Spring is here, well at least we hope (this March weather has been a little crazy)! Which means the sailing season is back throughout the country. Hopefully, you took the winter to focus on getting stronger and eating right for a better sailing season. However, for those of us lacking in this area over the winter, this article will help you step up your game for a better sailing season. And for those of you who did keep up those workouts and healthy diet, this will give you some tips to keep going, and how to maximize your time during the season as well as stick to a healthy diet.
Training:
Tip 1: Schedule Your Workouts
Not having enough time is the number one reason people say they don’t workout. However, as you know to get the best results on the water you want to get those workouts in. So by sitting down the week before to plan out your week and when you can workout, you can make sure you are able to get your training in. It is also a good idea to plan your training schedule a month in advance. Then the week before look at your schedule to see when you can get your training accomplished each day. Check out the month schedule and weekly schedule for examples on how to put a training schedule together.
Tip 2: Change It Up
You want to keep your workouts fun and effective. You don’t want to be doing the same training routine every day as that becomes boring as well as you will stop seeing improvements with your strength. That is where planning your training out in advance will help to change up your routines and see it on paper. Look for exercises that will challenge your body and make you work hard. Not only will you see better results on the water, but it won’t be so boring and repetitive.
Tip 3: Chart Your Progress
Charting your progress is a great way to see how your strength is improving. Without making notes we won’t have an accurate timeline of how we are doing with our training sessions. Dedicate a notebook to charting your progress. Bring that with you every workout and take some notes on how the workout went that day. For example, maybe you had in your workout to do as many push-ups in one minute as you could. Write down in your notebook how many you were able to get in that day, and now when you do that workout again you will be able to see if you had improvements.
Tip 4: Workout With A Teammate
Working out with a teammate is always better than alone. It’s a great way to help push each other through the workout. It also makes your training session more fun! Look at your week and talk to a teammate or friend to see if they are available to workout with you. You both will have fun and improve your strength for a better sailing season.
Nutrition:
Tip 1: Hydrate
Hydration is key to better performance on the water and at the gym. When you don’t drink enough water you start to lose focus and your body starts to shut down. To make sure you are drinking enough water start carrying a reusable water bottle with you everywhere. This will help to remind you to continue to drink water throughout the day. The amount of water you should be drinking is half your body weight in ounces. So for a sailor that is 120 pounds they should be drinking at least 60 ounces every day. Then when you add training and sailing into the mix you will need to hydrate your body even more. Hydration is essential to keep going with your training, sailing, and everyday life.
Tip 2: Plan Out Your Meals
Just as you planned out your training schedule you want to do the same with your meals. By doing this you will ensure that you get the best and most nutritious meals throughout the week. There are different ways people will use this tip and you need to find the best way for you. You may write out what you plan to eat during the week. You may prepare food before the week gets started to have to eat throughout the week. For example cut up fruit and veggies, and or cook chicken and veggies. Find what works for you and use it to help prepare for the week.
Tip 3: Be Prepared
Sometimes you may be out or you finished up a workout and you are starving. You always want to be prepared to find the best meal to help enhance your performance and make you feel good. It’s always a good idea to pack some snacks in your workout bag for either during or after the workout. Some examples of great snacks after a training session are granola bars (try to stick to homemade ones or ones with not a lot of sugar), peanut butter and carrots, smoothie, nuts, and bananas. Sometimes you head out to lunch or dinner after a training session. Try to stay away from things on the menu that are fried and or use a lot of butter. Look for options that are more simple and cleaner to eat.
Tip 4: Find What You Like
We are not all going to like to eat the same things. So you want to test out what works for you and what you like eating. Finding what you like to eat will make eating right easier and more enjoyable. Make it fun and test out different recipes to find meals you enjoy.
