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Club Profile: Nantucket Yacht Club

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The organization which was to become the Nantucket Yacht Club was first chartered in 1890 as the Nantucket Athletic Club. By the summer of 1906 a second group had come together, calling themselves the Nantucket Yacht  Club, whose purpose was to provide sailing and racing for the summer residents of Nantucket, their families and friends. The leadership and membership have been able to hold a steady course – no easy matter with a seasonal operation – making changes as conditions have required and proving that yacht racing and sailing, tennis and social activity can all be kept lively and popular. The next hundred years will be exciting and are full of great promise.
Into a burgeoning summer scene, the Nantucket Yacht Club was born in the summer of 1906, when sailing enthusiasts led by H. Holton Wood assembled their boats off Brant Point and held organized races in Nantucket Sound. They met in houses built on Hulbert Avenue in 1900 by Henry Oliver Underwood, and had use of a nearby pier, complete with gazebo, owned by the neighboring Atkins Family.  Although still in its infancy, the new club acted as though it had been established for years. The first flag officers were H. Holton Wood, commodore; J.E.T. Rutter, vice commodore; Alice Underwood, secretary-treasurer; and Margaret Underwood, fleet captain. In mid-September, the yacht club held its first Commodore’s Cup Race to close the season. The new club was here to stay. Like no other instuition of Nantucket, it is a place where traditions are honored, where the past is respected, and where families are celebrated – its history intertwined with that of the island it calls home.nyc2

NYC is HIRING!!
Are you ready for the best summer of your life?  Nantucket Yacht Club is hiring head coaches for 2016!  This is a ten week position, housing and meals are provided, and pay is extremely competitive for the right individuals.  Nantucket is consistently windy, and a fun place to train a junior race team.  Read below for details specific to each team:
420: The team travels off-island to compete, and sails a variety of Regional and National level events.
Opti: The Opti head coach is a fantastic position; this is a collaborative team with Nantucket Community Sailing and Great Harbor Yacht Club.  The “All-Island” Opti Team trains every afternoon, working with 3 coaches and 10-15 Opti Sailors.  This is a fantastic opportunity for qualified Opti coaches.

Sail Stronger, Part II: The Legs

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Sailorcise_Logo FinalBy Rachel Bennung, and Sailorcise
See Part I: The Core here
Part III: The Arms here
In Part One, The Core, we learned last that strength in certain muscles in our bodies are more important then others. We determined that strength in our core, legs, and arm muscles are essential to maximizing our performance on the water. In Part One we talked about the core and how it is the base of sailing stronger. Without a strong core your body will move inefficiently and can eventually lead to injury. In Part Two we will be talking about the importance of strength in your legs and different exercises to help you in this area.
Your legs are a very large muscle group in your body and essential for mobility. Some of the major muscles in the legs are the hamstrings (back of the thigh), adductors (inner thigh), quadriceps (front of the thigh), and the calf muscles (gastrocnemius and soleus). Having strong legs is an important part of being a top athlete. A problem we see sometimes is people training their arms, but completely forgetting their legs. Power comes from your legs so its important to strength train them for the best performance. Leg exercises also increase core stability and therefore this increases strength and stability throughout your body.
So now that you know the benefits of leg strength, why is it important in sailing? When you are out hiking your legs are essential for your success to keep the boat flat. With strong legs you will have the endurance to keep hiking on long windy days. Your legs are also needed for your mobility on the boat. With strong legs you will have the speed to move quickly when needed. Ever auto-tacked before? Well with strong legs your will be able to react to that more quickly and get to the other side of the boat better then someone who doesn’t have strength in their legs.
Now that we know why leg strength is so important to sailing, lets get strong legs! There is many different leg exercises out there. I have picked four that I think are the best for strengthening your legs for sailing.

  1. Wall Sits – With these you will feel the burn in your legs! This is a great exercise to give your legs the endurance to sail longer. To do this exercise stand with your back against the wall and with your feet in front of you hip distance apart. Slide your back down until your at a 90 degree angle. Hold for 30 seconds to start then work yourself up to 1 minute.
  2. Squat Jumps – These are a great exercise to not only work your legs, but total body. This exercise will really get your heart pumping. Stand with your feet shoulder width apart. Squat down as you are doing a normal squat, then engage your core and jump into the air. Land back in squat position and repeat. Start with doing this exercise for 30 seconds then work up to doing for 1 minute.
  3. Weighted Lunges – Lunges are a great workout for your legs. Adding weights is a great way to add some resistance to help strengthen your legs even more. For these grab weights that you feel comfortable with and you won’t compromise your form. 8-10 pound weights are a great starting point. Stand with dumbbells at your sides. Step with your right foot forward and lower your body into a lunge. Step back and repeat with the left side. Continue to alternate sides. Begin with doing this exercise for 30 seconds and working up to 1 minute.weightedlunges
  4. Single Leg Squats – Squats are a great leg exercise and there are many different variations. Single leg squats will not only strengthen your legs, but engage your core improving your balance. Stand with your arms extended in front of you. Standing one one leg with your other leg extended straight out in front of you squat down. Try to squat down as far as possible without compromising your form. Repeat move, start with 30 second and work up to 1 minute. (Note: If you find these to difficult start with regular squats and work your way up to single leg squats.)

