Menu

Top
Close Mobile Navigation

Sail1Design

You are here: Home / Archives for Sail1Design Editor

Sail1Design Editor

2.4 Meter Invitational Regatta Results & Report

by Leave a Comment

Rockport, MA – July 11, 2022
By: Shan McAdoo
Photos: Michelle Seepe
Ted Green came home to his childhood club and picked up right where he left off, winning. The lovely quaint club house has tons of trophies from days gone by, some of which have Ted’s name on them already.  He added his name to another trophy this weekend
Competitive starts and an amazing venue
Eight 2.4 meters sailed a 3 day clinic/regatta out of Sandy Bay Yacht Club (SBYC).  During the clinic we followed up on Dave Perry’s teachings during the Clagett Regatta with an emphasis on starts. The winds were light and variable starting with a northerly that would eventually give way to a sea breeze. Principle Race Officer Stephen Ouelette  and his on the water team kept working to assure that the 7 races run were fair and competitive.
Overlapped at the finish
The results after racing showed Ted Green’s dominance. He threw out a bullet. Shan McAdoo wound up in second, with John Seepe in third.
Lovely 3D trophies
SBYC and Rockport were amazing  hosts, the club and the sailing venue were as always perfectly suited to 2.4 meter racing.  The shoreside activities included an amazing Surf and Turf dinner, lovely continental breakfast and apres sailing munchies.  Rockport Brewing Company was kind enough to provide a generous sampling of their Whale Cove and Jetty Juice Ales.   Cape Ann Coffees provided great coffee and foods during the event.
Mr. Green gets a first place trophy after building a picket fence
With more than 1/3 of the fleet disabled, the 2.4 meter continues to affirm its utility as the right boat for sailors with disabilities. The second and third placed finishers got out of their boats and back into wheel chairs.
US Class Vice President John Seepe gets a 3rd place trophy
The organizers want to thank Commodore Sarah Wilkinson, Ron Petoff, the staff and members of the Sandy Bay Yacht Club, and the sailors who took the time to travel to our little sea side town. Ted Green came from Newport RI, and John Seepe who came from Senora, NC.
Results here:
Sponsors

2022 ILCA Atlantic Coast Championship Report & Results

by Leave a Comment

Three Atlantic Coast ILCA Champions Crowned, July 9-10, 2002

Vying for the title ILCA Atlantic Coast Champion, 153 sailors descended on Larchmont (NY) Yacht Club over the July 9-10 weekend. Competitors came from up and down the Atlantic with many from the area Long Island Sound clubs, as well as major contingents from Ft. Lauderdale, Miami, and St. Petersburg, FL, Charleston, SC, Annapolis, MD, and more…including Bermudian and European entries. The host club, one of the first to adopt this single-hander in the 70s, renewed its involvement with the ILCA dinghy during Covid when the popularity of single-person boats skyrocketed.

FULL RESULTS HERE

Event Chair Ned Roseberry commented, “Going into Covid, we saw a resurgence of ILCA sailing at Larchmont Yacht. Now that the Championship is in the books, I’m sure every competitor found this a competitive and fun regatta. I’d also like to share credit for this exceptional regatta with the Club’s Sailing Director and my Championship co-chair Doug Reynolds and the scores of volunteers and Club staff members.”

LYC Commodore Rob Dailey continued, “Next week we will be hosting our 124th edition of Larchmont Race Week, and the Club takes pride in hosting major regional, national, and international level Championships. In the past, we’ve run keelboat championships including the Etchells Worlds, the Star 100th Anniversary, the Viper 640, J/105, and J/109 North Americans, dinghy championships including the V-15 Nationals and last summer’s Opti ACCs, as well as annually hosting the Intercollegiate Offshore Regatta with the Storm Trysail Club. Hosting the 2022 ILCA ACCs fit our Club’s mission perfectly.”

Saturday’s racing experienced typical Long Island Sound July conditions. Winds in the 5-6 knot range from the south/southeast. The Race Committee, led by PRO Jeff Borland (Annapolis, MD), squeezed the most out of the day delivering for each of the three ILCA divisions (4.7, 6, and 7) two races. On Sunday, however, local sailors were overheard saying, “These are near-perfect sailing conditions!”

