Congratulations to Team Lauderdale YC (LYC-1), for winning the 2017 Optimist Team Race National Championship. The event was held at Old Dominion University and also supported by the Norfolk Yacht & Country Club.
Over three days of racing the LYC-1 team, I believe, never lost a race. Wow. The team consisted of:
Full results HERE
Sail1Design Performance Coaching
New for 2017: Sail1Design Optimist Elite Fall Training CAMP
Sail1Design is hosting several Optimist dinghy training sessions for fall, 2017. Sailing will take place on the Magothy River, just north of Annapolis, MD., and will be strictly limited to 15 sailors. Our venue is a perfect place to sail; very short sail out and in, no boat traffic, and good fall winds.
These sessions are for RWB sailors with regional/national-level Optimist sailing experience. Applications are by resume and open until filled; coaches will choose based on application strength. We are excited this fall to blend both experienced adult professional coaching with peer coaches out on the water, who will be able to display boat handling techniques that made them so successful in the Optimist sailing world.
Training will focus on:
Sailors will train on the water and de-brief off the water with video. Coaches include experienced adults along with recent top-level graduates of the Optimist class. By providing both adult and peer coaching, we feel this clinic will provide unique and very beneficial insights for aspiring Optimist sailors.
For more information, please contact Sail1Design: [email protected] or 443-220-2089
REGISTRATION & APPLICATION
https://goo.gl/forms/JqqAuLolBQ7Hw4oW2
SCHEDULE
This is a 3 day training session OCTOBER 13,14 & 15
FEES
Per day:
HOTELS/MOTELS NEARBY
Coaches
Tom Sitzmann
A lifelong educator and former pro sailor, Tom has coached sailing and directed sailing programs from Maine to Annapolis, and after working with both Tufts and Dartmouth sailing teams, was an assistant offshore & dinghy coach at the USNA, head intercollegiate coach at Bowdoin College, and is now head coach at Severn School, where he founded their modern program with its own private venue, and guided the team to a National championship, the first and only Chesapeake Bay school ever to win the Mallory Trophy. The team narrowly lost out this spring on its second, finishing 2nd at MIT in a close regatta.
Apprentice coaches:
By Airwaves writer Taylor Penwell
Greg is a former All-American collegiate sailor, acclaimed sail maker, and the Director of Sailing for the College of Charleston Cougars who recently won the 2017 College Sailing Team Race and Coed Nationals. An accomplished sailor himself, Greg has won 21 North American and National Championships in seven different classes. A native of Columbus, Ohio, he earned his All-American status at Ohio Wesleyan and soon after went on to a successful career in sail making for 34 years. Greg owned his own loft, Fisher Sails before joining North Sails in 1991 where he handled many One-Design classes. In 2010 Greg became the College of Charleston’s Director of Sailing. Under his guidance as director, the Charleston Cougars have won 3 Fowle Trophies, 9 different nationals, and produced 25 All-American sailors.
Early Life
When did you start sailing?
Both my brother Matt and I started pretty young- we were like 5 or 6 when we started crewing for our Dad in his Lightning.
What drew you to competitive sailing?
We were very fortunate to have a super supportive family when it came to sailing. My Dad actually gave up his own sailing so he could really help us focus on ours. We had our own Lightnings at 11 and 12 (yes it raised a few eyebrows!) and our Dad took us to a bunch of regattas- both Junior events and Lightning- all through the summers.
He never really pushed us hard but gave us every opportunity to sail as much as we wanted so we could really enjoy the sport- which we did. Our club in central Ohio- Buckeye Lake- was very competitive and enthusiastic in those days. There was a strong one design racing focus as well as great passion for youth sailing/racing. Members of our club, and of course our parents, would all go to the major Junior regattas to cheer us on. We were super lucky.
Tell us about your college career. What did you take away from it?
College Sailing is when I really grew attached to the sport and realized it was more to me than just a hobby. I learned a great deal in college about the value of boat speed and sailing conservatively. I also appreciated the value of practice and coaching. Most important, I made friends- true quality people- who I still enjoy sailing and hanging out with today!