With sailing season back in session you need to make sure you are still able to get that training routine in as well as eat right for better performance on the water. For training, schedule your workouts, change it up, chart your progress, and workout with a teammate. For your nutrition make sure to hydrate, plan out your meals, be prepared, and find what you like. Both your training and nutrition are essential components for your success in sailing as well as daily life. By using these tips you will set yourself up for success to accomplish both goals. Good luck and happy spring sailing!
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.
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NYC Sailing Instructor
Spring 2017 ICSA Team Race Rankings #2
Compiled by Airvaves Writer Dillon Paiva, photos of the Graham Hall by Alec Tayler
Brought to you by Dynamic Dollies
March 23, 2017– The second edition of our season rankings are here! The major events since our last rankings were the St. Mary’s Team Race, Southern New England Team Race, and the largest team race in college other than Nationals, the Graham Hall. What a difference two weeks can make. We finally saw #1 ranked Yale live up to all the hype, a 2nd place team drop all the way to 13th, and several NEISA teams finally breaking out of the cold to get their first team race regatta of the season under their belts. New to the list are upstarts Bowdoin College and George Washington University, who showed great promise and earned their berths this week.
Photo: William Tomasian
Coaches who participated in the poll ranked their top 15 teams in the country based on results from the previous two weekends and gave comments on each team.
| Rank | School | Total Points |
| 1 | Yale | 75 |
| 2 | Boston College | 68 |
| 3 | Georgetown | 67 |
| 4 | Navy | 59 |
| 5 | George Washington | 55 |
| 6 | Dartmouth | 47 |
| 7 | Bowdoin | 44 |
| 8 | Hobart William Smith | 43 |
| 9 | Tufts | 32 |
| 10 | MIT | 27 |
| 11 | Roger Williams | 26 |
| 12 | Boston University | 14 |
| 13 | College of Charleston | 13 |
| 14 | UCSB | 11 |
| 15 | Stanford | 8 |
| Also receiving votes: Connecticut College, Harvard, USF, St. Mary’s, Fordham | ||
Coaches who participated in the poll: Ken Legler (Tufts), Billy Healy (Yale), Clinton Hayes (Stanford), Johnny Norfleet (Fordham), Dillon Paiva (Navy)
| Rank | School | Ken | Bill | Clinton | Johnny | Dillon |
| 1 | Yale | Yale Got better throughout the Graham Hall to win their first regatta sailed this year | It took a three-way sail off but still #1 | Still unbeaten. Still #1 | Won the Graham Hall though only by a slim margin. That was their first event so expect them to continue improving | Came out of the winter swinging with a win at the Graham Hall. Still the best, but not as far ahead of the field as most thought |
| 2 | BC | Also got off to a great start winning in St. Mary’s and in the sail-off for the Graham Hall | Don’t think they’re happy with third at the Graham Hall being one-two’d by both teams in the sail off. | Like Georgetown, would have been #1 if they came out ahead in the 3 way tie this past weekend. | Yale and BC are a notch above the rest. The rest of the field is wide open | Ended first at the St. Mary’s TR and third at the Graham Hall, still second best in NEISA |
| 3 | Georgetown | Third at the Graham Hall equals third in the nation for now | Sandwiched between two good NEISA teams | Near win last weekend at the Graham Hall. Would have been #1. | Tied for 1st at the Graham Hall keeps them in the top 3 but they showed some serious weaknesses in earlier races lost. They are still figuring out their top 3 so expect them to get better between now and nationals as they are the clear favorite in MAISA. | Rounds out my top three. These teams are ahead of the field by a bit as shown with a three way tie requiring a sail-off after cut off time at Navy last weekend |
| 4 | Navy | They’re tough this year | Well coached and will give GW and G’town a run for the top MAISA spot at their qualifiers | Impressive results! Clear top 5 team right now. | Split races with GW at the Graham Hall but better results across the board this season | Strong performances at every regatta so far, including second at St. Mary’s TR and 5th at Graham Hall. Definitely contender for top MAISA spot |