Logistically, the ILCA 4.7s and ICAL 7s divisions had their own start, but the ILCA 6 division, with 97 entries, was divided into four groups with two racing against each other at one time…giving everyone the opportunity to sail against everyone else evenly. By 1500, four more races had been sailed for each making a total of six for the Championship with a range of conditions challenging all on the water.

In the end, three Champions were crowned: the ILCA 7 Champion was Campbell Patton from the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club (3-(8)-5-1-1-3) in a fleet of 22 competitors, the ILCA 6 Champion was Jake Homberger from Lauderdale (FL) Yacht Club (1-1-2-3-1 (5)) in a fleet of 97, and the ILCA 4.7 Champion is French sailor Gulda Dondona ((4)-1-4-2-1-1) in a fleet of 22, from the Yacht Club de Cannes. FULL RESULTS HERE

When asked what he felt was his winning difference, ILCA 7 Champion Patton commented, “Definitely having had consistent starts. I executed that pretty well for most races and when I didn’t, I struggled, and it was a big catch-up game.” When asked about the need to shift gears as the wind speeds and directions varied throughout the weekend, ILCA 6 Champion from Jake Homberg shared, “It was about keeping your head out of the boat and being ready for whatever came your way. I was working mostly the Cunningham and sometimes the vang to keep the boat balanced and moving fast.” Sailing in the smallest division—both rig size and number of competitors, Gulda Dondona, shared her take on boat speed, “My boat speed came from being comfortable with my boat, and having gotten to know it in many regattas. Add to that really wanting to win and that’s how one gains performance.”

This was not PRO Jeff Borland’s first time helping run a regatta at Larchmont Yacht Club, having been an umpire for two US Team Racing Championships sailed at LYC. His take on the weekend’s sailing was, “Saturday was extremely challenging for the Race Committee with the breeze up and down and very streaky. It was relatively steady, but it was hard to get off fair races. Today, however, were champagne conditions with 10-12 knots coming right down the pipe so our job today wasn’t that hard. We did have a few shifts to work with. And while it didn’t affect our race management that much, many of the competitors were having difficult with the tide, so they were over early not having recognized that the tide existed. Otherwise, as I said, it was a champagne day of sailing and now, as we stand porch looking out over the water, we see the breeze has gone flat so it’s wonderful that we got in today’s four races for a six-race Championship.”

About Larchmont Yacht Club
The Larchmont Yacht Club was founded on Long Island Sound in 1880 and, from its inception, has been one off the premier yacht clubs in North America.
The Larchmont Yacht Club is located at 1 Woodbine Avenue, Larchmont, NY 10538.
Press inquiries should be addressed to Edward “Buttons” Padin, [email protected].

Thomas Clagett, Jr. Memorial Clinic and Regatta Results & Report

by Leave a Comment

ClagettSailing_logo_20yr logo for 2022.png

Clagett Sailing : Winners are crowned and Team Clagett announced at the 20th Anniversary C. Thomas Clagett, Jr. Memorial Clinic and Regatta 

NEWPORT, R.I. (June 26, 2022) – After two days of the coaching clinic and three days of competition, the sailors racing at the  20th Anniversary C. Thomas Clagett, Jr. Memorial Clinic and Regatta have congratulated their fellow sailors as they received the silverware in recognition of their results.

Thirty two sailors from across North America and the Caribbean, representing 10 states and territories and three Canadian provinces, have participated in the 20th Anniversary C. Thomas Clagett, Jr. Memorial Clinic and Regatta which started with five boats in 2003.

It has evolved into a multifaceted organization providing opportunities and programs for sailors with disabilities enabling sailors to Reach for Success while they Learn-Race-Win, Learn-to Reach for Success, Race-in the Corinthian spirit, Win-self-empowerment.

In the twenty boat 2.4mR class it has been lead from start to finish by Julio Reguero (San Juan, Puerto Rico) whose scorecard had four first places in the 10 races the fleet completed.  Reguero, a Paralympian who sailed in the 2008 and 2012 games, is also a recipient of the 2.4mR boat he is sailing from the Clagett Boat Grant Program.

