Congratulations on landing your first summer coaching job. Life as a coach is different from as a sailor, more responsibility and more freedom. Making the most of your summer is all about managing your responsibilities so you can capitalize on your freedoms. Between sailors and members there are plenty of responsibilities and pitfalls to be avoided. Here are some tips and tricks to a smooth summer.
Names, Ages, Numbers
Always, always know at least one of the three things above about your class, preferably all three. This is your first year, chances are you are a Beginning Opti coach and get to spend the next 10 weeks with a group of screaming 7-9 year olds.
It will be the best summer job you have ever had.
Learn everyone’s name. Most of us are not inclined to picking up names readily. Everyone, meaning literally everyone not just junior sailors, but other staff, members, afterguard, coast guard, the guy at the gas pump, learn as many names as you can. People like it when you call them by their name and are much more inclined to help you when you are inevitably in need.
Sailors respond to names. It is hard to tell the kid in the orange life jacket to do something if you aren’t directly addressing him or her. They all know your name; you need to know theirs as well. Name games are typically one of the least favorite things about the beginning of a summer, but after associating someone’s name with a piece of fruit over and over for ten minutes it is hard to forget. If you are still hard pressed to remember, a failsafe is a piece of duct tape on the back of the lifejacket with a name written in permanent marker.
Know the age group. What entertains an 8 year old will bore an 11 year old and have a 15-year-old turn his or her iPod to deafening. Pay attention to them and they in turn will pay attention to you. If you see a group starting to fade in an activity, switch activities before it has the chance to completely break down. Most kids already think you are pretty cool; you are older than a sibling but younger than their parents. By knowing your audience, what movies they like, the TV shows they watch, the YouTube videos they obsess over, you are much more likely to gain much needed respect and attention.
Numbers. This one is self-explanatory but is important nonetheless. Always know how many are in your class and if you currently can see that many heads. Just basic safety measures and by the end of the summer, making that headcount will be second nature. Numbers also matter for programming. Which drills you can do, duration of each one, timeline of the class, are all directly affected by how many kids you have on that given day. If you have a roster of 18 and only 10 show up, your chalk talk, rigging demonstration and tacking drill just got shortened and that is now space you need to fill some other way.
Yacht Club Life: Adjusting
Most people coaching junior sailing have some experience in the program. There are always exceptions to this rule, if a sailor learned after junior sailing age for instance, or if it is your first time at a new yacht club. Regardless of whether you were born on the balcony of the yacht club or this is your first summer in junior sailing ever, there are some adjustments to be made. You are now an employee, not a member (even if you are one of those too) and everyone knows who you are and what you are doing or have done. Make good decisions.
Game Plan: Have One
Planning your day/week/session in detail will help you when you show up two minutes before the morning meeting on six hours of sleep and no coffee in sight. It happens. Planning will also keep your director happy, give your kids a clear path for learning and allow you to involve fun events. Your lesson plan doesn’t have to be a three page detailed document, but jotting down six hours of drills for a four hour time slot will allow you to change gears quickly.
Programming for your summer will help your weeks flow and provide focus for your lesson plans. Think about where you would like your class to be at the end of the summer and plan backwards from there. Spending the time to do this at the beginning of the summer will save hours of headache at the end when you are at a loss for what to do with your class.
Big Picture: Enjoy Yourself
The most important of any summer spent on the water is to remember to have fun. What made your years in junior sailing fun? At the same time, how can we construct lesson plans that are constructive and fun? This all pertains to the first point of knowing the group you’re coaching. Everyone gets burned out by the end of the season, its inevitable. Recognizing that coming on and adjusting accordingly so that you stay fresh is the key to finishing a summer strong.
Get to know your coworkers. Growing the trust and comfort level will help you survive the summer. Go to the movies, get dinner, race together, do something as a team, whatever it takes. Some of them will become life long friends; some will only be summer acquaintances, but spending large amounts of time with them is unavoidable.
You have the best summer job possible. Don’t forget that.
Coaches Locker Room: Building a Resume
Building a Resume
Whether this is your first coaching job or your last (or so you think), your resume is the first interaction you have with the program director, head instructor, or hiring manager. Building an effective resume is one of the most important parts of landing your dream job. In sailing, just as in any other industry, there are several key aspects of your resume that will increase your odds of getting an interview: formatting, content, relevancy and length.
Formatting: Be Organized
When reviewing applications for a position or positions, most resumes get a quick scan when they hit the desk of whoever is in charge of hiring. Increase your odds of getting a second read by keeping your resume organized and simple. Uniform fonts, wide margins and equal spacing are a start, paired with offset bullet points for important information and organization help create a simple effective document.
Uniform font also applies to color. Keep the whole document in a simple font such as Cambria or Times New Roman. Mixing in wingdings or Brittanic Bold is never a good idea; it is unprofessional and displeasing to the eye. Effective use of italics, bold and underlining can help draw attention to important information and guide the reader through the resume. Additionally, offset bullet points organize important information into concise, easily read sections.
Content: Short and Sweet
When it comes to resumes, length matters. You should never feel like you need to fill up space for the sake of making your resume longer. One to two pages are acceptable for the vast majority of the positions for which you will be applying. Potential employers want to see the following categories:
- Header with personal information
- Education
- Professional Experience (paid or unpaid)
- Achievements (race results, awards, etc.)
- Skills/Certifications
At the top of the document should be a simple header with your name, contact information (phone number, email address, physical address). If you plan on moving due to school or other circumstances, put a permanent address (such as your parents house) down as well.
Education should list your high school and college with dates of attending, location of the school, and what you studied (degree, major/minor). You can include time abroad, any job training you may have, certificates earned and GPA if over 3.0 (individual employer requirements may vary).