(You can easily make these exercises into a leg workout. Do 3 sets of each exercise for 30 seconds to 1 minute with a 15-30 second break between each set.)
-Check out the video of these exercises below

Strong legs are another key component of sailing longer and stronger. With them you will be able to move more quickly and efficiently while sailing and not fatigue quickly on those long windy days. These exercises will give you a start to having strength in your legs to help you sail longer and stronger.  Now you know that a strong core is the base of your overall fitness and your legs will give you the power and endurance you need to maximize your performance on the water. In part three our final of the series we will learn about strengthening your arms for better performance on the water.
For more information on fitness for sailing contact rachel@sail1design.com. Also check out Sailorcise on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for daily tips on fitness, nutrition, and sailing.

Club 420 Sailing Association on Inclusion and the Malaysia World Youth Championship 

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c420-1North Kingston, RI (January 3, 2016) — The Club 420 Association, as one of the world’s largest youth sailing organizations, strongly embraces and supports the Corinthian values and spirit of our sport. In light of the unacceptable and unfortunate situation that has occurred at the Youth World Championships in Malaysia, the Association’s Board of Directors is extending an open invitation to the Israeli and Malaysian sailing federations for their Youth Sailing Teams to join the youth of North America at the Club 420 US National Championships in July 2016.
President of the Association, John Morgan, says “our Board of Directors has opted to set an example, as well as attempt to lessen the damage this has done to youth sailing and sailing in general.  We want to reinforce the belief that all athletic competition should be open and unaffected by politics. Many youth regattas including those sanctioned by the Club 420 Association showcase the values intended for this sport, offering a  highly competitive, fun, diverse environment that reflect the true spirit of the sport.”
Details of the Club 420 Association offer will be finalized upon discussion with Israeli and Malaysian Sailing as the Association will work to provide some of the financial support for the sailors and teams who wish to attend.
About The Club 420 Class Association     The Club 420 Association was established in 1980 to promote, foster, encourage and sponsor one-design sailing. The Association sponsors a class North American Championship, US and Canadian National Championships as well as regional championships for the class across North America while promoting the class to all ability and experience levels of youth sailing.   Since 2006, the class membership has more than doubled from 300 to its current 715 members.   The class offers many regional, national and North American championships in both fleet and team racing formats as well as clinics across North America.   Our Nationals / North Americans have had 175 boats attend, with all levels of sailors competing in some of the finest and socially fun regattas you will attend.
About The Club 420  The Club 420 is a two person dinghy which forms the base of many local, high school and collegiate programs in North America.  Simple for beginning sailors and yet challenging enough for collegiate champions.   The Club 420 offers more learning opportunities than any other double-handed boat you can find. Over 5,000 Club 420s are sailed in youth, high school and collegiate programs all over the United States, Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean.
For more information please visit our website at www.club420.org or visit us on Facebook
Contact:
John Vandemoer, Executive Director  Email – ED@club420.org

Win a J/22, and Support GBSA!!

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The Need
Sailors know instinctually that sailing is a lot more than a sport, especially to a kid.  Sailing develops character, self reliance, problem solving skills, confidence and teaches discipline, teamwork and respect for our environment.   GBSA‘s mission is to give that experience to as many as possible.

winaj222The Plan
Back in 2014 we were the first to try a crazy stunt – Buy a J/70 and raffle it off to raise money.  It worked and now we’re doing it again with a brand new 2016 J/22 built by USWatercraft.

The Rules
Only 650 tickets will be sold – so your odds of winning are way better than winning powerball!  In addition, you’re supporting the future of the sport you love – so what are you waiting for?!!…

GBSA Makes a Difference
“The best part was from day one, it was sailing time. Get out and sail. He came home everyday excited to tell us what he learned and the fun antics the crew had together. We look forward to next year and supporting anyway we can”
We Need Your Help
The fact is we can’t do this alone – we need you to help promote this in order for it to succeed.  Like us on Facebook, share it with your friends, your yacht club, buy a raffle ticket.

BUY A TICKET

Club Profile: Hudson River Community Sailing is Hiring!

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Hudson River Community Sailing develops leadership and academic success in underserved New York City youth through sailing education and provides maritime education and recreation to the community at large.
Hudson River Community Sailing is hiring a Sailing Instructor
For more opportunities, click HERE
Founded in 2007 to serve the urban community, we partner with public schools to offer credit-bearing academic programs, internships, mentoring, and college readiness. Our youth development platform uses sailing, boat operation, and boat building to further academic skills and instill the qualities of character necessary for college and career success. We also serve the broader community through affordable marine education and recreation for individuals, groups, schools, businesses, and families.hrcss2

“Although I have learned so much about sailing, this program also greatly improved my social skills. I have become much more open, I have become a better leader, and most importantly I learned how to teach others the skills I have acquired. I did not immediately notice the changes occurring until the people around me commented on how much of a positive impact sailing and being part of this program had on me.”    -Anthony, Youth Program Graduate  (Oakcliff Scholarship Winner)

Find Our Boathouse VIEW ON MAP
Hudson River Community Sailing
West 26th Street & 12th Avenue Pier 66
Boathouse inside Hudson River Park
New York, NY 10001

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