Sail Maker
How did you get into the sail making industry?
In my early college years, I worked summers for a one design boat builder in Cleveland. We built a bunch of Snipes and Lightnings and I l really enjoyed it. But it was my Dad who suggested I just check out sailmaking before I commit to boatbuilding full time. I moved to Newport, RI and started working for Bill and Doug Shore of Shore Sails. They were not only talented sailmakers and made some very speedy sails, they were also truly customer oriented. They really made sure their customers knew how to use their sails and get the most from them. I was really taken with sailmaking. I loved the fast pace, the technical aspects and most of all I loved the thrill of watching and helping our customers use our sails and sail fast! I had found my career that I would enjoy for over 34 years! I learned a bunch from Bill and Doug.
You started your own sail loft, Fisher Sails. What was it like to have your own sail loft?
I moved back to Ohio and opened one of Bill Shore’s first franchises in 1978. In 1986 I was ready to give it a go on my own and dropped the franchise and started Fisher Sails. We focused on just one design sails and really worked that niche. It was quite a learning experience that involved the running of a small business as well as designing and building sails. At one point we had upwards of 15 people working on the floor. We enjoyed a good run in those days and one year our sails even help win 14 different One Design Nationals! What a thrill!
In 1991 you joined the North Sails team and were there until the year you became the CofC Sailing Director, what was it like to work for one of the biggest sail making companies in the world?
Working for North Sails was, an incredible experience for me. When North Sails bought Fisher Sails in 1991 they were just beginning to roll out the first 3DL sails. It was exciting to watch the passion for the technology and desire to build the coolest, fastest sails. It would have been easy to become totally engrossed with just building the finest product but there was always a strong group in the company who appreciated and made sure that customers were always well cared for too. I was given a lot of free reign and encouraged to sell one design sails as I thought most effective. I really loved helping our customers take the sails, learn them, sail fast, and have a great time. We had so many great people and resources in our One Design Group that all complemented one another. There were incredibly talented designers, wise business people, strong marketers and all good sailors who loved the sport. Most of those guys in the One Design team are still there!
What did your job at North Sails entail?
In the One Design Group, we all worked together to take care of an incredible number of classes. Each of us was assigned a number of classes (I think I was responsible for about 10-12) and we had to work with our designer to make sure the sails were fast and easy to set up. We wrote the tuning guides and put together our class specific clinics. We worked with our marketing gang in providing content for ads and newsletters. And of course, we travelled to regattas and clinics usually 3 out of 4 weekends. I think at the height of my career I would sail 5 or 6 Nationals and a similar number of Midwinter Championships. It was a quick pace but super rewarding. I was especially lucky as my wife Jo Ann sailed with me in nearly every regatta. I still don’t know how she kept her job as a speech pathologist but we sure had some great times racing and travelling together!
College of Charleston Director of Sailing
How did you find yourself as the College of Charleston Director of Sailing?
I really wasn’t looking for a career change. But one day out of the blue, Jim Allsopp a vice president at North said “hey, I know a position I bet you’d really like and you should check out”. Jim’s son Cole was on the team at the College of Charleston and Jim said the college was looking for a new director. Once I got over the fact that a vice president at North suggested I consider another career I surely checked it out! My daughter Martha had attended and enjoyed the College as well and of course the success and reputation that the College of Charleston Sailing Program had long achieved was impressive to say the least. Jim was right. Once we visited Charleston we felt the 
southern hospitality and loved the town and the College. The respect from the community the C of C Sailing program had earned was amazing, and well deserved. We surely miss Annapolis and all our friends but it’s been fun having them come visit and seeing them when up in Annapolis at regattas.
It was a real honor to be offered the Director of Sailing at C of C. We moved to Charleston in October 2010
The job is different from being a sail maker, what are some of the challenges you’ve found in this position?