Professional Experience is a big section. This is where you list your previous jobs, internships or other relevant experience. When listing jobs, be straightforward with the position title and briefly describe what you did. It is best to avoid using big industry terms or over-inflating the importance of your position.
All program directors are looking for someone with adequate experience. Often times this is quantified through race results, awards, or achievements in sailing. If the job listing specifically asks for race results and you provide none, your resume is probably going to the bottom of the pile. Organize all your accomplishments in sailing (results, awards, etc.) into a section that is easy for the hiring manager/program director to read and understand.
The assumption is that when you are applying for a coaching position, you either have taken your Level 1 certification or you are planning on taking the course in the near future. It is a long course and while not outrageously difficult, it is a lot of information in a short time and you deserve recognition for that. List your certifications such as your Level 1, CPR/AED/First Aid, and so on.
Relevancy: To The Point
Keep your resume relevant. Many people have several different copies of their resume edited for slightly different positions. The content in your resume for a head coaching position will differ from other positions to which you will apply. This applies to the accomplishments and experience sections mainly.
Job history is important in that many hiring managers are looking for someone who has worked somewhere doing something previously. If you have only held a couple positions in your life, great, list those positions. If you have had many jobs in your life, list the ones that pertain to the position that you are applying for. Same with accomplishments, list what you think has helped you become the candidate you are today, or that demonstrates why you are a good candidate.
Length: Short and Sweet
A popular question is, how long should my resume be? The answer is between one and two pages. Your resume should never be shorter than a page or longer than two. Keep descriptions to the point and only list the experience and achievements that help your candidacy. Be direct and specific.
Putting It All Together
Your resume is the first interaction that your potential employer has with you. They don’t know anything about you besides what you put down on that page. Crafting a good resume is difficult and while these tips will get you on the right path, always consider consulting someone you know who has experience reviewing resumes. A well-written resume will open a lot of doors down the road. Be concise, make it relevant to the position, include your pertinent content and make it look good with proper formatting. You will be one step closer to landing the best summer job out there.
Do you feel ready for summer yet? Check back here for more tips and tricks to landing your dream coaching job, and as always you can email [email protected] with questions or if you’d like to see a particular article written.
Coaches Locker Room: Sailing Job Hunt Advice
By Airwaves writer Tyler Colvin.
So you want to coach sailing? Great, welcome to the best summer job you will ever have. Whether you are in high school and a junior sailing veteran, or a college athlete with minimal yacht club experience, there are several things to think about when applying to your first coaching job: location, job description and program size. Sail1Design happens to have the largest sailing/marine industry career center in the sailing world! Check it out.
Location: Where in the World?
If you are planning on applying to the club you grew up sailing at and know intimately, you can skip this section. Location of the club will impact your coaching game plan for the summer, stress levels and social life (important for your own sanity). Finding the best balance for your own personal preferences will help you become successful and get the most out of the best summer job ever.
Factors such as lake sailing versus ocean sailing, venues with lots of current or tidal change, and wind tendencies are all physical features of the club and sailing venue that will impact your ability to be an effective coach. If you grew up on a lake and go to a club on the ocean you suddenly have to deal with tides, large waves, kelp, increased traffic, the list goes on. Be comfortable in the setting that you are applying to, and if you aren’t comfortable, find a way to spend some time before the session starts adjusting to the conditions.
Off the water, location is just as important. Having fun outside the club is key to a good summer as well. Isolating yourself in Northern Maine at a club where the nearest town is several miles away is great if you are ready for that situation. However, if you still want to see your college friends, family, crew, whoever, it could be a difficult place to be for 10 weeks. Also if you are a race coach, the further you are from other clubs, the longer your regatta trips become.
Job Description: What Am I Ready For?
Read the job description. Read it again. If you have any questions, email or call the point of contact and inquire. No matter the boats you will be coaching in, age groups matter, as do sailing abilities. Know the age group and ability level you will be working with, if you are uncomfortable working with small children then a Beginner Optis Coach position may not be for you.
Time commitment in terms of length of program and weekly hours should also be outlined in the description. If you are applying to a club far from home, know that for 10 weeks this summer you will be away from friends and family. That sounds great for some, but can be a deterrent for others. Knowing the time commitment allows you to also plan your own life, racing, gym time, a second job, whatever it may be.
Program Size: Size Matters
The size and extent of the programs you are applying to can vary drastically. There is a huge difference between a summer camp with four sunfish and a 420 from the 70s, and a 300-sailor program with 36 club owned boats, 18 privately owned boats, and a coaching staff that rivals small college athletic departments. Not only are there differences from the obvious size and skill level, but also mentality and philosophy play a role.
Big competitive programs tend to also have big money and big personalities amongst parents. You will work with some incredible sailors and staff, make a huge number of good connections and have a large support group behind you. Conversely, you will deal with lots of, well, enthusiastic, parents. Small programs tend to be more relaxed and have a more fun learn-to-sail atmosphere. The trade off there is more responsibility if things go wrong, fewer people to help out, and you still might be one or two of those involved parents.
Ready, Set, GO…Get Certified
Some programs may require, most in fact will, a certification of some sorts. CPR/First Aid are standard, but the big one is your US Sailing Level 1 Certification. This multi-day course covers everything from drills, to basic boat handling and motorboat skills. Regardless of whether you think you need it or whether it’s required, get this certification. It is unbelievably helpful with programming and curriculum development as well as covering any situations that may arise. Beyond that there is the insurance, which covers you for a huge amount on top of the sailing program’s insurance.
