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Sail1Design has been lucky to be part of some great moments over the years, mostly when we do our job, and take part in recognizing the very foundation of our sport: youth, high school, college, and one-design sailors. Reading nomination letters, hearing from our community about unsung heroes, sharing in the joy of the winners…… makes the whole Sail1Design project, now 15+ years in the making, more than worth it. It is always nice to hear about people in our sport not only doing things well, but doing things the right way.

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, over the last month we were faced (again) with a lot of really good nominations, and we whittled that down to a small list of finalists. It was difficult to narrow this deserving field. Not easy. After going back and forth, the team decided that this years winner had to be Nick Kaschak. Nick is deserving on so many levels; what stood out was the sheer number of separate letters he received, and of course, what those letters described. The best thing we read, among many, was that Nick is not a win-at-all-costs coach; we see far too much of this today. There are things far more important than trophies. Below are excerpts from six separate nomination letters that Nick received:

• In a world where “must win” is the ultimate goal, Nick Kashack stands out as a coach who prioritizes the development of exceptional young individuals, both as outstanding sailors and as great men and women. He understands that success on the racecourse is a natural outcome of the solid foundation he builds. These values resonate deeply with me, my family, and the Santa Barbara Youth Sailing Foundation organization. Nick’s contributions to our organization have transformed it into a world-class youth program that will continue to thrive for decades to come.
• Nick has coached both of my kids since he began coaching in Santa Barbara. I cannot say enough good things about him. He is an amazing coach and mentor on and off the water. The kids respect him and genuinely like him as a person. He listens to them and seems to understand how to really connect with teenagers and kids. We have been truly fortunate to have had Nick as the leader of this team and program. I would like to add that coaching the San Marcos High School team to both the team race and fleet race Nationals this year has been an incredible accomplishment. They are a small but mighty team of 6 – no alternates – racing against well established teams who have heavy air and light air crews, alternate skippers, and each member of our team raced every race and still managed to qualify. We are so proud of these kids and their awesome coach!
• I have known Nick for what will soon be 5 years now, and during that time he has been nothing but professional, kind, astute, and incredibly helpful, both as a coach and a person. The results of those he coached over the last year speak for themselves – 1st and 4th at the 2023 C420 Midwinters, 1st in the 2022 ISSA Women’s National Invitational while winning both A and B Division, 1st in the 2022/23 SCYYRA Perry Series, 3rd at the 2022 C420 North American Championship, 2nd at the C420 South Shore Regatta,  2nd at the 2023 PCISA Team Race PCCs, 2nd at the 2023 PCISA Fleet Race PCCs and 2nd in the 2022/23 SCYYRA Ullman/Frost Series are part of an expansive coaching resume. Far beyond the already expansive list of results, Nick has gone above and beyond here in Santa Barbara in his work to expand the youth sailing program. Whether it be lobbying and arranging funding for new programs and equipment such as a new 420 fleet and an overhauled dock, or attracting new sailors to a program which now sells out within hours due to excess demand, Nick made a deep mark on the youth sailing community of Santa Barbara. Within various classes Nick has fostered a deep and competitive ILCA program here in Santa Barbara which has run up a string of national results in recent years while building a 420 program which has competed and won on the National level while simultaneously coaching the local high school teams to best results on record.  For a small town of just over eighty thousand, split up between four high schools, this is no easy task; it is Nick’s leadership, talent and determination which has raised youth and one-design racing in Santa Barbara onto the national stage.  Nick is an incredible coach who also provides an example of kindness, respect and determination to those who he coaches. He builds athletes of character, emphasizing sportsmanship alongside competition. We are so lucky to have him here in our small town!   
• I would like to nominate Nick Kaschak, Santa Barbara Youth Sailing Program Director, for Sail1Design Coach of the Year. Over the past few years Nick has built our local sailing program into the robust, thriving, extremely successful program that it is today. Nick is consistently able to balance the kids’ respect with approachability, which is hard to do. He has very high – and clear – expectations, and his sailors want nothing more than to please him. He also makes sure they have their priorities straight: family, school, then sailing. His depth of knowledge from being a highly-competitive sailor himself has benefited the entire team. A very small sampling of some of his team’s recent accomplishments include:
  • 2023 C420 Midwinters – 1st and 4th
  • 2022 ISSA Women’s National Invitational- 1st (Winning both A and B Division)
  • 2023 PCISA Team Race PCCs- 2nd (Qualified for HS Team Race Nationals)
  • 2023 PCISA Fleet Race PCCs- 2nd (Qualified for HS Fleet Race Nationals)
  • 2023 ISSA Team Race National Championship- 6th
  • 2022/23 SCYYRA Perry Series- 1st Overall
  • And there are many, many more.

Accomplishments aside, Nick is humble, kind, responsive, and…wait for it….organized! My daughter has had the privilege of training with Nick and he has really made an impact on her sailing career. Because of Nick, she has had the opportunity to compete at the national level, and this summer she’ll compete internationally. We are so grateful, and can’t think of a more deserving coach for an award such as this.

• I am writing to recommend Nick Kaschak as a sailing coach of the year. I have had the privilege of being coached by Nick for many year now, and I am grateful by his expert skills and dedication in this field. Nick has extensive knowledge of sailing and excels at teaching it. He has a unique ability to explain complex concepts in a clear and understandable way, which has greatly contributed to my improvement as a sailor. On the other hand, Nick’s patience and support have played a significant role in my progress. He always encourages and motivates me, helping me build confidence and push my boundaries. Additionally, he creates a positive and inclusive team environment, where we support and uplift one another. I highly recommend Nick Kaschak as sailing coach of the year. His expertise, dedication, and ability to inspire make him a very valuable leader and mentor.
• Nick has been my coach for over 6 years, and in those 6 years, I have become a two-time national champion and got recruited to Harvard for sailing. This year Santa Barbara qualified for both the team race and fleet race high school nationals for the first time in History. Nick is the best coach I have ever had and I think he should be coach of the year. Also here is a short list of the things he has accomplished this season: 
  • 2023 C420 Midwinters- 1st and 4th
  • 2022 Team USA Youth World Championships (Foil Kite)
  • 2022 ISSA Women’s National Invitational- 1st (Winning both A and B Division)
  • 2023 PCISA Team Race PCCs- 2nd (Qualified for HS Team Race Nationals)
  • 2023 PCISA Fleet Race PCCs- 2nd (Qualified for HS Fleet Race Nationals)
  • 2023 ISSA Team Race National Championship- 6th
  • 2022/23 SCYYRA Perry Series- 1st Overall
  • 2022 SCYYRA Ullman/Frost Series- 3rd and 5th Overall
  • 2022 ILCA6 Youth World Championship- 46th/156
  • 2022 US Youth Championship- 5th (ILCA6)
  • 2022 ILCA6 Midwinters West- 6th and 10th
  • 2022 C420 North American Championship- 3rd
  • 2022 C420 Midwinters Championship- 3rd, 4th, 8th
  • 2022 US Junior Women’s Doublehanded Championship (Ida Lewis)- 3rd and 6th
  • 2022 C420 South Shore Regatta- 2nd
  • 2022/23 SCYYRA Ullman/Frost Series- 2nd/51

Thank you for your consideration.