Layline Optimist Great Lakes Championships

In 2010 Layline has been selected by USODA as their Platinum sponsor. Among many benefits of being awarded this honor, Layline is able to require all competitors at USODA events to place their logo on the boats.

At the Great Lakes Championships we witnessed the first event with the Layline logo and debate erupted over the placement of the stickers. What do you think? Should it be on the starboard side as shown, or directly on the bow?

Chautauqua Lake Yacht Club in Lakewood, New York was the host of this event and proved to be a great place to sail in the spring. With light, 8 knot breeze blowing in the beginning it looked like an average regatta, but the 18 knots were not far behind. 21 sailors from this event qualified for the 2011 USODA National Team Trials which will be sailed in San Francisco at the St. Francis Yacht Club in late April.

All photos posted

All photos of the incredible sailing action of last week's IODA North American Optimist Championship regatta at CORK in Kingston, Ontario are now online and available at http://pix.daveheinphotography.com/event/2010-OPTINAM-at-CORK. Here you can view the photos, purchase any prints you want and save your favorites to view online or vies as a slideshow and share with your friends.

Remember to vote on these photos at http://www.optisailing.com. The top photos here will be used in the 2011 OPTIsailing calendar, which will be distributed worldwide this fall! Login every day and vote for the top photos from OPTINAM 2010!

2009 Opti National Championiships

The 2009 Opti US National Championship regatta took place in July at the Cabrillo Beach Yacht Club in San Pedro, California.

220 sailors turned out for the championship event and were honored with the most hospitable club and regatta committee ever! To make the event tops, the Commodore even arranged to have the wind build from 10 knots at the start of sailing each day to over 20 knots by the end of racing each evening.

Sailors in both the championship and green fleets enjoyed excellent sailing, plenty of wave surfing and hiking to prove their talents as the top Opti sailors in the country.

Photos of the event can be seen at Dave Hein's Boatyard Photography site and at OPTIsailing.com.

CORK International Regatta

I have just received a request from the organizers of CORK asking me to be the photographer of the 2009 International Regatta in Kingston, ON!

Last year's event was the first time I had experienced CORK, and I have to say, the facilities, the race management and the waters are among the best I have seen anywhere. I constantly tell everyone involved with youth sailing that if there is one regatta to travel to in the season, CORK would be it! Make plans to attend. Register today and we will see you in August!