| 5 | GW | GW began the Graham Hall on fire but became mortal the second day | New Kids On The Block pushing around the establishment. | Another team stacking up some impressive results. Certainly their first time in my top 5! | Sailed very well on day 1 of the Graham Hall. Lost some of their poise on day two against tougher opponents. Making a charge for their first nationals berth in program history | Very strong start to the graham hall regatta. 4th at two of the largest and most competitive regattas of the season in last two weekends |
| 6 | Dartmouth | Wish they could have raced in the Hall | I still think the return of their 2016 Nationals team will be huge. | Haven’t seen them the last 2 weeks… | Didn’t compete this weekend but still probably the 3rd best in NEISA on paper | Haven’t seen this team in a while, but they like to keep to themselves. Don’t let this fool you though, they’ll be strong come Fowle |
| 7 | Bowdoin | A surprise finalist at the Hall? Let’s give them some credit. | Beat the top three at the Graham Hall but couldn’t finish off the teams they should beat on paper | It’s crazy how deep ICSA team racing is right now! Add the Polar Bears to the list of legit team racing squads. | Made the top 6 at the Graham Hall but struggled despite taking a win off Yale | Not only was graham hall their first team race of the season, it was their first overall regatta. Must be cold up there, but excellent showing making the top 6. |
| 8 | HWS | Getting several good results in early season | 8 of their 9 wins at the Graham Hall were 1-2-x. I know what they’ll be working on. | Good consistent results so far this season. They are looking very good. | Narrowly missed the top 6 at the Graham Hall. Looking like the 4th best team at MAISA as the field stands now | We were all right about freshman star Hector Guzman rounding out this team. They are fast and able to take wins off anyone |
| 9 | Tufts | Tied with MIT for now | Jumbos can take any team down. Current weakness is many losses to a 1-2 | Beating MIT moves them just ahead in my rankings | Not great at the Graham Hall but I expect them to be a contender in NEISA based on home field advantage | Strong start to graham hall but tapered towards the end, but still finishing with a winning record |
| 10 | MIT | Good start going above .500 at the Hall | Fast and smart seasoned Beavers here. | Losing to tufts (on a tie break) but they stay in my top 10. That’s 6 NEISA teams I’m ranking in the top 10. | Decent finish at the Graham Hall for their first event. Should be a contender for a nationals berth in NEISA. The Fowle is going to be messy | Had some strong races for sure at the Graham Hall, another NEISA team that is sure to get better as the season warms up |
| 11 | Roger | Above .500 at the St. Mary’s team race | SNETR winners look strong after a week of good training with Bowdoin and Eckerd. | Strong win at the Southern New Enlgand Team Race | Won the SNETR though it was a weaker field and a one day event this year. | Won the SNETR with only one loss. Only a one day event but still plenty of high level competition |
| 12 | BU | Stan has something good going on here. Great Performance at the Geiger Trophy at MIT beating a really good Harvard team. | Handily takes the win at the Geiger | |||
| 13 | Charleston | Was their first at the BOB the anomaly or will they return to form after two subpar results | 2 weekends of weak results drop them a bunch in the rankings. I’m sure they will be strong come May. | What a difference a week makes. After a win at the Bob they get stomped at St. Mary’s and the Graham Hall. Turns out home field advantage matters. Look out for the Cooper River Cross Current Double Modified Port Triangle at nationals. | Poor finish due to a head injury at the St. Mary’s TR, but I thought we would see them bounce back a little higher at the Graham Hall | |
| 14 | UCSB | Remember, they won the McIntyre | UCSB was idle while St Mary’s squeaked out a 10th at a very difficult Graham Hall Regatta | They stay in my rankings based off earlier results | We haven’t seen them for a couple weeks but they remain best in the west until proven otherwise | |
| 15 | Stanford | Team Race Master Clinton Hayes has a good base to work with here | The abandonment on round robin 2 at St. Mary’s hurt the cardinals | Have some serious players. Haven’t had much opportunity to show where they stand against NEISA/MAISA teams | Sixth at the St. Mary’s TR, with more trips to the east coast planned, wouldn’t be surprised to see this team climb |
One Design Class Profile: The Taz
The TAZ sailing dinghy is the little sister of the Topaz sailboat. With the same Topaz style hull, it is smaller, and lighter than a Topper or Pico making it the perfect beginner or family fun boat.