Being the Director of Sailing at C of C was quite different from being a sailmaker. The administrative details are an important part of my daily duties and shouldn’t have been a surprise. Fundraising is a critical focus for any sailing program and I am fortunate for the support of our Development Office here at the College. The team feel was like that at North and I learned to really enjoy that part of my job. Though I still love to teach sailing and coach we have 3 excellent full time coaches and my real focus is to ensure they have all they need to be as effective as possible. They work hard and are great leaders. But I still love to make it to practice and watch the team sail. I still offer some ideas on boat speed when I can!
What is your involvement in recruiting sailors to come to CofC?
Our coaches Ward Cromwell, Mitch Hall and Ned Goss do a great job maintaining a watchful eye on the talent in high schools around the country. And when these kids come visit the college we all work to ensure they see all we’re proud of and offer. Usually the recruit rides in the coach boat with Ward or Mitch and sometimes stay with a team member so they really get an idea of what a “day in the life” is like. While we all work together in recruiting, it seems my greatest value is to be able to relate with the parents. Many I’ve met or even sailed against over the years. 
What are some of your favorite highlights since you’ve been the Sailing Director?
We’ve been very fortunate and have enjoyed a lot of great times these past 6 1/2 years.
Winning 3 Fowle Trophies, 9 different Nationals and watching several of our sailors compete in Rio has been a thrill. We have had over 25 All-Americans. It’s been rewarding for our program to have such a successful offshore team. To be able to develop our Community Adaptive Program and help offer opportunities for Veterans and others who might not be able to sail has been super special. We host a few of our local high school teams’ practices at our center and it’s exciting to watch them enjoy and improve. All of us- our coaches, our staff and even our teams really want to contribute to the growth of sailing in Charleston.
What is your greatest satisfaction from being the Sailing Director?
Without question, the greatest reward for me is when our sailors actually grow to enjoy the sport even more than when they started at the College of Charleston. It’s great to see them improve, sail faster and of course win. But if they enjoy the whole process, the sport and want to continue on with it once they graduate-now that is really special and I feel like we’ve really contributed to their future!
The College of Charleston hosted the 2017 College Nationals, tell us about that experience hosting the event.
Well, that was a bit of a project. We took it on last September when the original host couldn’t hold it. We thought 8 months would be plenty of time to prepare but we needed every day to get it set up! But we had a great deal of support (especially from the USS Yorktown staff who provided spectating from the flight deck of the WWII aircraft carrier) and as a result it came off well. The sailing conditions were generally really good and provided the teams a little bit of everything…and for sure a good bit of current! But with over 330 sailors and 850 spectators and 11 days of sailing-it was indeed a big event. I was especially proud of our team and how hard they worked to ensure all the details were handled on land as well as the water and it was successful. But for sure for our sailors to sail so well and finally win 2 of the three Nationals and ultimately the Fowle was a thrill for all of us!
What do you have to say about your CofC team who won the Team Race and the Co-Ed National titles?
I couldn’t have been more proud…proud of our coaches who paced the team to encourage them to truly peak at the right time, proud of all our team and how they were literally on the dock tirelessly cheering and supporting their teammates on the water, proud of all the talented sailors who raced all the events and how they maintained the passion throughout the marathon event right to the last weather leg of the last Co-ed race. I have never witnessed such confident (but not arrogant) determination as in the last day of the event. To come back from starting the day in 4th to solidly winning the Nationals and in just 5 hours of racing was something I’ll never forget. What a team.
What makes a college program become top level?
In my humble opinion it is all about the passion at all levels. There needs to be support from the college itself. There must be fine boats, equipment and the facility that allow the team to progress. The coaches need to be hungry to help guide their sailors. And while I think the desire in the coaches can help fire up the team, the sailors themselves are who really the most passionate about their sailing, their schoolwork, their health and being able to navigate it all. They must enjoy the process of training, travelling and competition. I think building an environment that encourages your sailors enjoy all that goes with being a member of a top-level team is what makes the difference.
How do great sailors set themselves above the competition?
I think great college sailors work hard to avoid distraction in their day to day life. They know what is most important- or most important to them- and they work really hard to keep their eye on the ball. They also pace themselves and make sure they’re not burning themselves out- and recognize when their passion is being tested.