As a result of his win in the 2.4mR class, Reguero has qualified for a place on Team Clagett.  The inaugural team will represent Clagett Sailing at the 2.4mR World Championships in Tampa, Florida in November.

Finishing in second place in the 2.4mR class is Tony Pocklington (Ft. Meyers, FL) and rounding out the podium is Canadian Peter Wood who has traveled from Ottawa to attend numerous Clagett Regattas in Newport.

Reguero said after he was awarded the trophy for the 2.4mR class, “I feel very happy with my results from the racing this week.  I’m looking forward to the Clagett/Oakcliff Match Racing Clinic and Regatta in September and learning match racing skills.  I’m very proud to be selected and part of Team Clagett who will be at the 2.4mR Worlds in Tampa Florida later this year.”

Reguero was also awarded the C. Thomas Clagett, Jr. Memorial Trophy which is the third time he has won this trophy.  He has won it in the 2.4mR class at each event in 2009, 2016 and now in 2022.

The Martin 16 class win went to the defending trophy holder Californian Carwile LeRoy, who was sailing with Tannis Hall from Mont Tremblant Canada for the last three days.  LeRoy won this class in 2019 and 2021 and now for a hat trick.  LeRoy’s result was a single digit as a result of his multiple first places across the finish line over the last three days of racing.

“The sailing gods smiled on me today, I found something magic in Newport.  I did things I’ve never done before in my sailing career here in Newport.  I’m on cloud nine it’s always a good time to go out sailing.  Our coach Dave Dellenbaugh gave me a compliment “I’m a lot like the tortoise than the hare, something happens on the course and I just keep going.  It was fantastic to sail with Tannis as my crew, Canadians are such nice people,” commented LeRoy after claiming his third title in the Martin 16 class.

Finishing in second in the six boat Martin 16 class is Patrick LoDuca (Chicago, Ill) and Jeff Long (Newport, R.I.) who sailed for the first time in a Martin 16 on Wednesday.  LoDuca has attended six Clagett Regattas, the first five in the Sonar and now the Martin 16.  Long was a sailor at the very first Clagett Regatta 20 years ago when he sailed with Steve Anderson.

“Carwile certainly has got the Martin 16 figured out.   It was a great challenge being in the boat for the first time.  To me this regatta is about the camaraderie, the competition keeps you sharp both mentally and physically.  I usually sail here in the Sonar with the Judd Goldman program who supported my participation here this week,” said LoDuca after racing.

Joining Reguero on Team Clagett will be his fellow 2.4mR sailors Charlie Rosenfield (Woodstock, CT), Peter Eager (Toronto, Ontario, Canada) Delani Hulme-Lawrence (Saint Paul, Alberta, Canada), and the alternate team member is Chris Childers.  Team Clagett consists of the top three scoring 2.4 mR competitors with a disability, plus the next highest scoring 2.4mR Clagett Boat Grant Program recipient competitor and an alternate member is named.  The team will be managed by Clagett alumni sailor Brad Johnson himself a Paralympian in multiple sports. 

“In this the Clagett’s 20th Anniversary year I have so many people to thank, our amazing sponsors Fiduciary Trust International, AIG, Gustave White Sotheby’s, One 80 Intermediaries, Innovative Construction, the Kimball Foundation and Aukai Spirit along with all the fabulous in kind sponsors, the volunteers both returning and new who have traveled from across the world to be here this week we thank you for your time and dedication to the sailors, to our world class coaches and race management teams thank you for providing the very best for the sailors here this week.  A special thank you to our bosun, Gene Hinkle, who has been at every Clagett Regatta.  At this regatta this year we have present 12 people who were here at Sail Newport 20 years ago when we had five boats racing at the very first Clagett Regatta,” said Clagett President and Co-Founder Judy Clagett McLennan.

She continued, “In 2022 as we celebrate 20 years of providing opportunities to sailors with disabilities we have rebranded the organization to Clagett Sailing and we have added to our mantra “Learn, Race and Win.” Our mission, to provide sailors with disabilities the opportunity to improve their skills and reach personal goals through world-class coaching and competition, is evidenced by the ways our sailors: Learn…to “Reach for Success!” • Race…in the Corinthian Spirit • Win…self-empowerment. We look forward to what the future holds and will always strive towards our mission and vision “to provide sailors with disabilities the opportunity to improve their skills and reach personal goals through world-class coaching and competition” and “to be the leader in developing competitive sailing opportunities for sailors with disabilities.”

