"The purpose of the visit is friendship among young sailors, the World Team Regatta is planned as a fun event."
— Youth Activities Committee, Reef Points, November 1978
The Western Hemisphere's largest youth regatta was created by two young sailors one sunny day on the beach in La Baule, France. Both from South Florida, they were members of the five-member U.S. team participating in the 1978 International Optimist Dinghy World Championship. Our young sailors were engaged in the "Opti" custom of exchanging T-shirts with the English-speaking Scandinavians when the wonders of living in tropical Florida arose: sailing all year, watching Seminole Indian alligator wrestling, visiting the Space Center and Disney World.
The U.S. team members, apparently feeling no need to consult with their accompanying adults, extended an invitation: "Come to Miami for Christmas, we will sail, sightsee, have fun." The Scandinavian sailors promptly reported to their team leaders, "We've been invited to Miami for Christmas!"
Imagine the U.S. team leader's surprise when Rick Hammervold of Sweden and John Henderson of Denmark approached and stated they were pleased to accept the invitation for Christmas in Miami, but asked whether the sailing could be a regatta so they could receive financial support from their national sport authorities. British, Canadian and Norwegian team leaders soon appeared, having heard about "an international team regatta in Miami at Christmas" and wondering whether they could participate as well.
Reporting at a subsequent meeting of the USODA Board of Directors, the possibility of a Miami national teams regatta during the Christmas holidays was discussed. The directors unanimously agreed that the young sailors had come up with an exciting idea. Outgoing chairman Harleye of Miami Yacht Club offered Miami Yacht Club as the venue for the regatta if the incoming board's officers could organize the event.
There were two major obstacles to be solved. The first was securing sufficient matched boats. Florida was Clearwater Pram country, with hundreds of home-built wooden prams varying significantly in quality, making them inappropriate for an international championship. The U.S. fleet of fiberglass International Optimist Dinghies was small and all were privately owned. A Coral Reef member proposed a solution: he would borrow funds to purchase, from a European builder, a ship container load of forty-four International Optimist Dinghies to be sold after the regatta.
The second problem was housing the visitors. Members of the Coral Reef Junior Activities Committee met and offered the solution. The sailors would be guests in the homes of club members with Optimist sailors. The committee would provide meals, a junior party, local sightseeing, and arrange a post-regatta visit to Disney World for all competitors. The event was on!
In 1978, fifty-six young sailors participated in the event sponsored by Coral Reef Yacht Club, with the regatta held at Miami Yacht Club. The following year, the 1979 U.S. IOD National Championship occupied the Christmas holidays. In 1980, Coral Reef renewed the original event with an open, invitational championship on Biscayne Bay—the annual Orange Bowl International Youth Regatta.