They are fast sailors and know how to keep their boat in the right gear most of the time. They’re conservative sailors and don’t try to win a regatta in one race or the first race…again they recognize the pace and usually it takes a bunch of races to come out on top in an event. They’re excellent, consistent starters. But they’ll rarely be leading half way up the first beat…. but they’ll rarely be deep as well. They’re avid learners and always enthused to master new skills…and look for help to make it happen. It’s also rare to see a true champion who’s not a great sportsman or sportswoman as well. Like with their life skills, they work hard to keep it all in perspective.
When you are not sailing or running the colleges sailing, what do you enjoy doing?
My wife and I enjoy following our 12-year-old daughter around in her gymnastics competitions. Of course, we’re hoping she’ll one day get pumped abut sailing and racing like us. We’re working hard, but cautiously to give her the opportunities so she’ll hopefully fall for it. She has an Optimist, an Open Bic and has sailed with us in a few Lightning regattas (we still enjoy our own racing from time to time) …but so far, no luck…but stay tuned!
But we also enjoy just cruising around Charleston in our little powerboat and checking out all the different little bays, rivers, intercostal waterways. What a cool place!
Press Report: July 17, 2017
USA Retains Grasp on Team Racing World Title for Second Year
Story courtesy of Optiworld
Pattaya, Thailand – Team USA beat Team China in a dramatic, hard-won, winner-takes-all ‘Sail Off’ in the team racing portion of the Optimist World Championship 2017, retaining its hold on the IODA Challenge Cup team racing trophy for the second year in a row.
As Justin described it, “We were first, second and third at Mark 3 in the final race, but then things got a little messy”. After an incident with a Chinese sailor who pushed the limits of what is allowed in team racing, Justin found himself in sixth position. He managed to gain ground, and, as he put it “somehow, right at the finish, we pinned them back and finished first, second and third. It was a very close finish.”
Foiling boats are the next big thing in sailing. Foiling has been around for years, but recently foiling has made a big step in sailing especially with the America’s Cup that just finished up. Maybe you even had a chance to see the video of the foiling opti! In February, we had a class profile on the new boat the Waszp, which is making foiling more accessible to everyone who wants to give it a try.
As you know fitness in sailing is so important for bettering your performance on the water. So what about fitness for foiling? To be able to foil it takes many skills, but you especially need to make sure your fitness is at a top level. In the spring when I headed out on the waszp I learned what fitness skills I needed to improve on to become better at foiling. It takes speed, agility, strength, balance, aerobic capacity, and endurance to be able to sail these foiling boats. If you had a chance to follow the America’s Cup you saw how hard those guys are working on those boats. Check out this great article on what goes into their training: The kickass total-body conditioning workout of Oracle Team USA, America’s top sailing squad.
So how can we train to get into top shape for foiling? Check out below a total-body workout that will help you get into top shape for your next foiling adventure. Also, check out the moves in the video.
Foiling Workout:
-Warm up with Dynamic Stretching (5 minutes)
Core Activation:
Agility Ladder: Out In’s x 2
Single Leg Burpee (30 seconds)
Shoulder Taps (30 seconds)
Agility Ladder: Out In’s x 2
Repeat 2x No Rest
Workout:
Ski Abs (1 minute)
Agility Ladder: Hip Switch Drill x 2
Split Lunges (1 minute)
Agility Ladder: Hip Switch Drill x 2
Sprint 70 yards
Repeat 3x with 60 seconds rest between sets
Squat Jumps (1 minute)
Agility Ladder: One Leg Hop x 2
Burpee with push up (1 minute)
Agility Ladder: One Leg Hop x 2
Sprint 70 yards
Repeat 3x with 60 seconds rest between sets
-Cool Down with Foam Rolling and Static Stretching
For more information on fitness for sailing contact [email protected]. Also check out Sailorcise on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for daily tips on fitness, nutrition, and sailing.
