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Sponsor News: North MNR Optimist Sails Finally Unleashed!

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Portland Yacht Club, Falmouth Foreside, Maine.   15 July 2020–  Yesterday at the Portland Yacht Club Summer Optimist Regatta on a cool day with the sun peeking out of cumulus clouds every so often, the North MNR-Series Optimist sails finally got a chance to stretch their legs, and wow, what a show.
MNR2 Main powering upwind… those wrinkles are FAST

This sail, designed and developed by North Sails Mike Marshall with input from a bunch of talented sailors and sail designers, reflects a big step forward in Optimist sailing; it is designed to excel in a wide range of conditions and more importantly, to accommodate the more physical way the boat is sailed today. With proper tuning, this North MNR Optimist sail has a very dynamic range, and seems only to get faster (than the competition) as the breeze increases.

After undergoing exhaustive design, testing, and development, the sail was set to launch and go to battle in 2020. As we all know only too well what’s happened in the world this year, it simply has not had a chance to get out there in competition, as events and regattas, one by one, vanished. Waiting patiently, but with eager anticipation, the time finally came, and yesterday at the PYC Summer Optimist Regatta, the sail was unleashed.
Portland Yacht Club (founded in 1869) is a fantastic, historic club located in Falmouth, Maine. The race committee, run by one one Maine’s legendary sailors Dr. Tim Tolford (I believe Maine’s first 505 sailor…), showed off their local talent and knowledge, and deftly snapped off 5 races with only a few general recalls, with varying courses out on Casco Bay on a picture-perfect day for sailing.  It was really great to see 30+ Optimist sailors safely, and finally, back on the water enjoying this beautiful sport. Along with some parent fans scouting around the course in powerboats, nearby on Sturdivant I. Ledge, several harbor seals basked on the box-seat rocks, enjoying the show as well.
Current and pressure varied over the race course, and sailors often had to leverage their tactics on which of the two was more important; a few times it was current that won out over pressure. The sailors were treated to a puffy 5-12 knot Northerly that eventually veered itself all the way to the East by the last race.
MNR2 and MNR3 sails way ahead at the leeward mark. Wow!

There were two North MNR Optimist sails in fleet yesterday, Annie Sitzmann(11 years old) and Skye Johnson(13 years old), both using these sails for the very first time. They learned quickly, and showed incredible acceleration off the starting line, and blazing straight-line speed up and downwind. A few times their starts weren’t ideal, yet they were able to hold their lanes and still find clear air. This was a dramatic scene, as once these two got free, they were untouchable. In fact, all 5 races yesterday were won by a North MNR sail, and overall, North Sails swept the podium, with the MNR2 and MNR3 sails first and second, and third place going to a North R4 sail. Wow!

So far, so fast. We are very excited about this sail, and would love to work with any young sailors interested in trying new things to improve. We believe this sail is a difference-maker, and welcome your input. Please contact North Sails Optimist expert Tom Sitzmann to learn more. We are MORE than happy to help!

Stanford University Cuts Varsity Sailing Program

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Stanford University, whose sailing team has both been very successful on the water, and also in the news for all the wrong reasons in the last year, just announced that along with 10 other teams, the school will cut its Varsity Sailing program after the 2020-2021 season. The global pandemic has placed enormous financial and economic strains on so many businesses and institutions, including colleges and universities. “In consultation with the Board of Trustees, we have made the decision to reduce the breadth of our athletics programs and staffing. Stanford will discontinue 11 of our varsity sports programs at the conclusion of the 2020-21 academic year: men’s and women’s fencing, field hockey, lightweight rowing, men’s rowing, co-ed and women’s sailing, squash, synchronized swimming, men’s volleyball and wrestling. ”

In an open letter to the community, the school cited that “…providing 36 varsity teams with the level of support that they deserve has become a serious and growing financial challenge. We now face the reality that significant change is needed to create fiscal stability for Stanford Athletics, and to provide the support we believe is essential for our student-athletes to excel.

