The Program

The opportunity to join OptiAUS/AIODA’s Australian Teams or Squads is a unique, rewarding and highly sought after experience. Participation in any of the Teams or Squads should be viewed as a privilege. It is also an opportunity to build sailing experience with a number of similarly motivated sailors trying their best. Results achieved should not be the sole motivation, nor single performance indicator, but rather the collective learned experiences both in life and in sailing.

Background

The Australian Optimist Sailing Team (AOST) program was first introduced in 2006-7, with the Australian Optimist Development Squad (AODS) introduced in 2015. 2017 witnessed the introduction of a new structure to the combined Australian Optimist Sailing Team (AOST)/Development Squad program with increased flexibility, as well as the inclusion of a national Australian Optimist Girls Squad (AOGS).

2023 Program

With the success of 2022 in managing to field teams to the IODA World, European, African and Asian & Oceanic Championships as well as Squads to Thailand and New Caledonia in 2023 AIODA is looking forward to a full program for our AOST and AODS sailors without the unfortunate event postponements and uncertainty of the previous 2 years.

Positions on AOST or Squads are to be offered to eligible sailors based on rankings from the 2023 Australian Optimist Championships where sailors also participated in (or were nominated and available to participate) in the 2023 Australian Optimist Team Racing Championship. All eligible sailors who are offered a position on the AOST or Squads are required to meet and maintain the Eligibility Criteria.

https://www.optimist.org.au/scripts/download/file/&id=lnnpwfdm1dvmrmf0