The “Next Generation of Sailors” competes in Slovenia – the European Optimist Championship (EOC) in Piran, begins….

250 competitors from 41 countries have settled into their accommodation, sails have been meticulously measured, practice races have taken place and the European Optimist Championship in Piran is now well and truly underway. Slovenia is hosting this event for the 2nd time in 12 years, with ŠD Piran (Sports Club Piran) the organisers. So Boatshed Dalmatia’s Lynn Kennedy and John Harkness took a day off from selling used boats in Croatia and Slovenia to visit the Bay of Strunjan and see how sailing’s next generation was getting on.

41 countries are involved in the event, with competitors coming from as far afield as Japan, Brazil, New Zealand and the USA to as close as Serbia, Croatia, Montenegro and Italy.

The Optimist class is one which provides great sailing experience and skills for young people, giving them their first chance to learn about the sea, wind and boat handling. Today there are over 150,000 young sailors in the Optimist class in more than 100 countries around the world. It is also fair to say that some of today’s best sailors began their careers in these “little boxes”. Although, probably without the high-tech GPS system which allows all the EOC competitors’ boats to be tracked in real-time on the Internet!

The Optimist class is seen as great preparation for Youth sailing and of real benefit to the young people involved. As Carla Stanley, the UK Team Leader states, “Young people who get involved end up noticeably more independent, more organised and more focused than their peers. The sailors we brought out here will definitely not be the same sailors we bring back!”

Bojan Prosenc, who is helping with the daunting task of running the event, says, “It is fascinating to see young people from 41 countries all in the same place, competing happily against each other. Especially from countries which had particularly troubled relations. It is a real Babylon!”

For anyone who wants to come down to support the event, racing is scheduled to start at 12.00pm each day from 6th to 11th July. There is also a spectators’ boat available for those who like to be closer to the action. Or you can watch it in real time on the Internet!

Boatshed Dalmatia is Croatia and Slovenia’s own unique brand of International Yacht Brokers. Proud to be based locally, they are also privileged to be global, as part of Boatshed.com, the largest used yacht brokerage in the world, with over 70 offices world-wide, over 2800 boats listed and over 294,000 registered users.
If you are a little too big to fit into an Optimist (!) but are thinking of buying a used boat, or if you have a boat for sale in Croatia or Slovenia, just log onto www.boatsheddalmatia.com
Or phone John Harkness or Lynn Kennedy on +385 (0) 23 77 70 01 or +385 (0) 99 72 32 580 or Skype: john.bsdalmatia