In that context, we are writing today with some extremely difficult news. In consultation with the Board of Trustees, we have made the decision to reduce the breadth of our athletics programs and staffing. Stanford will discontinue 11 of our varsity sports programs at the conclusion of the 2020-21 academic year: men’s and women’s fencing, field hockey, lightweight rowing, men’s rowing, co-ed and women’s sailing, squash, synchronized swimming, men’s volleyball and wrestling. All of these teams will have the opportunity to compete in their upcoming 2020-21 seasons, should the circumstances surrounding COVID-19 allow it, before they are discontinued at the varsity level. Regretfully, 20 of our support staff positions are being eliminated as part of this realignment.”

West Coast Sailing Marks 15 Years of Serving the Sailing Community

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Sail1Design is pleased to recognize one of our longest partners, West Coast Sailing. On a personal note, I was coaching awhile back at the High School National Championship in Seattle, and WCS was there, start to finish, with gear, support, and smiles. It is a great company, take a moment to meet the team.  Happy Milestone Birthday!

West Coast Sailing was founded in June 2005 with one vision: to be the leading resource for products, services, and information in the small sailboat industry. 15 years later, we’ve worked with tens of thousands of sailors around the world and remain committed as ever to supporting your passion for sailing.

Founder George Yioulos opened the doors of West Coast Sailing on June 13th, 2005. In those early years he worked hard, through long days where the phone didn’t ring and no one came by the shop, and gave all his energy to helping fulfill a passion for sailing among those who love being on the water. In the years since we’ve grown, made our share of mistakes, faced challenges, and fought like mad to be here. West Coast Sailing is proud to be among North America’s leading sources for small sailboats, sailboat parts, sailing apparel, and equipment,remaining fully independent and focused on our core mission.In the past year we shipped over 13,000 packages, reaching every state in the United States and over 25 countries, sold and delivered over 400 boats to programs, clubs, and individuals,launched a brand new, state of the art website to make ordering product easier, expanded our product catalog which now includes more than 8,000 unique items, supported 50+organizations, regattas, and events with our sponsorship program, and worked closely with clubs and community sailing programs to keep kids on the the water.

Today, West Coast Sailing employees 15 dedicated and passionate sailors who work hard day in and day out to answer your questions, help you find the right replacement part or new sailboat,manage our ever growing product catalog, and fulfill your orders. Despite a few challenging months in the first half of 2020, we remain committed as ever to our vision and going the extra mile to help you make the most of your time on the water.

Whether you have shopped with us for years or looking for your new go to sailing store,hardcore dinghy racer or casual cruiser, up and coming junior sailor or parent of one, scholastic sailor, coach, program director, supporter, or simply someone who loves being on the water, we welcome you to check out everything we have to offer. When you choose West Coast Sailing you are not only helping to fulfill our vision of being a leading resource for sailors, but also helping us do more to give back to our sport and the sailing community. Thanks for being a part of our story, and we know the best is still to come.

Get to know West Coast Sailing at https://westcoastsailing.net/welcome

Written by Philip Krug, VP of Marketing & Ecommerce, West Coast Sailing June 22nd, 2020

S1D/North Sails “C&I” 420 Clinic Report

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Organized soon after the State of Maryland lifted boating/sailing restrictions and careful to mind all social distancing policies and procedures, the 29-31 May North Sails “C&I” 420 Clinic found some very eager participants, who could not wait finally to get out on the water and get back to sailing.

Limited to 6 top local teams, chosen by experience and resume, the clinic featured Coach Lior Lavie, a Olympic-level sailor and a highly experienced and successful coach, and North Sails rep Tom Sitzmann. The Clinic was held at Sail1Design, a private venue on the Magothy River, just north of Annapolis, MD.