Often called a modern day Sunfish the TAZ makes even the smallest new sailor feel safe, comfortable, and confident. Her ultra-modern ‘Topaz-like’ good looks will instantly ignite interest. Once on the water, the superbly responsive TAZ comes into her own to delight and win over yet another new convert to the sport of sailing.
Configuration
- Rig configuration with Mylar main sail and jib.
- Built in flotation pad at head of main sail
- Easy roll reefing and storage
- Center main sheet & two-piece mast
- Lifting rudder system
- Cartoppable
- Easy mast gate system
- Open transom
- Planing hull
- Center toe strap
- ISAF approved safety features
- “Topaz Style” carry and righting handles
Specifications
Specifications-
- Length: 2.95 M / 9.75 ft
- Beam: 1.2 M / 3.94 ft
- Crew Capacity: 1-2 / 1-2
- Racing Crew: 2 / 1
- Hull Weight: 40 kg / 88.2 lbs
- Mainsail: 3.39 SqM / 36.5 sqft
- Jib: 0.67 SqM / 7.21 sqft
ICSA News: Yale Wins the Graham Hall
March 19, 2017– We have been waiting all season to see the number one ranked Yale University Bulldogs at work. The wait ended as the 4-time consecutive champion arrived at the US Naval Academy to make their mark on the Graham Hall Team Race, the premier team race event of the spring season.
The Graham Hall is a massive team race regatta, in terms of people sailing and relevance, and is the closest model to what we will see at the National Championship, May 27. The 16-team regatta requires 120 races to complete just the first round. This edition of the event featured a full round robin, followed by a top-6 and a 3 team sail-off to find the winner. While, after 22 races sailed and a 17-5 overall record, the defending champion, #1 Yale came away with the win, the margin could not have been closer. Showing grit, the Bulldogs went 2-0 in a 3-way tie breaker between #3 Georgetown and #5 Boston College to discern the eventual winner.
Photo by Alec Taylor
“The winning team [only] won 75% of their races,” said senior Skipper, Ian Barrows. “That shows how deep the competition was at the regatta.” Mr. Barrows is a College Sailor of the Year Finalist, 3-time All-American, 3-time Team Race Champion, 3-time National Division Winner and a 2-time Fleet Race Champion. Barrows will take control of any team race in which he is sailing. He is the part of a Yale Sailing culture that has produced a long line of great sailors who characterize what is great about college sailing.
The Yale University Bulldogs started four skippers throughout the event, Ian Barrows (‘17), Nicholas Baird (‘19), Malcolm Lamphere (‘18) and Mitchell Kiss (‘17). Four crews rotated positions throughout the event. Clara Robertson (‘17), Natalya Doris (‘17), Chandler Gregoire (‘17) and Graceann Nicolosi (‘20) held down the front of the boat for a team known for great crew-work..
Yale finished 14-1 in races sailed against opponents from MAISA and SAISA but were 3-4 against teams from NEISA, the conference Yale will have to qualify out of in 3 weeks.
“The best thing about the event was the nice breeze and excellent race committee that allowed us to get a lot of races in,” said Zachary Leonard, head coach at Yale. “That is all we can ask for at an early season event. There were a lot of strong teams at the event is nearly every race was a battle.”
Coach Leonard seems to be at ease after the tight win. Returning 5 of 6 starters from last year’s championship team and flush with talent, this team is still the presumptive favorite. However, the Fowle Trophy, NEISA’s Team Race Championship is a notoriously tough event, especially this year as it will be hosted by Tufts, where, on Mystic Lake, anything can happen.
