The Real Club Nautico, Gran Canaria is to host the 2001 Optimist European championship from 1-8 August 2001.

The event was originally scheduled to take place in Israel but was cancelled due to security reasons. However, thanks to the event organisers at The Real Club Nautico, Real Federacion Espanola de Vela and the Spanish Optimist Association, competitors can look forward to a first class event later in the year.

Each member country may send up to eight sailors of which at least three must be of a different gender from the others. Entries from outside Europe are welcome and applications for free entry from countries which have never before taken part in an IODA World or Continental Championship are invited.

For more details and Preliminary Notice of Race, log on to: www.optiworld.org/ioda-news.html