300 Optimists to Finland

The biggest overseas Optimist deal in 60 years brings 300 Optimists from China to Finland

The Finnish Optimist Association has coordinated an innovative deal between 62 Finnish sailing clubs and their member families and the biggest builder of Optimists in the world, Far East Boats of Shanghai, China.

The young Finnish sailors are being supplied with the top of the range boats with hulls of biaxial cloth, epoxy fins, stiff racing rigs, top of the range Harken blocks and radial cut sails designed by the Finnish WB-sails made in China with three alternative designs for sailors of different weight.

The fully equipped boats have padded top and bottom covers, rig and foil bags and trolleys with big wheels and they are supplied with IODA measurement certificates for hulls, blades, rig and sails. Also the sail numbers given by the Finnish Sailing Federation are already in place. "Our aim has been to supply the clubs and families with highest quality, ready to race, plug and play opi packages", says Tapio Lehtinen of the Finnish Optimist Association.

Through a deal without any middle men, buyers paying directly to the builder through the accounts of the Finnish Opti Association, logistics sponsored by Itella, Audi and Wärtsilä, the final price of the boat packages with the Finnish VAT and customs paid will be less than 1500€. The price is roughly a third of similar top of the range fully equipped racing optimist packages made in Norhern Europe.

At the same time, the families were offered a full opi sailors gear bag with a fully breathing drysuit, a fleece overall, PFD, hiking pants, gloves, start watch, Opi DVD and book delivered anywhere in Finland by courier at a very competitive price by the British company Trident-UK. "Our aim is to get the entry barrier as low as possible for the beginners in the sport. In the long run this will also benefit the Finnish dealers as we get more people to the sport", says Lehtinen.