Do you feel ready for summer yet? Check back here for more tips and tricks to landing your dream coaching job: http://sailingjobs.sail1design.com/
NEW, UPGRADED VIPER 640 CLASS WEBSITE LAUNCHED
December 8, 2014-FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
The Viper 640 Class Association has continually emphasized providing a contemporary website to support a modern growing class. From its founding the Class was launched with an interactive website that allowed all of our members and prospective members to access information, share stories, share boat tuning tips, and engage in friendly banter on the Class forums. Deservedly, the Class website (www.Viper640.org) has won various awards including One-Design Class Website of the Year. However, the Viper Class has not rested on its laurels. Web technology is continuously evolving and so is the Viper Class. The growth of the Class as an international organization with fleets in Europe and Australia in addition to the USA, Canada, and the Caribbean, has presented us with the opportunity to upgrade our website and build a global platform.
The Class Association retained Strawberry Marketing to develop a new website for the Class. The redesigned Viper640.ort website was launched on December 8, 2014. The new site combines a modern visual presentation of the Class, more user-friendly, intuitive navigation, and easier inputting of member-generated content. The Class is appreciative of the effort by David and Danielle Pitman and Oriana Humphryes from Strawberry Marketing for their brilliant creative and technical workmanship. The Class would also to thank Fletcher Boland, Chairman of the Viper 640 Web Committee and professional website designer, and immediate past Class President Peter for the many hours they put in on behalf of the Class. Finally, the Class would like to thank Rondar Raceboats and EFG International who made it financially possible to upgrade the site to such a high standard.
The new website has arrived in time for a very exciting 2015 sailing season around the world. The Viper season starts in January in Sydney Australia with the Australian National Sports Boat Championship, an EFG Viper 640 Pan-American Championship qualifier regatta. It includes the Florida winter series in Sarasota, the EFG Viper Pan-American Championships in March in Miami, Long Beach Race Week in California, the Euro Cup on Lake Garda, Italy, the Canadian Championships in Kingston Ontario, a series of championship regattas in the UK, and October’s Viper 640 North American Championships just outside New York City in Larchmont, New York.
The Class looks forward to seeing old and new class members in 2015, including David and Danielle Pitman who were so impressed by the content of the new website that they have gone and ordered a new Viper for themselves.
Staying Fit in the Off Season
By Airwaves writer Lydia Whiteford
With all of the regattas over and Thanksgiving break behind us, college sailors all across America are officially done with their fall seasons. For the moment, all we have to worry about is preparing for our final exams and picking out Christmas gifts. However, time moves quickly and the frigid spring season is just around the corner. For most of us the winter months are considered cherished time off, but it is important to remember that this is also prime time to get into tip top shape so we can be as prepared as possible for the kick-off in the spring.
For most schools, the first regatta of the season is the first weekend in March, but many schools start practicing as early as January or February. The spring season is often cold, and full of fronts that make it windier than the milder fall. If you’re not careful or prepared, it is easy to pull or otherwise damage rusty hiking muscles, and that could result in an injury that could ruin your whole season. Spring is also the time for team racing, which is fast-paced and labor intensive, so being in the best shape possible only adds an advantage for you over your opponents. These are my best tips for keeping active and preparing for the amped up season to come.
- Come up with a Regimen– The schedule in the winter is much more stable for many college sailors than it is when we are in season. During winter break, many people have up to a month off with no school to worry about, and in the interim between seasons the 3-4 hours a day that were previously occupied by practice are opened up. What this really means is we no longer have an excuse to neglect our gym memberships. I find it helpful to incorporate those now empty hours into a new routine, and keep a regimen that is easy to follow but variable enough that it won’t get too boring. I’ve found its really important to mix in as much cardio as possible, because lifting weights all winter will likely lead to weight gain that you might not want to have in your boat when the season actually starts. Here are some things that I like to do, which are slightly more crew specific because that’s what I know best.
Running (20–40 minute intervals)-I find this to be one of the best ways to get into shape because you can go at any pace you want, and nothing’s better for keeping all of your leg muscles conditioned.
Biking: (45-1 hour intervals)- This is my favorite alternative for running, because it focuses a lot of time on your quads and can strengthen them without weights.
Swimming: (30-45 minute intervals) – This is another excellent cardio option, because it gives every muscle an intense workout while being easy on your joints. This is especially good for crews, who often develop knee or back problems just from the way they handle the boat. Also, when you are swimming you can pretend that you are in the ocean and that it’s not the middle of winter.
Abs: (varying intervals) – The one thing I consider the most important in my ab workouts is remembering to alternate exercises. This is best achieved by creating a mini-regimen for yourself depending on the days. For example, one day maybe you do a plank, sit-up, side crunch circuit one day and then a totally different set of exercises the next day. The goal is to get in as many reps as you can, while also targeting as many different areas of your abdominals as you can.
- Find a Workout Partner: Everyone has experienced the struggle of knowing you need to go to the gym, but also knowing there’s a “Friends” marathon on TBS that you really can’t miss. The best cure for this is to find someone to workout with you, so that you have an obligation to go to the gym. Also, working out with a buddy makes it more fun! You can do exercises for pairs; take a class, run races, anything that makes you get off the couch. It’s always fun to meet and surpass goals, and having another person alongside you to do that means you always have someone to push you when you’re down and congratulate you when you hit a new peak.
- Stay Healthy: Winter break is a priceless amount of off time for college sailors. It is one of the only opportunities we have where we don’t have classes, practice, or regattas to worry about. As a result, it is important to take full advantage of this time to catch up on sleep, eat well, and relax so that your body can be at its healthiest when you return to school and to sailing. In the spring, air and water temperatures are frequently below freezing and if your body is ill prepared, it can spell sickness or injury very easily. So, the biggest piece of advice I have for college sailors during these precious weeks off is to confirm to them that it is okay to not think about sailing for a little while, if you need to focus purely on improving yourself first. We devote so much of ourselves to our sport that needing to take a little time off during the winter is only natural, and often it will make you a more refreshed and ready sailor come spring time if you intentionally use this time to pursue other interests and keep yourself healthy.
