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Our efforts to popularize this sport with in the schools have born encouraging results.
At the moment we have commenced the Royal College Sailing pool & St Thomas Sailing pools. & also the children from few Colombo schools. We hope to extend this school project to few ladies Colleges and also to the rural school children.
We are giving free training to these children twice a week
Every weekend Sailing regattas are held at Indibedda, Moratuwa and winners awarded prizes
Every year the National Sailing Festival, where all classes of Boats take part is held under the patronage of a sponsor .
We have participated in several International events. Our teams fared well with the teams of other countries in International events
At the 1970 & 1998 Asian Games the only medal obtained by Sri Lanka was for Sailing, outside Athletics. In 2002 , 2006 , 2018 & 2023 our team fared well.
We were able to conduct the above event on the Negombo Beach front in the year 2006 on a very grand scale. The Foreign Competitors and spectators classed this event as the most successful Enterprise Sailing Event in history.
We were able to conduct the above International event on the Negombo Beach front in the year 2011 on a very grand scale.
The sailors from all over the world, including England, Ireland, Wales, South Africa, Australia, India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan and few other countries were participated
Every one who participated from abroad expressed their opinion that this was the Best GP 14 Event held so far.
We are happy to mention that we were able to successfully complete the IODA Asian & Oceanian Championships in 2012 & 2016 in Trincomalee
We consider these achievements were unforgettable events for YASL..
The Foreign Country Representatives who were overwhelmed with our arrangements commented that these were of the best organized IODA Asian & Oceanian regatta’s they had participated in recent history.
This speaks of the manner how the entire Management Team of the Yachting Association of Sri Lanka had worked together to achieve such a tribute from the participants.
Although our young Optimist participants were unable to win a Medal in IODA Asian & Oceanian Championship 2012 & 2016 the team had completed the Championship giving hopes to future success.
From our own estimation of the current situation prevailing in the World and the facilities to be provided, we find that we still not yet ready to cater the IODA Worlds event..
Under that circumstances, with the experience we have gained in organizing the Enterprise Worlds, GP 14 Worlds & 2 Optimist Asian International Events, we had once again decided to BID for the IODA Asian & Oceanian Championship in 2020 in Sri Lanka & we were successful our BID.
This proved that the Asian & Oceanian countries had placed their confidence in us.
As the 2020 Optimist Asian & Oceanian Championship originally scheduled to be held in Trincomalee during 6th to 13th June 2020 was postponed due to the COVID 19 pandemic situation.
The easiest thing for the YASL as organizers, would be to cancel this event, as happened with the other Continental events and the Worlds.
We were very mindful of the situation, keeping the safety of the children as the foremost consideration, and decided to reschedule the event for later in 2020.
We were very keen not to let down our Optimist Children who were looking forward to participate in this event after long period of lock down in their own countries.
Since it was Monsoon conditions in Trincomalee during the said period, the venue for the event was changed to Colombo (Capital of Sri Lanka).
We the Yachting Association of Sri Lanka, the organizers of the 2020 IODA Asian & Oceanian Championship tried our level best to have this event in Sri Lanka.
But the COVID 19 Pandemic which angulated whole world of which we too were also effected, prevent us of holding the event in this year.
Although we made all arrangements to hold this event as scheduled the safety and well-being of the young sailors was our first priority.
Therefore reluctantly we were compelled to cancel this event with the approval of the International Optimist Dinghy Association (IODA).
We are planing to send a Team to Oman to participate at the IODA Asian & Oceanian Championship to be held from
We are happy to inform you that we won the BID to organize the IODA Asian & Oceanian Championship 2026 in Sri Lanka.
The nautical venue expected to be organized off Galle Face Green located in at the shores of Colombo & the new hotel accommodation can be at the “Cinnamon Lakeside Colombo”.
All these arrangements could be done with the discussion and agreement of International Optimist Dinghy Association (IODA) as per IODA Conditions.
We are very much look forward welcoming World Wide Sailors to Sri Lanka in 2026
As the 2020 Optimist Asian & Oceanian Championship originally scheduled to be held in Trincomalee during 6th to 13th June 2020 was postponed due to the COVID 19 pandemic situation.
The easiest thing for the YASL as organizers, would be to cancel this event, as happened with the other Continental events and the Worlds.
We were very mindful of the situation, keeping the safety of the children as the foremost consideration, and decided to reschedule the event for later in 2020.
We were very keen not to let down our Optimist Children who were looking forward to participate in this event after long period of lock down in their own countries.
Since it was Monsoon conditions in Trincomalee during the said period, the venue for the event was changed to Colombo (Capital of Sri Lanka).
We the Yachting Association of Sri Lanka, the organizers of the 2020 IODA Asian & Oceanian Championship tried our level best to have this event in Sri Lanka.
But the COVID 19 Pandemic which angulated whole world of which we too were also effected, prevent us of holding the event in this year.
Although we made all arrangements to hold this event as scheduled the safety and well-being of the young sailors was our first priority.
Therefore reluctantly we were compelled to cancel this event with the approval of the International Optimist Dinghy Association (IODA).
The Competitions which were started in 1970 at Tricomalee have been successfully held between India Sri Lanka & Pakistan.
Although these events were held in the respective countries successfully up to 1978, they had to be suspended for 28 years due to Indo-Pakistan disputes. But Yachting Association of Sri Lanka was able to hold this event in Sri Lanka in 2004 on a grand scale The 2005 event was held in Pakistan, we won the Gold Medal for Optimist Class. In individual events our Junior Sailors were able to bag a Gold, Silver & Bronze.
