ANTIGUA YACHT CLUB

Antigua Yacht Club on behalf of Antigua, and the Antigua & Barbuda Sailing Association has submitted a bid to host the Optimist World Championships in Antigua in 2019.  The bid has been accepted by the International Optimist Dinghy Association (IODA) and a bid presentation and flyers have been developed. Antigua Yacht Club and the Antigua and Barbuda Sailing Association will be sending two representatives to the OptiWorlds being held in Thailand in July this year to present the bid presentation to the IODA Executive Committee and to a special meeting of all voting delegates, to provide an opportunity for questions and discussion about Antigua as a venue for the 2019 OptiWorlds. The bid for 2019 will then be voted on at the IODA AGM in the same location in Thailand a few of days later.

This year’s OptiWorlds in Thailand will host 282 sailors from 62 countries around the world. That sets a Guinness World Record for the most number of countries represented at any single-class sailing event in history.  All 62 countries will be represented by a delegate who will be entitled to vote for the venue for the 2019 OptiWorlds.  In addition, a similar number of IODA members who will not be present in Thailand will have an opportunity to provide their proxy votes to countries that will be attending.  Antigua Yacht Club and the Antigua and Barbuda Sailing Association will be lobbying all IODA member countries in an effort to secure their votes for Antigua as the 2019 OptiWorlds host venue. Many IODA members are aware of Antigua’s success hosting the 2015 and 2016 Optinam events which should contribute to a good response to Antigua’s current bid. If any IODA member countries not going to Thailand would like to give their proxy votes for Antigua to a country that will be attending, please contact Kathy Lammers at lammers@nexicom.net.

Should Antigua be successful in winning the vote, there will be much work to be done in the coming two years to prepare for this event. Antigua Yacht Club and the Antigua and Barbuda Sailing Association will have a team working towards that goal along with a very large number of other volunteers and supporters who will be needed to help make it happen in anticipation of close to 300 sailors participating. Sponsorship will also be required from many local, regional and international organisations in order to facilitate hosting of the event. To express interest in volunteering or sponsorship in anticipation of Antigua winning the bid to host the Optimist World Championships in 2019, please get in touch with Antigua Yacht Club at ayc@yachtclub.ag.