As many know the 420 class sailboat has, in fact, two separate organizing classes, the International 420 (http://www.420sailing.org/) , and the Club 420 (https://club420.org/). Coming soon will be a detailed article on these two classes, compared, so stay tuned. For now, and very briefly, here is a quick look:

International 420

  • Truly an international class, with fleets around the world
  • Tapered spar, high performance foil and sailmaker options. The class maintains strict rules but does allow sailors to buy their own favorite brand of foils and sails.
  • Rig tuning includes allowing spreader adjustment
  • Minimum hull weight is 176.4 lbs
  • Boat will plane upwind and downwind in moderate wind conditions
  • Class organization is very strong; USA class participation is good, attracting many of the most talented youth sailors in the country
  • The choice for the US Youth double-handed championship

Club 420 Class

  • USA only
  • Non-tapered spar, can use only class foils and class sails. Hull must have rail bumper. Rules are designed to promote durability
  • Minimum hull weight is 230 lbs.
  • Boat will plane downwind, not nearly as much or as often upwind when compared to the i420
  • Class organization is very strong, class participation is excellent, often with 60+ boats attending major National-level events.

One of the goals of this clinic was to expose sailors, first-hand, to the distinctions between the i420 and the c420. North Sails Tom Sitzmann, who is currently working on an all-new NS i420 tuning guide, shared some of the tips and tricks that make the North Sails i420 sails set up as they should be (for more information on North Sails i420 options, contact Tom) While both classes offer incredible opportunities for youth sailors, their tuning, trim, and focus points are distinct, and successful teams know these differences. Ultimately, the difference in each boat’s performance characteristics requires teams to dial in to the boat’s capabilities, and recognize tactics must change with boats that go different speeds.

On the first day, 2 i420’s rigged up along with 3 c420’s, and teams interested in trying out the i420 were able to do so. Coach Lior had both C and I 420’s do the same drills, and it was really neat to see the boats out there training together. One sailor commented “The i420 was planing upwind for us, almost right out of a tack; I was amazed at how that boat accelerated and seemed to lift up right away.”

Graeme Woodworth, whose son Luke participated in the clinic and was himself a top youth i420 and All-American collegiate sailor, noted that these two classes, back in the 1990’s, did have some overlap, and that the c420 National champion used to be given a spot at the i420 World Championship.

For the rest of the weekend the group all sailed c420’s to make things even, and Coach Lior had the group work relentlessly on boat-handling, and spinnaker sets, gybes, and take-downs. It’s quite likely that the teams did more spinnaker work in these three days than at any other time in their lives, and the improvements were noticeable and impressive.

In the end, the group had three days of near perfect weather conditions, and all learned a great deal.

For more information on 420 sailing and i420 sails, contact North Sails today.

We are scheduling more clincs, and also putting together a training team for dedicated youth sailors. Interested in S1D 420 Team, and Clinics in the future? Get in touch

email:  [email protected]

 

 

 

Safe Boat Cleaning Tips, brought to you by Zim Sailing

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By Bob Adam
It is becoming increasingly optimistic that junior programming will take place this summer.  Albeit, the new normal will require significant changes and I admire all the insight and dedication that program directors and chairs have put into a safe return to play for our athletes.  Countless hours have been put in by everyone to ensure the safety of students, competitors, staff, and volunteers.  Covid 19 has affected each region and community differently.  New guidelines are issued on a daily or weekly basis and it is incredibly challenging to keep it all straight.  The one remaining constant is to wash your hands, do not touch your face and when possible, wear a face covering.

One of the hottest topics is how to safely disinfect your boat and equipment.  There has been significant discussing on the use of bleach to disinfect boats.  The following was taken from the CDC – https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/cleaning-disinfection.html.

Hard (Non-porous) Surfaces

  • Wear disposable gloves when cleaning and disinfecting surfaces. Gloves should be discarded after each cleaning. If reusable gloves are used, those gloves should be dedicated for cleaning and disinfection of surfaces for COVID-19 and should not be used for other purposes. Consult the manufacturer’s instructions for cleaning and disinfection products used. Clean hands immediately after gloves are removed.
  • If surfaces are dirty, they should be cleaned using a detergent or soap and water prior to disinfection.
  • For disinfection, most common EPA-registered household disinfectants should be effective.
    • A list of products that are EPA-approved for use against the virus that causes COVID-19 is available. Follow manufacturer’s instructions for all cleaning and disinfection products for (concentration, application method and contact time, etc.).
    • Additionally, diluted household bleach solutions (at least 1000ppm sodium hypochlorite) can be used if appropriate for the surface. Follow manufacturer’s instructions for application, ensuring a contact time of at least 1 minute, and allowing proper ventilation during and after application. Check to ensure the product is not past its expiration date. Never mix household bleach with ammonia or any other cleanser. Unexpired household bleach will be effective against coronaviruses when properly diluted.
  • Prepare a bleach solution by mixing:
    • 5 tablespoons (1/3rd cup) bleach per gallon of water or
    • 4 teaspoons bleach per quart of water
  • Bleach solutions will be effective for disinfection up to 24 hours.