Clagett trophies awarded for 2022:

·       C. Thomas Clagett, Jr. Trophy – Julio Reguero

·       Susan B Johnson – Sportsmanship Award – Tony Pocklington

·       Larry Gadsby – Most Improved Award – Chris Childers

·       Nick Scandone – Spirit Award – Shan McAdoo

·       Robie Pierce and Gene Hinkle – Seamanship Award – John Seepe on a tie breaker (was tied with Andrew Parish)

·       Team Clagett – Julio Reguero (San Juan, Puerto Rico), Charlie Rosenfield (Woodstock, CT), Peter Eager (Toronto, Ontario, Canada) Delani Hulme-Lawrence (Saint Paul, Alberta, Canada), and the alternate team member is Chris Childers (San Francisco, CA)

Final results:

2.4mR 

Pos

Sail  

Skipper

Hometown

 1 

 2 

 3 

 4 

 5 

 6 

 7 

 8 

 9 

 10 

Total

1  

Pur 8

Julio Reguero

San Juan, San Juan

3

3

2

1

[12]

1

1

1

7/30%*

4

23  

2  

USA 3

Tony Pocklington

Ft Myers, Fl

[9]

5

1

5

1

2

6

2

3

3

28  

3  

CAN 14

Peter Wood

Ottawa, Select

2

9

5

7

[11]

3

3

3

4

9

45  

4  

USA 142

Charles Rosenfield

Woodstock, CT

7

8

9

3

7

5

4

[11]

2

1

46  

5  

CAN 22

Peter Eagar

Toronto, ON

4

2

6

2

6

11

2

[16]

10

7

50  

6  

9

Theodore Green

North Kingstown, RI

1

1

3

6

[13]

10

7

8

6

10

52T  

7  

CAN 95

Delani Hulme-Lawrence

Saint Paul, AB

6

4

4

9

4

4

8

5

8

[11]

52T  

8  

112

Andrew Parish

ST MICHAELS, MD

[10]

7

7

8

2

8

10

4

5

5

56  

9  

177

Chris Childers

San Francisco, CA

8

10

8

4

3

15

9

7

[16]

6

70  

10  

USA21

Matt Koblenzer

Fox Point, WI

5

6

13

10

5

7

5

12

[15]

8

71  

11  

USA 152

Shan McAdoo

Essex, MA

13/*

11

[21/DNF]

21/DNS

8

6

12

6

9

13

99  

12  

42

Janice Graham-Foscarini

Toronto, ON

2022 Sonar World Championship Report & Results

by Leave a Comment

BOB LAWRENCE’S NEFARIOUS DOMINATES CASELLA 2022 SONAR WORLD SAILING CHAMPIONSHIPS (June 16-19) ON LAKE SUNAPEE, NH

 Nefarious (bow# 21) heading windward on a port tack

Sunapee, NH – (June 19, 2022) – Nefarious (USA 384), skippered by Bob Lawrence and Paul Sevigny with Victor Diaz De Leon and Willem Van Waay as crew, won six of ten races June 16-18 on Lake Sunapee, NH during the Casella 2022 Sonar World Championships.  Nefarious sails out of the Noroton Yacht Club in Darien, CT.  The regatta was highlighted by strong winds the first three days of racing averaging 15-25 knots.  Racing was cancelled the final day, Sunday, June 19, due to even stronger winds.  Second place went to Ping (CAN 754) from the Lunenburg Yacht Club in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia, Canada, skippered by Andreas Josenhans, and third place went to Resonance (USA 787) from the host Lake Sunapee Yacht Club, skippered by Brian Doyle.  Nefarious finished with 11 points, Ping 26 points and Resonance 27 points.