Hopefully, this article is helpful in reminding college sailors everywhere that staying in shape is critical for a good performance in the spring. Granted, many of the exercises I’ve recommended are crew specific, and maybe they’re even me specific. This is not a rigid list, and there are all sorts of useful types of exercise that you can do that I haven’t listed. The best resource for motivation are those around you who know what you need – teammates, coaches, and family members all make excellent work out partners and resources for new things to do when you feel like you’re in a rut. And, as always, the most important thing to remember is that any exercise is productive exercise!
DN Iceboat
The DN name originates from Detroit News, where the DN was first designed and built in the winter of 1936-1937. It was built in a hobby shop at Detroit News to fulfill the demand for a simple and affordable ice yacht. Since then, the boat has evolved considerably, but has not strayed away from the original parameters. The wooden hull is 12 ft in length and sits atop of an 8 ft wide beam known as the runner plank. Unlike a stern-steerer, the DN has a tricycle configuration, meaning that it has two runners (the steel skates that the boat rides on) aft on the outboard ends of the plank, and one steering runner forward at the very bow. Many newer boats feature upgrades such as lengthened insert runners and an extremely flexible carbon-fiber mast. The mast is 16 ft tall, allowing for a mainsail area of 60 sq ft, which is plenty when you’re sailing at these insane speeds.
See Sail1Design’s full article and profile on the DN HERE
DN Class:
A-Cat
The International A-Class Catamaran (A-Cat) is an ISAF international development class. It has a length of 18’, a 7.5’ beam, a minimum weight of 165lbs, and 20 square meters of sail (Peter Johnstone). Power-wise, the A-Cat is among the leaders for its size. Upwind comfortably at well over 10 knots and downwind over 20 (knots), the A-Cat is one of the quickest boats around. All major components are carbon fiber allowing it to weigh in less than almost any other boat of its size or smaller, multi or mono-hulled. Larger than a Laser at nearly the same weight, the A-Cat is easily rigged and launched in less time than it will take to read this article.
The rig is a single square top main on a carbon mast with a single trapeze wire. Sails are usually made out of carbon or Kevlar fiber laminates to maximize stiffness while maintaining its ultra light status. Hulls are typically (on modern boats) with a carbon skin over a nomex honeycomb core. All of the current advancements, carbon fiber parts, square top mains and hull design, stems from the developmental nature of the class. Owners are encouraged to experiment with designs on the boat in an attempt to achieve even more speed. For these reasons, amongst others, the A-Cat is widely regarded as the fastest single-handed dinghy currently in production.
Recently A-Cats have followed the high performance catamaran track and started foiling. The trickle down effect of technology from the America’s Cup has resulted in the ability to consistently produce high quality, reliable foils that make foiling significantly easier than many other foiling boats (such as the moth).
See our full class profile here
Here’s the Class Page:
One-Design Class Profile: DN Iceboat
By Airwaves writer Eric Tobias
Your sailing season doesn’t have to end just because it’s getting cold outside. In fact, for many racers, when December comes around the season is just getting started. We’ve all seen the AC 72s sail at over 40 knots. Now imagine the extreme exhilaration of sailing faster than that, laying on your back in a luge-style cockpit, tiller on your chest, mainsheet cranked in hard, wind screaming past your telltales, ice skimming by in a blur underneath you, and 30 other boats converging on the same leeward mark. There’s no other rush quite like it. Actually, for many iceboaters, the regular (or “soft water”) sailing season is just a temporary fix to get through the summer until that first sheet of immaculately smooth black ice freezes over, providing the perfect venue to feed the adrenaline addiction once again. Look no further than the DN to be the gateway to introduce you to the addiction of sailing on ice.
Remember from high school physics class, when they mentioned an object in motion in a frictionless environment? This is what they were talking about. With iceboating you pretty much remove the drag factor completely from the equation. In an iceboat, the faster you sail, the greater your apparent wind, and the more you accelerate with nothing holding you back. Basically, the faster you go, the faster you go. Ease out for the puff? No. Trim harder, watch the mast bend and feel the boat accelerate. Let the sail out downwind? No. Hopefully you can withstand the G-force of rounding the windward mark, steer down, keep the main trimmed in, and get all three runner blades back down on the ice, because in an iceboat, you’re sailing so fast that the apparent wind is always in front of you. What about the start? Forget your run-of-the-mill 5-minute sequence. Try lining up 50 boats on a literal line, half on port, half on starboard, with each skipper outside of the cockpit anxiously waiting to go into an all-out sprint at the drop of a checkered flag. Be sure to pick up a good pair of track spikes and a clean change of pants because DN racing is out-of-this-world awesome.
The Boat
The DN name originates from Detroit News, where the DN was first designed and built in the winter of 1936-1937. It was built in a hobby shop at Detroit News to fulfill the demand for a simple and affordable ice yacht. Since then, the boat has evolved considerably, but has not strayed away from the original parameters. The wooden hull is 12 ft in length and sits atop of an 8 ft wide beam known as the runner plank. Unlike a stern-steerer, the DN has a tricycle configuration, meaning that it has two runners (the steel skates that the boat rides on) aft on the outboard ends of the plank, and one steering runner forward at the very bow. Many newer boats feature upgrades such as lengthened insert runners and an extremely flexible carbon-fiber mast. The mast is 16 ft tall, allowing for a mainsail area of 60 sq ft, which is plenty when you’re sailing at these insane speeds.