Many guidelines recommend cleaning the surface with soap and water prior to disinfecting.  This may not need to be done if your boats are already in clean condition.  I would recommend spraying boats down with a bleach solution in a standard garden sprayer – https://www.homedepot.com/p/HDX-2-Gal-Pump-Sprayer-1502HDXA/307766539.  Let it sit for a minute and then rinse with fresh or saltwater.  If you do not have a hose, then a bucket or bailer will work just as well.

Many folks have expressed concerns about using bleach and the environment and potential damage to the boat or equipment.  There is significant information online that shows diluted bleach may not be an issue to the environment.  Secondly, this low solution will not damage the boat or equipment.

https://www.factsaboutbleach.com/bleach_and_the_environment.html

I have spoken with many programs around the country and it looks like most will be reopening between now and July 6th.  With that, clubs are being creative to get some local and regional regattas going.  I am thrilled to see so much creativity taking place and I look forward to being onsite supporting these events.

About Zim Sailing

Zim Sailing, based in Rhode Island, provides one-design sailboats, parts, accessories, and services to the North American market. The principals of our company are lifelong sailing enthusiasts with boat building experience spanning over 40 years.

 Left: Owner Steve Perry and Bob Adam (VP of Sales)

We engage in grass roots youth development of yacht club junior sailing programs, community sailing programs, and high school and collegiate sailing programs. Zim Sailing can be found at regattas around the country, providing support with charter boats and onsite sales and service.

Our production facilities in both the United States and Asia help us achieve our mission by spending a great amount of time and care in the production of each boat. With over twenty years of experience, our factories and their craftsmen allow us to ensure that our boats are built to the highest standards possible. This exceptional attention to detail, using the finest materials available, results in an extremely high quality product at a more favorable price to the consumer.

We have searched the globe to source the best equipment available for our boats. Our suppliers include trusted brands like North Sails, Optiparts, Harken, Ronstan, and many more.

 

Coaching at IODA Worlds: How it Reshaped Me as a Coach

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By Bernat Gali Bou
Lakewood Yacht Club Head Opti Coach
USNT Coach
ODP2 Gulf Coast Regional Coordinator

‘’It has been almost a year since I actually coached at my first IODA World Championship, and eventually my first IODA Event ever (as coach and as a sailor), and sure feels like it just happened yesterday with the amount of emotions, feelings, re-connections with long time coach friends, new friendships, experiences, moments I will remember forever..and of course, the 15 days spend in beautiful Antigua coaching! Omari Scott, Coral Reef Yacht Club Head Opti Coach, is originally from Antigua and was always talking wonders about his country…I can say, with no doubt, that he falls short about how amazing the Antiguan people and it’s culture actually is.

The memories of the 2019 IODA World Championships are coming back as unfortunately, due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, many if not all the IODA 2020 Events will be canceled for the year, leaving the Opti Sailing Community without those extraordinary experiences for sailors and coaches. I can’t thank enough the Puerto Rico Optimist Association, for providing me with the opportunity to coach at such incredible, rewarding, high level event and live at first hand how professional and competitive Optimist Sailing can be.

The Puerto Rican Worlds Team was one of the youngest teams at the 2019 IODA Worlds Team, and it was such a rewarding experience. The preparation included the 2019 International Optimist Regatta in St Thomas, USVI and one week of training with the Team USVI Worlds Team and their Head Coach, Argy Resano, just prior to the Event.