The #3 ranked Georgetown University Hoyas continues to impress despite a drastically different starting lineup from last year’s final-four team. The “new” squad is establishing chemistry to compliment skill as they’ve now finished top-2 in all three interconference team races in which they have competed. The Hoyas finished part of the 3-way tie between Yale and BC- losing to Yale but defeating Boston College.
#5 Boston College finished third due to the tie-breaker, but it is clear this group is elite and a legitimate contender for this year’s team race crown. A team that often depends on excellent speed and boat handling, the Eagle should be trending up as the season progresses once they shake of the early-spring rust.
In women’s sailing, the number five ranked Boston College Eagles won the St. Mary’s Women’s Interconference. With 150 points after 13 races in each division, The Eagles passed the William Smith Herons after race 5B and were able to hold off the rest of the competition throughout the event. Senior, Allyson Donahue sailing with Alice Bohan (‘18) and Tara Ferraris (‘19) won A-Division with 64 points for the Eagles.
“We avoided distractions and stayed focused on the things we could control,” said Boston College Head Coach Greg Wilkenson. “Toughness was a team theme for the weekend,” continued Wilkenson. “One of our sailors was quite sick and told the team she could perform anyway and she did. That helped keep the whole team focus.
”Paris Henken (‘19) with Irene Abascal (‘17) and Kelly-Ann Arrindell (‘20) won B-Division with 65 points. The #4 ranked Charleston Cougars finished second overall and the #8 Brown Bears finished 3rd.
The Southern New England Team Race was a one day regatta, characteristic to sailing in New England thus far this year. After 14 races, the #20 Roger Williams Hawks tied the Connecticut College Camels and won in a tie-breaker on total points. There was not enough time for a tie breaker.
“Fresh off spring break, we were executed a lot of the things we practiced throughout the week, and that was really great to see. It was also good to be put in a must-win scenario going into the last race,” said Roger Williams coach Amanda Callahan
“The conditions at Conn were great for team racing, it was shifty and light with some nice puffs, with flat water and not as much current as they sometimes have,” continued Callahan. “The RC managed to get two flights in on Saturday which was great given the super windy forecast on Sunday.”
Look forward for more exciting racing this upcoming weekend!
Written by: Chris Klevan
Cal Maritime Victorious in Port of Los Angeles Harbor Cup
Team Cal Maritime Photo by Bronny Daniels, Joysailing
By Airwaves Writer Taylor Penwell
The Port of Los Angeles Harbor Cup took place last weekend in San Pedro, California. Cal Maritime finished atop the podium with a three-point lead over University of South Florida and the College of Charleston. Second place went to University of South Florida in a tiebreak. The regatta is one of the best collegiate big boat regattas of the year, hosted by the Port of Los Angeles Yacht Club.
This past weekend marks the fifth win for Cal Maritime in the regattas ten-year history. Tough conditions prevailed for this years Harbor Cup with racing being held on only two of the scheduled three days due to fog. Wind conditions ranged between light to moderate all weekend.
The regatta was founded in 2008 to encourage young sailors to enjoy the benefits of competitive offshore big boat sailing. The invitational regatta hosts ten of the top sailing teams from across the US and for the first time this year, from Europe. Team Ireland competed in the event as the first international team, finishing seventh overall.
The LA Harbor Cup stands out as the one of the premier collegiate regattas because of the use of identical Catalina 37 sailboats supplied by the Long Beach Sailing Foundation. The identical boats give equal opportunities for sailors and teams to compete against each other without having to factor in PHRF ratings. The regatta is organized and run the Los Angeles Yacht Club that provide the accommodations, meals, hosting and events for the visiting teams.
Congratulations to first place finishers Cal Maritime, second place University of South Florida and third place College of Charleston.