All in all, the boat is very simple to set up and rig. It only requires one person to bolt the hull to the plank and to step the mast. Therefore, the DN can truly be considered the “Laser” of ice sailing. The portability of the boat has contributed to its worldwide popularity as well. With a hull weighing only 46 lbs, the DN can be transported easily via car-top or trailer; some people even just put them in the back of a pickup truck. Overall, the DN’s popularity, portability and simplicity make it a very practical boat to own/race if you’re looking to break the 50 kt benchmark. Actually, you can go a lot faster than that! “I’ve been clocked at 143 km/h, in Finland in 1998, which is about 89 mph,” says DN World Champion Ron Sherry. The DN includes all of this for a reasonable price of around $2500 for a competitive used setup. “It’s about the cheapest form of winter entertainment you can get. You can buy an old boat for around $300 and rip around on a lake and have a ride you’ll never forget.”
The Class
With over 5000 registered sail numbers, the DN is the world’s most popular iceboat class. The class has a strong following in North America, Europe and even Russia. The camaraderie within the class is second-to-none as well. “I always say, iceboating is 50% social and 50% racing,” says Sherry, “because there are a lot of conditions that don’t allow you to sail, so it’s important to make friends and have a good time.” Humble champions are not only willing to help others rig, but will take the time to help new sailors fine-tune their setups. Some ice sailors also take part in group boat building workshops. It’s truly a fantastic community to be a part of.
Check out the DN official class website at ice.idniyra.org. A complete tuning guide and helpful racing tips can be found at http://iceboatracing.com/. For the young aspiring ice sailors, check out the DN’s little sister, the Ice Opti http://www.iceboat.org/optis/about.html, which is a scaled-down DN rigged with an Optimist mast and sail.
Here are some other great links to introduce you to the world of iceboating:
Since iceboat racing can be a dangerous sport, it’s important to take safety precautions. Here is an informative write-up on safety from the Four Lakes Ice Yacht Club: http://iceboat.org/iceboatsafety.html
There are some important discrepancies between the iceboat racing rules and the ordinary racing rules of sailing, so be sure to brush up on the rules:
http://www.iceboat.org/bylaws.html
Find your local iceboat club; many of the clubs also have active groups on Facebook:
Wisconsin: http://www.iceboat.org/ and http://www.gliceboats.blogspot.com/
Minnesota: http://www.iceboating.net/
Michigan: http://www.gulllakeiyc.org/ and http://www.gtiyc.org/homesitemap.htm and http://www.wmiyc.org/
Ohio: http://www.tiyc.net/
New England: http://theneiya.org/
New York: http://www.iceboatlongisland.com/
New Jersey: http://www.lbibyc.org/boatclub/Home.html
Maine: http://iceboat.me/
Connecticut: https://sites.google.com/site/ciycice/
Building to the Future: How GCYSA and KO Sailing will help US Olympic Sailing
By Airwaves Writer Tyler Colvin
Technology adapts to the requirements of the people. Sailing needed some excitement and so foils were born. Occasionally however, there are advancements that outpace what the community is ready to utilize. Such is the case with the I420. The original double-handed youth trainer, the I420 is a fast, exciting and technical boat that until recently had been cast aside in North America. Enter Gulf Coast Youth Sailing Association (GCYSA) and KO Sailing who aim to reverse that trend and hope to get more of today’s upper level youth sailors into what is the premier youth trainer around the world, the I420.
With every new Olympic class come trainer classes that are created to help junior sailors bridge the gap from their learn-to-sail boat with a rig suited to their smaller size. When the International 470 was adopted as the Olympic double-handed boat in 1976, the International 420 saw an increase in popularity as it became the stepping stone into the 470 and thus, the pathway to the Olympics.
The same transition occurred in the US, but after a while, the market sought a more durable boat than the finicky I420, and the builders met that demand with the design and popularization of the Club 420. Heavier and more inexpensive to produce and sell, the Club 420 was quickly adapted by yacht club junior programs sick of doing boatwork and the nuances of caring for a high performance boat. The Club 420 was more accessible and less expensive than the I420, giving youth programs a cost effective option that was better suited for learn to sail programs, but this came at the price of performance.
“Despite having the same name and overall length, all three 420’s [Club, Collegiate, and International] are very different. The I420 has a slightly different hull shape from the Club/Collegiate, much more similar to the 470 and much lighter, thus quicker to plane. The I420 is [also] much more technical with a fully tapered mast, and you can control everything in the sail plan, basically everything you’d do in a 470. For someone who is looking to gain more experience in a more technical boat, the I420 is where you want to be” Says Sarah Lihan of GCYSA.
Lihan and GCYSA are part of the movement within US youth sailing to get the I420 back into the limelight. “On the international stage, the I420 is the double-handed boat that everybody sails. [The] I420 fosters the development of the technical and tactical skills that are required in the Olympic classes. Kids who didn’t sail the baby brother of the Olympic boats are lacking knowledge that their French, British, and Australian counterparts already have before they enter the World Cup stage. The popularization of the Club 420 did some damage in development of high level technical skills for older generations of teenagers.”
Making it all happen with Lihan at GCYSA is Mike Guerrero, helping to push the I420 agenda. “The Gulf Coast Youth Sailing Association was founded with the idea of taking [junior] sailors to the next level. [Initially] it concentrated in Lasers, but we decided to open it to a double-handed boat when we realized that many of our kids wouldn’t be big enough to sail Lasers long term. We decided on the I420, because we believe it provides the best platform to learn high performance double-handed racing.” The GCYSA fleet is parent owned and part of the challenge was to get everyone on board with the same class. Currently there are six boats in Texas with ten hopefully by the spring and as many as 15 by this time next year.