The 2019 IODA World Championships were the largest ever, with a record registered 63 countries. It’s the pinnacle of the sport, the Olympics for Optimist Sailing, where only the top 5 in each country gets to participate, and boy the atmosphere around the event it’s impossible to describe unless you’re actually part of it. You experience so many cultures, so many sailing techniques, so many coaching styles and approach, that you’re trying to absorb all of it while you’re still trying to get your job done! It’s a fantastic format that lets you connect with people who live on the other side of the world, where bonding isn’t required but super encouraged and the meals that we all share in the same place make you feel special, whether you’re a coach or a sailor.

Why it has reshaped me as a coach? There are a thousand different reasons I could mention, and I would still fall short into getting myself explained. But essentially, the following really made me reconsider a lot as a coach:

  1. The level of commitment, maturity, responsibility and focus. Many of the sailors looked like they were competing at the Olympics, and their routines were near to professionalism. You can sense that as you approach the start of the event and grows into you as the event starts. Sailors are there for one and only one reason, give their best every single second of the day.
  2. The professionalism of the coaches, regardless of their origin or team experience. Each team has its own dynamics, routines, ways to motivate each other, communication styles…its was like being at school at your favorite subject over and over everyday.
  3. The tremendous effort the host, volunteers, management and parents put into the event. You truly feel like, for 15 days, you belong into something special and for those two weeks, you’re surrounded by the best of the best in Optimist Sailing. This only carries forward with the sailors and pumps them up. The Opening and Closing ceremonies aren’t only spectacular but truly make the sailors and coaches feel unique!
  4. Talking with coaches about styles, rigging techniques, challenges they face, team management…you truly connect with many of them and the knowledge learned it’s priceless, just as the friendships that carry on after the event. I don’t know who were more sad after we all jump in an airplane the day after the Regatta was over, if the sailors or the coaches, seriously!

You can only learn more and more from your peers, specially at the most important event of the year for Optimist. On top of that, it was an absolute pleasure to witness how Marco Gradoni, Italian Optimist National Team, won his third Optimist World Championship in a row while adding the Team Racing World Championship with their Italian team mates and top Nation in the Fleet Racing part. He is, arguably, the most successful Optimist Sailor in the history and the only one who’s been able to win three World Championships in a row. His abilities, skills, focus and commitment to the class truly show how much coaches make an impact in this beautiful class, and that’s what really reshaped me as a coach, to see how much greatness (as a sailor, as a person and as an athlete) kids can achieve under our leadership, as long as we provide them with the right tools, passion, respect and most important, fun and trustfulness.

News From East Coast Sailboats: The Melges 15 is Here!

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After months of rumors, We can finally talk about Melges’s new boat, The Melges 15.  Melges debut’d the boat on May 19th via Facebook and the Melges newsletter. The press release came out at 11 AM on 5/19/20 with a video and pictures, giving us a good look at the boat and how she sails.  

The Melges 15 comes in two configurations: The M15 One Design with an asymmetric spinnaker and the Melges Club with a Main and Jib configuration.  The asymmetric comes in 4 colors: Hot Pink, Neon Yellow, Red, Blue. The dolly, from Dynamic Dollies and Racks, is custom to the boat and gives you a wide variety of configurations depending on your water access.  Option include: 40″ carbon tiller extension, racing sheets, custom sail numbers, full deck cover, bottom cover, rudder/tiller bag and a mast bag. Trailers are available as well. Single, double or triple.  Boats can be stacked for transport as well.  Pricing starts at $ 11,900.00

ECS’s first demo boat will arrive at the end of July.  We are taking orders for the new Melges 15 at this time. Details and contact for purchase is on our website page. We will also be offering demo’s of the boat at our sailing center in Kitty Hawk, NC. Part of our “Try before you buy,” program.  Please contact us for more details or to schedule a demo. 

