Junior
Optimist Dinghy
The world's most widely sailed junior development dinghy, with Green Fleet programs at clubs nationwide.
Why this class
The largest junior fleet in the country and a global class pathway.
Before you buy
- Confirm the Optimist is actually raced at your club — ask for last season's results, not the website.
- Check the sailor is inside the class weight range, and will still be in twelve months.
- For class racing, obtain and retain the official measurement documentation.
- Price a set of sails, spars and foils before you price the hull. The consumables often decide the real cost.
- Check what the last three boats of this class actually sold for second-hand.
Confirm against the class association
Dimensions on this page are indicative and given to help you compare classes. Class rules, measurement requirements and equipment lists change — always confirm current specifications with the class association before buying a boat intended for measured racing.
When inspecting a class boat, also ask the local fleet which sailmaker, spar package and trailer arrangement are easiest to support nearby. A nationally active class can still have very different fleet depth from one club to the next, and regular local racing is often worth more than a theoretically perfect design with nobody to race.