By Airwaves Writer Mac Dickson
The Class
The Etchells class has maintained a celebrated and decorated reputation since Skip Etchells designed his first twenty-two-foot racing sloop in 1965. Born in 1911, Skip lived through both World Wars and the Great Depression. He spent a much of his life designing Stars and later Lightning’s in New England. The Etchells family has a noteworthy sailing pedigree. Skip won the Star Class World Championship as a helmsman in 1951. His wife and crew, Mary, remains the only female world champion in the Star class to date. Skip’s extensive racing experience and success made him the ideal boat builder. Following his move to Stamford in 1965, Skip designed a new boat that would become the International Etchells Class.
The design, according to skip, was “a very simple rule, very good for the imagination: 22 feet on the waterline, 4’6” draft, 3,700 pounds displacement, and only 310 square feet of actual sail area. A wholesome, heavy-weather boat was clearly invited, we thought (Etchells.org).”
Today, the Etchells is a thirty-foot sloop that has maintained over fifty active fleets for the past thirty years. The vessel is crewed by three to four people, and remains comfortable and competitive. It boasts a low wetted surface hull which allows it to sail in even the lightest of breeze. The Etchells class has adhered to a one-design principle. The construction of the boats is not only governed by the strong, effective class association but also the ISAF.
The class boasts high levels of competition in all levels of racing. The top Etchells sailors often have ten or more years in the class, and an even deeper history in other boats. However, in recent history there has been a noticeable lack of younger-generation racers in the class. The first-annual US-UK Youth Etchells Challenge came about this year in an effort to change that.
The Challenge
The challenge was issued by the Cowes, UK Etchells fleet over the winter after discussions at the 2016 World Championship and the annual Etchells series in Miami, according to Senet Bischoff. It included invitations to one, or two US Youth teams to compete in the an annual Etchells invitational regatta taking place in Cowes, UK: the Gertrude Cup. The event will see very high competition from twenty teams, including the UK Youth entry.
The US Etchells fleet was quick to jump at this opportunity and promptly made an announcement in search of the right sailors in early April. Although they were only challenged to send one boat, they received so much interest from youth sailors and Etchells class members that the final group for the Gertrude Cup will be two boats and a team manager. The team was selected through applications due on the first of May to sailors not older than twenty-five. The application required a statement of how participation in the challenge would foster the applicant’s development as a competitive sailor. The selection committee consisted of three well-known names in the Etchells world: Senet Bischoff, Michael Gavin, and 2017 national champion Steve Benjamin. “We were seeking sailors that had interest in learning and broadening their sailing experience… and a team that had a balance of dinghy and keelboat experience, as well as experience at different positions in the boat,” says Bischoff. The committee has since selflessly dedicated much of their own time and resources to this team through providing boats, fundraising, coaching, support, and much more.
In a respectable, gracious manner, the British hosting authority agreed to supply a boat and accommodations for one US team and reserve a second entry for an additional US Youth Team. The US plans to follow suit at a major event in the states in 2018, potentially the North American Championship. A new class trophy, dedicated to the annual challenge, will be awarded to the highest-placing youth team at the Gertrude Cup.
The Team
The basic criteria for applications to the team, as outlined in the announcement, included: “a sailing résumé, contact information, availability from May to July, birthday, height, weight, and a statement of how participation in the Youth Challenge will contribute to your development as a competitive sailor.” After sorting through numerous applications, the committee decided on a final team of nine sailors within the age requirement of 18-24. The sailors that constitute the selected team range from the minimum to maximum ages and boast an impressive array of sailing experience. Through the committee, the team has access to two competitive boats to train in. Their agenda for the summer consists of practice weekends and four major US Etchells events leading up to the coveted Gertrude Cup. The majority of the team, sans the two skippers, has no prior experience in the class.
The members of the team are very excited about the three-month campaign. Captain and Skipper Connor Needham stated that, “the opportunity that presented itself to have a scheduled, outline for the summer; competing in multiple events in a class that’s very well known for its high level of competitiveness; getting to a point of being able to compete in a major event like the Gertrude Cup at the end of July,” is what especially drew him to the challenge.