East Coast Sailboats, Inc. is the US Distributor for Topper/Topaz Sailboats and dealer for multiple brands such as Hobie Cat, Nacra Sports and Fun Catamarans, Melges Performance Sailboats, RS Sailing, O’Pen Skiff, World Wide Sailor Prams and Flying Scot (Boats, Parts and accessories) .  Our goal is to maximize a sailor’s time on the water at the best possible value.  We focus our effort towards promoting the sport of sailing by working through individual sailors, sailing clubs, sailing schools, and a network of dealers across the US, Hawaii, and the Caribbean. East Coast Sailboats also operates as Sail OBX, a day sail and sunset cruise captained charter operation using a Maine Cat 38 sailing catamaran.  

Sachem’s Head YC Seeks Sailing Program & Waterfront Director

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Sachem’s Head Yacht Club is located on the Connecticut shore of Long Island Sound, in Guilford, Connecticut. Sachem’s Head’s Junior Sailing Program is a successful sailing program with 65 sailors from ages 6 to 16. SHYC now seeks a Sailing Program & Waterfront Director! NEW Sailing Program & Waterfront Director Position: We are seeking a knowledgeable candidate who is proactive, organized, responsible, high-performing, and professional. The primary role of this summer position is to manage the junior sailing program and to manage the club’s waterfront areas, including club owned boats, launch drivers, and docks. LEARN MORE

The program’s strengths are in fostering a love of sailing and respect for the water; teaching sailing, seamanship, and competitive racing; and inspiring kids through fun, learning, confidence, and growth. We offer racing options and recreational sailing options for all ages.

SHYC also seeks

SailingAnarchy Interview with Coach of the Year John Mollicone

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A few weeks ago S1D awarded our Sailing Anarchy/S1D Coach of the Year to Brown University Head Coach John Mollicone (see article below). Sailing Anarchy caught up with John and spent some time with our new Coach of the Year. Enjoy!!!

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 2020 Sailing Anarchy/S1D Coach of the Year Announced!!12+ years in the making, more than worth it. Thanks to Sailing Anarchy for sponsoring this award and being a great steward of our sport of sailing over the years!! People this year definitely did speak their mind!

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 record number of nominations, and a very deserving 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 settled on one, whose sheer number of nominations, along with their content, finally overwhelmed and impressed us. There were several important themes found in the winner’s nomination letters (dedication, knowledge, energy) but the one that really got us was how many of the letters used the word “family.” This year, the Sailing Anarchy/S1D Coach of the Year Award goes to John 2020 Sailing Anarchy/S1D Coach of the Year Announced!!Mollicone.

Coach John wasn’t chosen from just one nomination letter: he received an incredible ten submissions!! Here’s an excerpt from one testimonial: I am writing in order to nominate my coach, John Mollicone, for the Sailing Anarchy/S1D Coach of the Year Award. John’s personal sailing accomplishments precede him, so I will focus on his tireless effort and devotion to the Brown University Sailing program. John is coming up on 20 years as the head coach at Brown, and his service to the team is impossible to measure. With resilience, John has led the team through the highest of highs (like last year’s Women’s National Championship victory) to the lowest of lows (like the fire that burnt down Brown’s Edgewood Yacht Club and forced the team to live out of a trailer for years). Along the way, there is one unshakeable force: John’s absolute devotion and love for Brown Sailing and each and every sailor who has the pleasure of being coached by him. When the 2020 Spring Season was cut short due to the spread of coronavirus, the sailors, especially the seniors, were absolutely devastated. John, too, was devastated. But he behaved like the best of leaders: with kindness, with passion, and with a deep and sincere concern for how we were and how we were working through the loss of a season that we had worked so hard toward. 

John adds his name to an incredibly impressive list. Here are our former winners:
S1D Coach of the Year Winners
2019- Jon Faudree
2018- Scott Iklé
2017- Bill Healy
2016- Bill Ward
2015- Frank Pizzo
2014- Chris Dold
2013- Steve Hunt

2020 Sailing Anarchy/S1D Coach of the Year Announced!!Thanks to our sponsor, Sailing Anarchy, our winner will receive some cool swag from SA.  AS if that isn’t enough, John will also receive the coolest hat on earth, the S1D Race Hat!!  ?2020 Sailing Anarchy/S1D Coach of the Year Announced!!