This where the GCYSA plan comes into effect, along with Mark McNamara of KO Sailing, to create a racing and training circuit around North America to make the transition into I420’s easier. “The I420 is a growing fleet [in the US] so in order to foster that growth and build regional fleets, we’d like to get as many boats in one place as possible,” said McNamara. The plan is to build the circuit around climate and trailer logistics. “The long term vision is to develop a recognized, repeating annual circuit of events:. Miami in December and January, Texas in February and March. April out in California at CISA, and then up to the Northeast for the summer,” detailed Lihan. McNamara added, “Moving the boats around as a class allows there to be more boats on the line racing against each other and ratcheting up as a country. As the class expands we would like to see a more concerted movement on the west coast [to develop their existing fleet] as well as in the Midwest.”
The I420 class, traveling together on a yearlong circuit around the US: this is the short-term goal of GCYSA and KO Sailing. As the only US distributor for I420, McNamara has already imported over 50 boats. He prefers the BlueBlue I420, which have essentially swept all the international events— like the I420 Worlds and Junior Europeans—in the past few years. He has a lot of confidence in the boat and has a full line of BlueBlue equipment as well as spars, sails, and blades from other manufacturers to optimize performance in accordance with the international standards.
Behind this push for the I420 is a dedicated group of parents, coaches, and interested parties around the country with GCYSA the latest to put forth the effort. “The addition of the I420 as the double-handed boat at US Youth Champs has been a huge move forward toward the goal. There will always be a place for the Club 420 in the US, the biggest question is how do we best work together (Club and I420) to improve American results at the Olympics and beyond.”
“I sailed 470s at the Games in London [and] before a couple months ago I had never sailed an I420.,” Lihan admitted. “I missed out on so many lessons as a teenager that I had to learn while also learning how to run an Olympic campaign, and it put me at a disadvantage. We are trying to get kids into the boat that best prepares them for their competitive future.”
“Basically we are targeting the older Optimist sailors—they have had success, they went to Nationals, they went to Team Trials, . They know what it takes to achieve success in the Opti. Our high level American coaches are trying to get the right-sized kids into the I420. The answer is talking to kids at the high-level events, kids who have the passion and ambition but are unsure of the next direction. Perhaps the most critical part is talking to the parents, convincing them why they have to buy this $10,000 boat, why they have to travel across the ocean to compete, etc. We are looking to build the domestic fleet at home to give our teenagers a competitive fleet without having to fly to France, giving them the opportunity to have high level racing in the United States.”
The boat that was before its time, the I420 has finally rediscovered its pied pipers in North American youth sailing. As an advanced trainer for the Olympics, the skills developed in the I420 also carry over nicely into the Club 420, Collegiate 420 and skiffs. Involving the parents of the advanced sailors and increasing the interest of the sailors themselves is key to this process. With KO Sailing on board now as the official BlueBlue importer in the US, GCYSA has laid the foundation for what looks to be a very successful resurgence of the I420. In doing so, the re-introduction of US sailors into the top international events shouldn’t be far behind.
Your thoughts? Post below!!!
Club-Owned Fleets: A Diversified Sailing Program
Written by: Cole Allsopp, Evan Aras, & Dillon Paiva
This article is written in response to the Airwaves piece done by John Storck: Are Provided Boats Really the Answer?
Changes are occurring rapidly throughout the sailing community: the Volvo Ocean Race is now One Design, the Americas Cup is in foiling catamarans, and sailing clubs across the country are expanding their offerings to include club-owned fleets. Many sailors are voicing their opinion on what exactly a club should offer their membership. To offer a well-rounded program, clubs should consider providing access to a fleet of evenly matched and accessible boats. If we accept that sailing is primarily a leisure-time activity, steps towards encompassing a broader range of participants while allowing sailors to spend more time and less money participating should be the hallmark of any good sailing program. Incorporating club-owned boats into a sailing program serves all these ends.
Sailing is inherently a leisure time activity. Regardless of how serious the competition gets, most of us engage in sailing because its enjoyable, and we choose to use our off hours to sail. Although our sport plays host to a growing number of professionals, these sailors are predominately sponsored by funds earmarked in personal budgets for leisure-time; as opposed to those for investment activity or other personal uses.
Competition in club-owned boats is a natural step towards cutting out travel time and increasing time spent on the water. It follows naturally that clubs and sailors alike should gravitate towards ways to improve the sailing experience. Obvious improvements most will agree with: increase the amount of time spent sailing, decrease the cost of doing so. Why take a Friday off to drive the boat somewhere, when you can just as easily jump on a plane to arrive at the same time with the boat rigged and waiting? For those sailors who can’t afford a professional to handle those types of things, a plane ticket to a venue with club owned boats is the greatest thing since sliced bread. For those who have already burned up all their leave days, the plane ride offers a way to go sailing without further sacrifice. Provided boats are one of the best ways to keep our leisure-time leisurely, and reduce wasted hours spent on the road or behind a sanding block.
