A contest for the 1st ecoOptimist
The Italian manufacturer Northern Light Composites has presented its first Optimist built with natural fibers in the summer of 2022. Called ecoOptimist, it takes the shape of the famous dinghy, but uses a flax fiber construction, combined with a recyclable resin, says the manufacturer. The boat, weighing 35 kilos, is offered with a sail from the sailmaker OneSails, a partner who claims an ISO approach for the use of recyclable fabrics in the sails.
Following the tests of its prototype, Northern Light Composites has joined forces with the Clean Sailors association to offer the first 10 boats to sailing schools around the world. To do so, the candidate structures must explain in a file their commitment to the environment and provide a video detailing their messages to young sailors. Indeed, the project partners are counting on the clubs to change the mentalities of the younger generation, as explained by Clean Sailors founder Holly Manvell. "Bringing the ecoOptimist to young sailors around the world is a huge step in the development of new composite technologies today."
With a 500 euro deposit, the selected clubs will be able to have their sailboat for the 2023 season. Interested individuals can also apply, as production should start for them in 2023.
Other manufacturers on the scene
The only drawback is that the ecoOptimist is not yet approved by the International Optimist Dinghy Association or IODA, the class that manages Optimist racing. Consequently, the Optimist in linen is not able to race against the other boats of the class and is therefore for the moment only aimed at clubs for initiation.
Northern Light Composites is not the only shipyard to have built a linen Optimist. The French company Erplast, a specialist in light sailing, has built a prototype with the skipper François Gabart. However, he told us to wait for the beginning of 2023 and the return of the IODA measurers to position himself for a possible mass production.