While the unconventional, raw Etchells Youth team is confident in their abilities, they understand that they have their work cut out for them and they’re determined to get where they need to be. The events on their schedule will bring the stiff competition that they need to get them ready for the big goal in the UK. “The top-end boats have sail-designers on the boat, they have sail makers on the boat, they have professional main-trimmers, they have guys that have been looking at it for 20 years. Something that I’ve learned is that I haven’t sailed against someone in the class that hasn’t sailed the boat for shorter than 10-15 years,” explains Needham, “It’s one of those boats where you need to learn by making a lot of mistakes, and those mistakes come through competing at events and learning from the other guys.”
They are coming into this challenge fully aware of the steep learning curve of the technical, competitive Etchells class. Despite their lack of experience in this particular boat, they are all valuable assets in their own unique respect. What is it about these kids, mostly brand new to the boat, that gives them a shot? Ed Lebens, a Long Island Sound Native, believes that “the range of skill sets, skill levels and sailing experience all coming together in one class and one team,” will be able to push them to be successful and competitive in the class. The thing that really makes this program special is their passion for learning from each other. “Everybody has come to this team with a common goal of learning a lot and trying to get to the top. Nobody’s stuck up with ego, and everybody’s learning from each other and making the most of the team,” asserts mid-bowman Key Becker. The team had their debut in full force this past weekend as they competed in the Atlantic Coast Championship at Shelter Island Yacht Club, Needham’s home Club. They were coming off of two practice weekends at the venue, eager to race and continue to grow their skills. The team raced two boats skippered by Connor Needham and Marly Isler and earned 5th and 9th place finishes, respectively. These results are very impressive for the tough fleet of 24 boats that competed. Check out each sailor’s individual profiles below:
Key Becker
Brooks Daley
Marly Isler
Gordon Gurnell
Hannah Polster
Connor Needham
Ed Lebens
Bram Bakman
James (Jimmy) Kennedy
The Mission
The US-UK Etchells Youth Challenge has a clear goal: growth of the sport through expanding the horizons of youth sailors. There is a huge gap between sailors who grew up immersed in the community with opportunities falling in their lap from every direction and those who have to make their own way. The latter is much more difficult. Sailors who grow up outside of the high-level bubble are not often seen competing at big, competitive events outside of the dinghy world like the Melges 24 Nationals, J70 North Americans, Annapolis to Newport, etc. This program making a clear, decisive effort to change that. “Being somebody that’s graduated from college,” comments Hannah Polster (Boston U. ’17), “and not being super involved in sailing outside of the realm of dinghy sailing and college sailing, it’s a huge opportunity for people to get into new classes of boats and kind of get further involved in sailing outside of the academic world; something that, coming into my senior year, I didn’t really know how to deal with post-college. It definitely gives me a lot of opportunities, and as it continues I think it will be a huge help for other people when they graduate.”
Many college sailors are under the impression that the “big-time” sailing route they are limited to after finishing school, or if they take time off of school, is an Olympic campaign. This challenge is a new way for sailors to represent their country, compete internationally, and gain skills from prime competition without the financial or time requirements of an Olympic run. “It’s really cool for the people who don’t want to put in the [semester] that it takes to get an Olympic medal. It’s a class, where you can have a life and work your butt off and still compete in the top events, and still stay involved in the sailing community,” states Skipper Marly Isler.
This initiative can largely be credited to the committee that made it happen. “I think we all owe something to Steve, Senet, and Michael for putting this together,” notes Becker, “They’ve all supported each one of us individually. Those three are a huge part of this and they don’t get mentioned enough.” Steve Benjamin, the driving force behind it all, recently won the 2017 Etchells National Championship. He is focused on his own campaign and is in definite contention for the World Championship, yet he is spending a large amount of his own time and resources to bring youth sailors into the sport and class that he loves. “That’s a really cool thing he’s doing, and a very selfless thing,” Isler fondly remarks.
It takes people like Steve Benjamin, organizations like the Etchells class, alliances like that of the US and the UK, and driven competitors like this team to take the sport we all cherish so deeply to the next level. The Sail1Design team is looking forward to following what these kids accomplish and keeping our readers updated. Stay tuned, and go USA!
