an upwind leg to the windward mark, a rounding to a second mark, a downwind leg to the gate, and a final beat through the gate to a separate finish line, maximizing tactical opportunities and rewarding strategic awareness in varied wind angles.
The event highlighted not only the skill of the young competitors, but also the strength of the region’s youth sailing programs in preparing them for future success in larger classes.
Finish positions of all sailors may be viewed on the event site.