Expanding the club-owned boats model makes economic sense, and will provide more value to the average sailing enthusiast. Yacht clubs and sailing clubs are picking up on that fact, and starting to diversify their programs towards providing club-owned boats. Many fleets, including those in Annapolis, play host to an interesting combination of weekend warriors and weeknight racers. Both groups have their own boats, but why? Wouldn’t it be more reasonable for the two parties to coordinate and split the boat? Even the weeknight racer can’t race every night. What about those who want to use a boat for the occasional sail and would happily do so when the boat is not being raced? An owner may be willing to charter-out or loan their boat, but the opportunity cost for loaning a personal boat is high. Consequently, the charter fee is high, and the interested participant is less likely to engage. A fleet of club-owned boats resolves all of those issues. We can easily spread the cost of a fleet over a significant number of people. Not only can we then spend more time sailing and less time maintaining, but participation costs for the average Joe drop significantly. It’s a well-known fact that when you are ordering 18 suits of sails, you get a much better price than a single suit. Ordering a fleet of boats rather than singular boats is less expensive for the manufacturer, and by extension less expensive for the consumer. When a club can host more members with fewer boats, it’s not even a stretch to conclude that a club fleet can operate on less real estate, with a lower boat-footprint per member. Real-estate is a major expenditure for any growing club, so why not use space as efficiently as possible? A potential burden associated with a club-owned fleet is additional administration requirements. Those are most likely already in place, or would be necessary to manage storage for privately owned boats. If additional staff is needed, the net savings and additional membership revenue could easily be redirected towards funding additional personnel requirements. When factoring in the economies of scale gained from buying fleets in bulk and the usage-efficiency gained per member, the financial benefits to a club-fleet are clear.
For those readers having attended business school, the technology cycle will be all too familiar. For the rest of us, here’s a refresher: a small niche market first adopts a disruptive technology or practice. Improvements are made as its adopted into the mainstream market. After some time, the product becomes a commodity and is sustained by the late adapter market until it becomes obsolete. Every CEO is familiar with this cycle and how it applies to their business. In order to prevent their entire business from going away with their initial product, a company must diversify into other markets with the revenue they gained early on. Obviously there are differences between sailing clubs and Silicon Valley, but it’s not a stretch to apply the process to any entity looking for sustainability. In sailing’s case, it seems that the Hobie fleet, ICSA (Inter-Collegiate Sailing Association), ISSA (Inter-Scholastic Sailing Association) and a few other forward thinking organizations managed to work themselves into the early adopter category of the new club-owned boat format. They have paved the way for mainstream sailing to explore the idea of the club-owned fleet. It’s important to keep in mind that cycles of this nature often occur over decades, and can be hard to imagine without broadening one’s time horizon.
The presence of a club-owned fleet in a yacht club or sailing club is far from the end of the traditional model of privately owned boats. It merely represents an organization’s wise move to diversify their operations into the new emerging category. Those who have had exposure to the labor of love that is boat ownership can appreciate the finer points of quarter turns onto an Etchells rig and the look of a freshly polished hull. It’s extremely unlikely that a 505 sailor would give up the tweaking and tuning that so defines them. High performance fleets may be best left to the care of private owners who are in no danger of converting completely away from the performance sailing that they love. In order to be well-rounded, a sailing club can and should accommodate both types of sailors. The joys of tinkering and finding small advantages in handiwork will never go away, and should not factor into the decision to include club-owned boats into our programs.
No matter what you enjoy most about sailing, it would be a shame to let the benefits of club-owned fleets slip away from a program. With a well-executed diversification strategy, a local sailing club can do a great service to the community by providing access to sailing, all for a reasonable price. Lets do ourselves a favor and take that next step towards keeping our leisure-time leisurely, and expand our boundaries to include club-owned boats.
What do you think? Add your comment below!
One-Design Class Profile: A-Cat
By Airwaves Writer Tyler Colvin
In 1956, the International Yacht Racing Union (now the International Sailing Federation, ISAF) created a four-tiered developmental catamaran system with the categories as A-D. It was an attempt to split up the high performance catamaran world into classes and limited very little about each class. In the beginning, only length, width and maximum sail area were limited. The A-Class Catamaran (A-Cat) is the largest remaining of the classes. (See the A-Cat Class Association webpage HERE)
(First photo credit to Bob Orr)
The Boat: Taking to Flight
The International A-Class Catamaran (A-Cat) is an ISAF international development class. It has a length of 18’, a 7.5’ beam, a minimum weight of 165lbs, and 20 square meters of sail (Peter Johnstone). Power-wise, the A-Cat is among the leaders for its size. Upwind comfortably at well over 10 knots and downwind over 20 (knots), the A-Cat is one of the quickest boats around. All major components are carbon fiber allowing it to weigh in less than almost any other boat of its size or smaller, multi or mono-hulled. Larger than a Laser at nearly the same weight, the A-Cat is easily rigged and launched in less time than it will take to read this article.
The rig is a single square top main on a carbon mast with a single trapeze wire. Sails are usually made out of carbon or Kevlar fiber laminates to maximize stiffness while maintaining its ultra light status. Hulls are typically (on modern boats) with a carbon skin over a nomex honeycomb core. All of the current advancements, carbon fiber parts, square top mains and hull design, stems from the developmental nature of the class. Owners are encouraged to experiment with designs on the boat in an attempt to achieve even more speed. For these reasons, amongst others, the A-Cat is widely regarded as the fastest single-handed dinghy currently in production.
Recently A-Cats have followed the high performance catamaran track and started foiling. The trickle down effect of technology from the America’s Cup has resulted in the ability to consistently produce high quality, reliable foils that make foiling significantly easier than many other foiling boats (such as the moth).
A Class Worlds Video:
Set Up and Sailing: Too Easy
From a trailer to the water, the A-Cat can be launched in 20 minutes. From a dolly it can be done in less than five (minutes). Peter Johnstone on the boat, “The A-Class is really easy to sail. If you can sail a laser, you will find the A-Class to be easier to sail, and much more pleasurable. The trapeze works your abs so you feel great afterwards.” Peter is a huge proponent of the boat, having owned three hulls over the past 19 years and sailing them as much as possible.
“Last summer I learned how to foil, and it turned out to be much easier than I feared. To fly while sailing is simply incredible. It gets quiet, and really fast!” And fast it is, with speeds unlike any other boat of its size. One of the other benefits of the boat is the inherent stability of a multihull. “When I got tired, I could simply take a break, which is something that cannot be done while sailing a [foiling] Moth.”