Bob Lawrence’s said about the Championship, “I was fortunate to have been able to team-up with Paul for this regatta and he brought along two sailors, Victor ad Willem, who are no strangers to the podium. And, although the point spread may not show it, the racing was very tight throughout the racing. And, sailing on Lake Sunapee was a joy, with brisk winds making the sailing challenging with gusts into the 30s on Saturday, good sea states, and challenging wind shifts that kept us all on our toes. Our focus on speed, boat handling and minimizing tactical risks resulted in this win. This was team effort and I was thrilled to be part of this team. This was a big regatta for a small club and everyone turned out to help. Many sailors remarked on how warm, hospitable, and welcoming everyone was. It’s encouraging to see how this kind of volunteerism continues to exist at this clubs.”

 Nefarious and Ping crossing tacks with Mount Sunapee Resort looming ahead

At the debrief after winning the second day, Andreas Josenhans noted, ” As a blue water sailor, it’s nice to see how challenging lake sailing can be. I have new respect for all those who sail regularly on lakes, especially those who sail on Lake Sunapee.”  Noroton Yacht Club’s Fleet Captain Jan Raymond said she’d like to see more regattas on lakes.”

Dawn Shumway, President of the International Sonar Class Association, continued, “The five teams that came from Rochester, NY, loved sailing on Lake Sunapee. The venue, the club, and the fierce competition were memorable. It was fun to bring everyone together again.”

The Casella 2022 Sonar World Championships were presented by the Lake Sunapee Cruising Fleet and hosted by the Lake Sunapee Yacht Club.  Twenty-two Sonar Class sailboats from as far away as Minnesota, Florida, and Nova Scotia sailed in the regatta.

YCN Now, the region’s local TV station and network, aired 15-minute daily recaps of the three days of racing on YCN Live.  The recaps are also streaming on the YCN Now website at YCNnow.com.  There is some dramatic drone footage of the racing, beautiful Lake Sunapee and the surrounding mountains including Mount Sunapee Resort. Additional video coverage is available on YouTube.

Bob Lawrence, currently Commodore of Noroton Yacht Club, closed by saying how proud and honored all the Noroton Sonar sailors that this World Championship trophy is returning to the home club of Bruce Kirby, friend, competitor, mentor and designer of the Sonar, within a year of Bruce’s death.

Thanks to the support of over 40 local businesses and individuals, including the Title Sponsor, Casella Waste Systems, Inc., the Lake Sunapee Region was able to host this exciting world-class event.

A Sonar is a 23-foot one-design racing sailboat designed by naval architect Bruce Kirby.  Sonars have been an active international racing class since 1980.  Typically, there is a crew of four onboard for racing.

For complete results click on the link below.

2022 Sonar World Championship on Yacht Scoring – A complete web based regatta administration and yacht scoring program

Photo Credit John Quackenboss:
Nefarious (bow# 21) heading windward on a port tack
Nefarious and Ping crossing tacks with Mount Sunapee Resort looming ahead
Nefarious in tight quarters at the start

 

Jean Paul De Trazegnies wins 2022 Sunfish North American Championship

by Leave a Comment

Story and photos courtesy of the US Sunfish Class:
The USSCA’s North American Championship was sailed this past weekend (June 16-18) at Hyannis Yacht Club, Hyannis, Massachusetts. With big breeze and choppy seas forecast for the regatta, it was going to be a competitive event amongst the Class’s top sailors. In the end, it was!

Thursday’s first day of sailing was in winds that increased steadily from 12-15 knots to low 20s with a steep chop by the conclusion of sailing. After four races, Peruvian Catarina Romero sat atop the leaderboard followed closely by two of her countryman: former Sunfish World Champion Jean Paul de Trazegnies and Ricardo Seguel Lacamara.

It was still anyone’s championship to win going into Friday’s second day of racing, only to have 30-knot winds and four-foot swells result in the day’s races being scrubbed.

Saturday’s final day of racing was a blend of the first two. Winds in the 20s were the norm, with three more races completed. These tougher conditions proved more of a challenge for Catarina than for her heavier competitors with her final day’s scoreline being 8-8-(10) taking her out of overall contention. However, Jean Paul’s 1-4-2 final races cemented the World Championship for the Peruvian. Ricardo Seguel Lacamara moved into second for the series with Colombian Juan Carlos Caniazlez in third. The top finishing US sailor was Dan Hesse (Saratoga, NY) in sixth.

