Club Nautico Marina di Carrara, Saturday, June 29-Friday, July 5.

“We are proud to host the best sailors from all over the world at the Club Nautico Marina di Carrara.” These are the words of The Chairman of the Club, Mister Carlandrea Simonelli.”

“We propose -said Mister Simonelli- to make a great celebration of sailing, to which all the young people of the area are invited, capable of conveying to the new generations the values of fair-play that sailing promotes as a necessary element and not an accessory in a sport that bans doping, discrimination and verbal and physical violence.”

The Club Nautico Marina di Carrara was considered the best compared to all the other European Clubs that were candidates to host the event: an important victory, tenaciously pursued by Mister Simonelli, which came about two years ago.

“We were chosen by IODA, the International Optimist Class Association, competing with the best sailing Clubs from all over Europe,” commented Mister Simonelli, “and we believe that this is a great opportunity for our area to show itself at an international level.”

With the Optimist European Championship 2024, the Club Nautico Marina di Carrara, founded in 1953, confirms its ability to sign the direction of prestigious national and international sporting events; in the past we remember, one above all, the 470 Class World Championship in which Enrico and Tommaso Chieffi from Carrara won the title in their home waters. A glorious tradition that has been able to renew itself and be an inspiration for the recent scheduling of prestigious events such as the Italian Offshore Championship that was organised by the Club Nautico Marina di Carrara last July 2023, in which the best crews on the world sailing scene took part, offering in the waters of the Marble Capital, an evocative spectacle of the highest competitive level.

And now the 2024 Optimist European Championship will be hosted and organised by the Club Nautico Marina di Carrara.

“This is an extraordinary opportunity for the young people of the area,” Simonelli concluded, “to see their peers at work and perhaps become passionate about this sport.”

This is a very important showcase for the city of Carrara and its allied industries, which will be in the international spotlight through the communication campaigns that each participating team is developing, emphasising the culture and natural beauty of Tuscany and, in general, of Italy: a destination that is coveted and appreciated all over the world.

THE NUMBERS OF THE CHAMPIONSHIP

About a thousand athletes are expected in Carrara, including sailors, coaches, team-leaders, judges and regatta staff.

At the moment, entries see over 300 Racers and 46 Teams, 14 of which from outside Europe.

The names of the sailors are still to be identified because selections are currently being held all over the world. The Team Italy selections will take place in Marina di Carrara, hosted by the Club Nautico, from 26 to 28 April. 

There is great expectation among the technicians and coaches of the Italian sailors who, at the Club, will be able to gain a pass for the European Championship in which Team Italy will take part with 14 competitors according to the rule that provides for the host country to field twice as many European athletes. In fact, the teams from the Old Continent are made up of seven sailors with the exception of Greece, which will field eight for the direct access of the reigning European Champion. Otherwise, there will be a maximum of five foreign sailors and they will be able to take part in the European Championships and even stand on the top step of the podium without, however, being able to win the title.

THE PARTICIPATING COUNTRIES

They will arrive in Marina di Carrara from all over the world and it will be an event characterised by a very high competitive level and a moment of great intercultural sharing for each participating athlete. Attracted by the beauty of our territory, by the glorious tradition of the Club Nautico Marina di Carrara, and by the opportunity to compete against the best in the world, at the moment the participants come from 46 Countries. From Europe: Apart from Italy, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and Ukraine.

From the rest of the world: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Great Britain, Hong Kong, Israel, Japan, New Zealand, Peru, Tajikistan, Thailand, USA and Uruguay.

TORRE MARINA VILLAGE

The teams will stay in the Torre Marina Village, close to the Club. An ideal place to accommodate large groups, the Village offers a dining room overlooking the sea, a large theatre for video projections and conferences, classrooms for teaching and laboratory activities as well as sports fields for football, basketball, volleyball and beach-volleyball, and a swimming pool in the heart of the park where the athletes can relax at the end of the regattas. From the facility there is direct access to the private beach. Teams will be provided with a shuttle service that will ensure that they can get to the Club every day.

LOS