International Optimist

The Optimist is the world’s most numerous racing class and the single-handed dinghy almost every top sailor learned in, designed by Clark Mills in 1947 for a Florida youth program. A 2.3-meter pram-bowed hull with a sprit-rigged sail, it is sailed by children up to about 15 in fleets of thousands at national and world championships. World Sailing recognizes it as an international class and most national authorities build their youth pathway on it.