Insuring Optimist: cover and premium

dinghies and small craft · several countries

Optimist builds dinghies and small craft in several countries. NAMMERT insures a Optimist regardless of year built or where you bought it, liability, hull, legal expenses and personal accident cover from one house, taken out online in five minutes.

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At a glance

Origin

several countries

Class

dinghies and small craft

Typical sizes

2,3 m

Premium from

from €39 a year for liability

Worth knowing

Optimist Einheitsklasse

Optimist; cover, cost and conditions

The Optimist is one of the most widespread youth boat classes worldwide and the first boat of their own for tens of thousands of children. In insurance terms it is inconspicuously small and precisely for that reason often uninsured, which becomes a problem in the event of a liability claim.

With dinghies of this size the sail area counts, and the premium is correspondingly low: third-party liability starts at around 39 euros a year. More important than the price is the question of who is liable if a child rams someone else's yacht with the Opti. Hand-propelled and sailing boats are usually covered as well under the parents' private liability insurance, but you should only rely on that after a look at your own terms and conditions.

The second point is racing. The Optimist is sailed almost exclusively in competition, and with us club races are included from the Basis-Plus tariff onwards. For the boat itself hull insurance is worthwhile where things become expensive: theft from the club grounds, transport damage on the way to a regatta, breakage when capsizing. For capsizing the rule is: it is part of the sport and not a claim, whereas consequential damage to the rig or the hull certainly is.

Questions and answers

Frequent questions

Does an Optimist need its own insurance?

For Optimist: Liability is usually covered by the parents' private liability insurance,

but the boat itself is not.

Anyone who wants to cover theft from the club grounds and transport damage needs hull insurance.

Third-party liability starts at 39 euros a year, hull insurance at 199 euros.

Is capsizing a claim?

For Optimist: Capsizing itself is not, that is part of dinghy sailing.

Consequential damage to the rig, hull or fittings is covered under full hull cover.

The cover that fits

For Optimist: What matters for dinghies and small craft is the same across every brand;

engine output, how a claim is settled, cruising range and theft protection.

The class page lists every point and every brand in this class, Optimist included.

Insuring dinghies and small craft, every brand and every condition

Other builders in this class

Lettmann Linder Mad River Marine Mistral Naish Nautiraid Nautiraid Kanadier Nelo nortik Nova Craft Old Town Orkney Ovington P&H / Valley Perception / Dagger Pioner Pirat Plastex Pouch (East Germany) Prijon Pyranha Rainbow Kayaks Red Paddle Co

Directory of all makes from A to Z

Nautical information What counts before you cast off, papers, equipment, waters

Licence

A powerboat licence (inland or coastal) is required from 15 hp (11.03 kW).

Registration

Registration from 3 hp; for trips abroad carry the boat certificate or flag document.

Waters

Inland, coastal and abroad; plan fairways, bridge clearances, draught and tides.

Equipment

Lifesaving gear, fire extinguisher, anchor, signalling equipment and correct navigation lights.

Cruising range

The agreed cruising range is stated in the policy and can be extended at any time.

Weather

Check wind force in Beaufort and wind direction before casting off, and allow for gusts.

General guidance, not a complete account;

what governs are the rules of the waters you are on and the manual of your Optimist.

Current wind force and direction for your waters are shown on the Home.

Series by Optimist, with value and cover

Optimist wooden build (classic)

Optimist wooden build (classic) is a sailing dinghy from Optimist, built from 1950 to 1990,

and today changes hands at between €1,000 and €3,000.

Optimist training boat

Optimist training boat is a sailing dinghy from Optimist, built since 1960,

and today changes hands at between €1,000 and €3,000.

Optimist racing

Optimist racing is a sailing dinghy from Optimist, built since 1990,

and today changes hands at between €2,000 and €6,000.

What this means for the cover

For the Optimist wooden build (classic) by Optimist series there is no list price left.

That is why we work with an agreed value: you state the figure, we agree it,

and in a total loss exactly that amount is paid, with no deduction for wear.

As the Optimist training boat and Optimist racing by Optimist series are still in production,

parts are available and repairs are predictable.

Still, set the value at replacement cost, including sails, rigging or gear you bought later.

For the Optimist wooden build (classic), Optimist training boat,

Optimist racing by Optimist series: Dinghies are mostly trailed and stored ashore,

and that is where most damage happens: rigging, strapping down and winter storage.

All series at a glance

The Optimist range in figures

These figures come from the model records we keep for Optimist: boat type, build years and length,

nothing estimated.

sailing boat: 5 models, since 2001, 2.4 to 3.4 m

Which model was built when?

Sailing boat Motorboat RIBEach bar is one Optimist model, running from its first to its last year of build. The colour shows the type of boat.

What does a used Optimist cost?

We hold today’s price ranges by year for 5 models by Optimist.

The table shows what boats in average condition are worth,

from the oldest to the youngest year on record.

Choose your exact model, year and condition in the calculator.

Model	Years built	Range today
Optimist 3D Star	2011 to 2024	€1,700 to €5,500
Optimist Denmark Race	2012 to 2024	€1,600 to €5,500
Optimist Winner	2004 to 2021	€1,300 to €4,400
Optimist Winner MK 12 Ti	2007 to 2014	€1,600 to €2,600
Winner Europe	2014 to 2017	€3,900 to €5,400