Jean Paul said of the Championship, “The regatta was really great with epic conditions. The battle at the top of the fleet was really hard and it was great that my fellow Peruvian, Catarina Romero, was in that battle every race just inches away!” Catarina, who led after the first day (sailed in more moderate conditions) note about Saturday’s windier conditions, “It was harder for me today with the more wind on the course and the bigger seas. Jean Paul and I are from the same club in Peru and we train together and race a lot against each other.”

USSCA President Will Kresic extended his thanks to Event Chairman Paul Dierze and the Hyannis Yacht Club for hosting a world-class event.

Results https://www.regattanetwork.com/clubmgmt/applet_regatta_results.php?regatta_id=24171

Giving Back to Move Sailing Forward: SailGP’s Inspire Program

by Leave a Comment

Chicago, IL , 15-20 June 2022–   Sail1Design is here in the beautiful city of Chicago to catch the SailGP Tour’s stop at Chicago Yacht Club and also to check out SailGP’s “Inspire” program. At first glance (and what most people likely only ever see or hear about) SailGP looks quite simply like an exotic, high-flying foiling catamaran race league, featuring sailing’s very best professional sailors competing on this tour as they eye opportunities to sail in the next America’s Cup. Accurate? Yes. A complete definition of SailGP? Not at all. In doing a little reading up,  and chatting here on the sidelines, I learned a bit more about this organization and came away with a much better understanding and appreciation for it’s multi-layered mission. Here’s the short of it:

Through a truly global (and very exciting to watch) sail racing tour, featuring a ten-team league competing in the the 50+ knot F50 catamaran, SailGP has identified 3 core existential goals:

  • Clean Energy Roadmaps (#poweredbynature) SailGP’s target is to accelerate the transition to clean energy and be the most sustainable and purpose-driven sports and entertainment property. SailGP’s aim is to become a global benchmark for clean energy events, to launch a new era of sustainable events powered by clean energy.
  • Racing For a Better Future (Impact League) Introduced for SailGP Season 2, the Impact League tracks the positive actions our teams make to reduce their overall carbon footprint and help accelerate inclusivity in sailing.
  • Community Education & Outreach (Inspire Program) Inspire is SailGP’s community, education and outreach initiative, powered by our belief that sailing can be a force for good, Powered by Nature, Driven by Purpose. Our goal: To leave a positive legacy and build a sustainable sport – by providing equal, life-changing opportunities and new career pathways for all, regardless of race or socioeconomic background. SailGP Inspire aims to serve a leading role in helping to diversify the sport of sailing for youth without race, gender, and socioeconomic status presenting a barrier to entry. The Inspire program has 3 pathways:
    • Inspire Learning  Using sailing to educate and inspire youth about sustainability and the power of nature. School program delivered in advance of each event, using resources that bring sustainability to life through STEM-based modules.
    • Inspire Careers  Providing young adults with a unique opportunity and pathway into the sports, events and engineering industries. Targeting young adults (18-23 years) with an interest in sports, sustainability, technology and engineering.
    • Inspire Racing  World-class program to identify the next generation of diverse high-performance sailors in each host city – providing a unique experience and making foiling accessible. Local and international sailors selected through the host governing body and WASZP Class association.
 Inspire practice while the US F50 tunes up for Sail GP Chicago

Yes, that’s the short of it….lot’s on here! So, SailGP has identified a both noble and ambitious mission. I honed in on just one part, Inspire Program’s “Inspire Racing.” On opening day,

Wednesday, we found a really cool container/trailer, just next to Chicago Yacht Club, opened up with gear and 8 Waszp single-handed foiling boats lined up, ready for the 16 youth entries

The Inspire Waszp sailors wait to be called on to the main stage at SailGP.

that filtered in to their first meeting. SailGP provides training and then a regatta for them, in some cases having the waszps sail in the same area as the F50’s…. cool!