Here are some excerpts from a few of John’s ten nomination letters:

I could continue to go on for paragraphs and paragraphs about how important this man is to all of us on the team along with telling stories about how he is our friend. I have also been sailing on the highest level of the sport of sailing for the past 7 years being a member of ODP and traveling to international regattas where I was being coached by “the best of the best”. In conclusion and in an attempt to keep this brief, if anyone were to ask me who the best coach I have ever had was, my answer would 100% be John Mollicone.

He is not only a great coach, but an incredible person that is always willing to help other teams and sailors. Through my time at Brown I have gotten to know John as a coach that will always put his sailors first. He loves coaching, but even more so, he is happiest when we are happy. The hardest part about sailing in college is trying to combine it with school and John understands this, mentoring sailors through their time in college to succeed best at both. He can tell when we are stressed and will always put our needs above sailing.

On and off the water, John takes on the role of a mentor. His knowledge of sailing is seemingly endless to begin with, and he can easily adapt his knowledge to any level of sailor that joins us on the team. We have a range of sailors from kids who have never stepped foot in a boat, all the way to Olympians, and John has a magic ability to teach to every skill level. I can guarantee that every single member of the team, from the past 20 years, to present, has learned more as a sailor and as a teammate learning from John. I doubt there are many other coaches that would make you hike upwind for god knows how many miles, and then the following week offer to drop food off at your house due to the coronavirus. John is an amazing coach – his constant dedication to bettering all his sailors and the sport itself is evident, and it is even more amazing in his ability to make our team feel like a family.

He has led our women to a college national championship last spring which is an amazing achievement as well. We recently got a new boat house in a large part due to his efforts and if there is ever a storm he is always there at any hour, even in hurricane conditions to make sure our boats are safe and that is not an exaggeration at all. He takes time every Wednesday night to come campus and take extra time to meet with us and talk to us. He cares so much and deserves this award like no other candidate.

During my time on the Brown Sailing Team, John has pushed me both on and off the water to become the best sailor. When someone joins the team, John is invested in making sure we are setting goals and achieving them as well as enjoying school, keeping up with our studies, and all things inbetween. John is also the biggest advocate I know of promoting close team dynamics. In college sailing, the Brown sailors are arguably the closest team and without John it is unlikely this could be said – everyone celebrates when teammates finish well on the weekend, everyone wishes each other good luck before the weekend,  and everyone pushes each other to be better in practice. The biggest celebrations most definitely include beating John when he hops in for a team race though. 
2020 Sailing Anarchy/S1D Coach of the Year Announced!!
One of my favorite things about him is how much he encourages us to share our knowledge and learn from each other––he does an incredible job of facilitating conversations where everyone is able to contribute their knowledge. He never acts like he has all the answers (even though he is always ready to share his expertise!). His coaching style is one of the reasons I love Brown Sailing and I couldn’t be happier to be one of his sailors.
I believe John deserves the award not for our high competitive performance but for his efforts to make our team a welcoming community for sailors of all skill levels. As a freshman, I walked onto the team with no prior sailing experience and John – as he has done for innumerable freshman over his 20+ year career – took me in without a second thought. A chief strength of our team is our diversity and depth: we have sailors of all skill levels, from past Olympic competitors to fair weather club sailors. Everyone is welcome on our team regardless of past experience, and everyone is provided the same opportunity to improve and, most importantly, have fun on the water. Our team is more than a team – it is a family – and that is thanks to the welcoming atmosphere fostered John.
As an alumni of class of 2019, I can say he truly made my time in college sailing very special. John has such a passion for sailing which he shares with the whole team. He welcomes in sailors of all backgrounds, from ex-Olympians to people who have never been in a boat in their life and has created All-Americans out of both. I think it is rare to find a college coach who cares so much for his sailors, knowing when to push us and to check in if we seemed stressed with school. Overall, coaching is not only about being a great sailor, but also about creating a connection with other sailors and being able to lead them towards success.

Congratulations John, and well done to the Brown University Sailing Team!!!

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