As has been extolled, the weight of the boat is unparalleled. This means that it is quick to get going in light air and an absolute riot in bigger winds. The boat will lift (on its foils) in 10-14 knots of breeze and, “the sensation is like flying.” The A-Cat excels upwind and when foiling out on the trapeze it is hard to find a boat that can keep up.
Class Association: Growing Together
Although the A-Cat has been around for several decades, the class associations are constantly growing and changing to adapt to the new design innovations and the demographics that they attract. Recently the class has started expansion to South America to join large fleets in Europe, Australia, New Zealand and North America. The boat is an ideal size for a shipping container, so there is a core group who ship their boats around the world for European and World Championships (Peter Johnstone). In addition to expanding location-wise, the class has started to become more female friendly, but could use some work to expand the appeal of the boat to more women. Flatter sails and shorter rigs could make the boat friendlier for a smaller frame and are currently being looked into.
Why Sail? Speed, Speed, Speed
If you get a chance to go sail with someone in 12-15 knots of breeze, take it. “The A-Class is truly one of sailing’s best-kept secrets,” said Peter, “I know many renowned sailors who say it is simply the best all around sailing experience they have enjoyed,” lofty praise by an expert in the field. A combination of the ease of rigging, the user friendly set up and the pure joy of foiling in 12 knots of breeze make the A-Cat a tough competitor in the sport dinghy category. The A-Cat puts high tech, cutting edge technology at the hands of the every day sailor.
Thanks to Peter Johnstone for his extensive commentary on the A-Class Catamaran and all around praise for the boat.
Event Recap: Butler Cup 2014
By Airwaves Writer Tyler Colvin. Any chance I get to escape the weather in New England I typically take, so when I got the call to crew on a boat for the Long Beach Yacht Club’s Butler Cup (Grade 3) I didn’t hesitate. The event, running November 15-16 out of Long Beach Yacht Club, is named in honor of Frank Butler, designer of the Catalina 37 and president of Catalina Yachts. Frank donated a fleet of 11 boats to the Long Beach Sailing Foundation who continues to maintain and repair these boats two decades later. Also used for the Congressional Cup, the longest running match race in North America, the Catalina 37s have been sailed by world-class sailors since their inception.
Final Results here
My first time sailing the boat would also be with a crew I largely had never met. Skipper Shane Young, Long Beach Match Race Team member and former Cal State Long Beach Sailing Team standout had the helm with the assist from tactician Steve Flam. Main trim was another LBMR Team member Max Moosmann, with John Hill (former CSULB Sailing Team skipper) at primary trim and myself at offside trim. In the pit was Chase Young (brother of Shane) and on the bow was LBMR Team member Ben Wheatley.
Saturday morning dawned with a mild 4-6 knot southerly that built slowly throughout the day. We motored out of the harbor and towards the Long Beach Pier (same venue as Congressional Cup) to get some practice in before our first match. Format was a double round robin, meaning 58 races in two days, which, in the current wind conditions, was a formidable task for the race committee.
After a first race mishap in the pre-start against Justin Law (2014 Hinman Trophy winner), it was apparent we were out of sync. A late entry to the box and sloppy boat handling handed Law leverage that they maintained for the rest of the race. As the breeze built and our communication increased, so did our pre-start maneuvers, speed and decision making. Our first loss would also prove to be our last as we finished up the day at 6-1 with key wins over Bill Durant and Dave Hood.
Day 2 brought screaming Santa Ana winds that blew all hopes of an early start out the window with gusts upwards of 25 knots (above the Catalina 37 wind range, as specified by the Long Beach Sailing Foundation). After a brief meeting we sat on land until noon, hoping that by then the land breeze would have switched to a sea breeze with more manageable wind speeds. Due to the loss of time on the course, the race committee amended the sailing instructions to reflect a Day 2 format of semis and finals for the top four teams (first to 2 points) and a single round robin for the bottom four teams.
Out in the harbor the course was set further out than Saturday to take advantage of as much breeze as could possibly fill. As luck would have it, our semi-final match up was with Law, a revenge match of our only loss of the weekend. Taking advantage of our starboard entry, we forced an early penalty and started clear ahead, leading by several boat lengths at the first mark. A spinnaker mishap and some ill-timed jibes saw that lead squandered and by the final run Law had a good-sized lead. Luckily for us a combination of a poorly timed penalty turn and failing to completely exonerate gave us a late victory in match one.
Match two was light and shifty with Law yet again winning the start. We stayed close and made our move on the last run pulling off a clean hoist and jibe to new breeze. Letting us split to course left, Law and company parked themselves in a massive hole on the (course) right while we marched on into the finish. Just like that we were on to the finals. “No worse than second overall!” joked Ben.
Unfortunately, this was about the time that the wind decided it had had enough and quit entirely for the day; nothing but random puffs scattered across an otherwise glassy bay. Without a full set for the top four boats, the medal rankings came down to the previous day scores. Both our boat (Young) and Durant had 6 points, but with the tiebreaker we scored first overall and winners of the 2014 Butler Cup.
The Butler Cup Race Committee deserves ample recognition for the job they did pulling off the first round robin on Saturday in less than ideal conditions. They were quick to adapt to the situation and their quick thinking allowed all 28 of the first days races to be completed. Additionally a thank you to the other skippers and their respective crews, Bill Durant, Dave Hood, Justin Law, Wendy Corzine, Sandy Hayes, Lisa Meier and Stephen Ashley, for making the event competitive and fun.
Full results can be seen here or on the Long Beach Yacht Club website. Thanks to the LBYC for facilitating this event and the Long Beach Sailing Foundation for providing the boats.