INSPIRE RACING CORE MISSION

  • World-class program to identify the next generation of diverse high-performance sailors in each host city – providing a unique experience and making foiling accessible
  • Focus on selecting and training a group of sailors from outside traditional settings
  • Local and international sailors selected through the host governing body and WASZP Class association
  • Training clinic in the lead-up to the event with professional foiling coaches
  • Racing during SailGP events on the official racecourses
  • Strong legacy through providing equipment and training, and ultimately as a pathway to professional sailing
Tom Slingsby on the podium with Inspire’s Tommy Sitzmann

After the 16 sailors were divided up into Gold/Silver fleets, the Gold fleet had a chance to show their stuff in front of the Navy Pier crowd, and Saturday’s conditions were good for racing. Unfortunately the wind on Sunday was too light (in fact the F50’s had to race outside the jetty), so the Inspire regatta was cut short.

Afterwards, all Inspire racing sailors had a chance to be recognized on the main stage, and also met the winning F50 team… Tom Slingsby & Australia!

 

 

2022 S1D Coach of the Year Announced!!

by Leave a Comment

Sail1Design has been lucky to be part of some great moments over the years, mostly when we do our job, and take part in recognizing the very foundation of our sport: youth, high school, college, and one-design sailors. Reading nomination letters, hearing from our community about unsung heroes, sharing in the joy of the winners…… makes the whole Sail1Design project, now 15+ years in the making, more than worth it.

Coach Klevan meeting with the Stanford Sailing Team

Remember, for Coach of the Year, we only choose candidates from nomination letters sent in, so we sit back, wait, and take what we get. This year, we were faced (again) with a lot of really good nominations, and we whittled that down to a small list of finalists. It was difficult to narrow this deserving field. Not easy. After going back and forth, noting two candidates received more than one nomination letter, we were again overwhelmed by both, and decided the tie could not be broken!

There were several important themes found in both winner’s nomination letters (dedication, knowledge, energy, positivity).  However, one overriding theme for both, in this crazy and difficult year, was each coaches willingness, dedication, and openness to their respective teams.

Erik Bowers

So this year, S1D Coach of the Year Award goes to Stanford University’s CHRIS KLEVAN and Lauderdale YC’ Coach ERIK BOWERS. Both received multiple letters not only from players, but parents as well. Please scroll down and read excerpts from some of the letters we received.

Chris and Erik add their names to an incredibly impressive list. Here are our former winners:

S1D Coach of the Year Winners
2022- Chris Klevan & Erik Bowers
2021 – Maru Urban & Bobby Lippincott
2020- John Mollicone
2019- Jon Faudree
2018- Scott Iklé
2017- Bill Healy
2016- Bill Ward
2015- Frank Pizzo
2014- Chris Dold
2013- Steve Hunt

Excerpts from letters sent for Chris

Stanford Coach Chris Klevan

I am writing to nominate my head coach Chris Klevan for Coach of the Year. Freshman year coming to Stanford all the way from the east coast was daunting not only for me and the incoming class but also for our two new coaches, Brian as head coach and of course Chris as an assistant. But off the bat Chris’ energy and love for sailing was infectious. Whether he is sailing during practice or on the coach boat, Chris is constantly giving the team feedback, pushing us to bring a competitive edge to practice, and of course, making sure each of us is present and having fun doing the sport he so dearly loves.Chris was able to transition to head coach seamlessly and did an outstanding job in his first year. He brought on two extremely talented assistant coaches to help contribute to an energetic and driven team culture. Chris works tirelessly to ensure everyone’s voices are being heard and accommodating when conflicts may arise. Something I value most about Chris is how approachable and supportive he is, always willing to sit down with us and talk through a problem head-on. I feel especially lucky being a crew on the team and getting to learn firsthand from one of the best dinghy crews OF ALL TIME — proven by the countless videos of Chris’ boat handing I have on my phone!The team culture Chris has helped develop, both as an assistant coach and this season as a head coach has been pretty unique and to me the main reason why we have been successful the last few seasons — finishing top 5 at every nationals this season, having 4 All-Americans and 2 Honorable Mentions on a team of only 16 sailors.

