One of Australia’s largest junior sailing events will head to the Royal Yacht Club of Victoria (RYCV) this summer as the 2020 Gill Optimist Australian & Open Championships descend on Williamstown from 2-9 January 2020.
The event will be run by RYCV in conjunction with the Australian International Optimist Dinghy Association, and is expected to draw in a fleet of more than 250 sailors from around the nation.
The Optimist Nationals have been running for over 16 years and provide junior sailors with the opportunity to participate in world class racing conditions.
With the addition of families, officials and volunteers, close to 1,000 people will be in and around Williamstown every day.
The Optimist class is a single-handed dinghy sailed by children up to the age of 15. It is one of the most popular junior classes on the Australian sailing scene, with over 1800 boats officially registered, and is the largest youth class in the world.
RYCV Commodore, John Duffin said, “The decision for our club to host the event was a result of having a dedicated leadership team and a well-established track record of running major sailing events. Port Phillip offers excellent sailing conditions and RYCV is excited to welcome so many young sailors and their families to the Hobsons Bay community.”
AIODA Executive Director, Emma Short said, “AIODA is very pleased to announce Royal Yacht Club of Victoria is the venue for the 2020 Gill Optimist Australian & Open Championship. We believe the Club will be an ideal venue and look forward to working with its team to put on an excellent event. See you there in January 2020.”
Website: www.optimist.org.au/nationals
