Five young sailors, aged 11 to 15, will represent Tanzania at the International Optimist Dinghy Association (IODA) African Optimist Championships, according to the Tanzania Sailing Association (TSA). The event will take place in Mahé, Seychelles, from September 14 to 21.
The TSA announced in a press release that the young sailors have been training at Msasani Bay. The association thanked the sailing community for their ongoing support of these athletes, noting that four of them had previously competed in the African Championships.
The sailors selected for the competition hail from the Kigamboni Sailing Center and the Dar es Salaam Yacht Club.
“Optimist sailing is designed especially for novice sailors, primarily aged 7 to 15,” the press release stated. The competition is held in collaboration with the International Optimist Dinghy Association (IODA).
The IODA has actively developed the African Championships to advance sailing across the continent. While the World Championships are the highlight of the annual sailing calendar, continental events like the African Championships play a crucial role in fostering competition and talent development.
Tanzania has participated in these events across various African nations since 2005. Notably, the country hosted the African Optimist Championships twice, in 2005 and 2012, with 12 countries taking part. The event was officially opened by the Minister of Sports.
Each African member nation can send up to ten sailors, who qualify through national trials. To promote gender inclusivity and support the development of female talent in sailing, IODA encourages each team to include a minimum of three female sailors among the ten participants.