___________

Chris is most definitely one of the greatest coaches and sailors in all of college sailing. He also is one of the most humble, hard-working, and passionate coaches. Chris’ passion for sailing and ability to communicate Team Racing plays as well as how to accomplish certain mechanics within the boat is greater than most coaches I’ve ever worked with. Also, in stressful situations, Chris never loses his cool and delivers his coaching with grace and with straightforward, to-the-point communication. Beyond this, Chris is a crew himself so he has paid careful attention to the development of crews on our team, which is often something other coaches overlook. Likewise, he often hops in the boat to crew to demonstrate moves to both skippers and crews, which is something most head sailing coaches don’t do. Chris likewise attended all of Stanford sailing’s early morning workouts, showing the team that he was fully a part of our process to get stronger on and off the water. Chris is a leader by what he shows to the team, not just what he says.        Chris stepped into the role of head sailing coach after a few years of turmoil for the Stanford sailing team and completely re-ignited the team and the team’s goals. He motivated the team to work hard and gain a much stronger team culture, inspiring members of the team to schedule practice times outside of the normal days a week just to put in extra work. Here, if there weren’t enough crews at early practice, Chris would again step into the boat, helping sailors realize their potential and encourage them to go the extra mile. Importantly, Chris cares about his sailors as people and not just athletes. Chris takes care to meet with sailors and make sure they are doing okay with school work, sailing, and life overall. When a fellow student-athlete at Stanford passed away, Chris as he did in all the weeks before, checked in on everyone on the team and made sure to treat everyone as a person, and not just a student-athlete.         Coaches this year in both well-established and up and coming programs have achieved amazing results, but Chris did it in both women’s and coed disciplines, and in both fleet race and team race. Likewise, this was Chris’ first year as head coach for Stanford. Many other teams have historically strong team cultures and finishes and strong coaches. Chris is the most deserving for this award, however, for this year in particular because of how strong he has made the Stanford sailing team in just one year. Aside from results, his dedication to the team has created a team culture that I am confident will last beyond this year. Chris Klevan should absolutely be the Coach of the Year this year.

____________

I am nominating Stanford’s new head coach Chris Klevan. It should not be dismissed that he is the first collegiate head coach to be a crew- and an incredible one at that. He is a great sailor, a great person, and a great coach. He has grown into his position from an assistant last year and truly cares about his team. He’ll eat with us, sail with us, and run with us which is the truest form of “leading by example.” He is so passionate about sailing and hired two young assistant coaches that share the same passion and really push the team to put everything they have into the sport.

 

Excerpts from letters sent for Erik

Erik’s track record of training the top youth ILCA sailors in the country speaks for itself.  This year alone, sailors from his program finished top 3 (four out of top five) at the US Sailing Youth Championship, first at the high school Cressy radial championship, and first place in ILCA 6 and ILCA 7 at the 2021 Orange Bowl International Youth Regatta.  He accompanied a team of approximately 15 sailors to the 2021 ILCA6 Youth World Championships in Lake Garda Italy, where his sailors garnered 2 spots in the top ten in the boys fleet, and a top ten finish in the female fleet, as well.
In addition to the success on Thrace course, Erik leads a program with a culture which focuses on camaraderie and relationships; the team is cohesive and supportive of each others’ successes, and teammates are truly friends.
The most impressive accomplishment of his coaching prowess may actually be the success that his trainees have achieved OFF the water.  We recently learned that EVERY SENIOR has been accepted into a top-level college where they will continue to pursue their love of sailing.
_____________
Erik with the Lauderdale team

 

Erik brings that racing experience and authentic sailing background to his coaching.  He has been in the arena doing it himself for decades and has seen every situation.  It is not uncommon for him to recall a race for one of his athletes from years ago, a certain situation, challenge, and “play it back” for his athletes…and is nearly “photogenic recall” on each and every race for his teams and athletes, “remember that one time on the one leg 3 years ago where X, happened, and this might happen again today, etc….” are not uncommon discussions with his team members. I believe Erik has coached over 300 of the last 365 days, through both programs at these schools/clubs and private coaching.  Even on the “off days” he is doing phone conversations and planning for what is next.  He is tireless not only as a coach, but keeps himself in elite conditioning himself, with daily cross-fit workouts he does sometimes alone, but often with some of his athletes.  Of course, this example sets the tone for the athletes and teams he coaches…particularly in the ILCA class

 

 

 

View this profile on Instagram

 

Sail1Design (@sail1design) • Instagram photos and videos

 

One Design Classes

Browse our extensive list of one design classes.
View Profiles