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S1D Youth Sailing Team Takes Flight

December 19, 2020 by Sail1Design Editor Leave a Comment

YES! We finally put it together. The S1D Sailing Team was formed in December 2020 to support all aspiring youth sailors, but especially those that sail in the Chesapeake Bay region. We sail out of Annapolis Sailing School.

Our group works hard to offer more opportunities for aspiring, dedicated, elite youth sailors. Our mission is to offer support and resources for those sailors right here in the worlds largest estuary, and our home, the Chesapeake Bay.
The Chesapeake Bay is a wonderful place to live and to sail. We are lucky to have such an incredible natural resource, and we also are working to teach our young sailors to appreciate it, and to help with sustainability as well. Contact us to learn more!
Our home base is Annapolis, and the team has a small training facility on the Gunpowder River in conjunction with Chesapeake Experience, just north of Annapolis, and we also hold meetings, clinics, and the like in various Bay-based locations. Our team develops a targeted travel schedule for major Optimist and i420 sailing events, providing coaching, logistics, and support.

Our mission is to provide quick/focused access for i420 and Optimist sailors to the best possible sailing conditions on the Chesapeake Bay with world-level coaches for passionate, aspiring youth sailors. The S1D Youth Sailing Team, specifically, will train on select weekends with the goal of raising the level of all involved and build a racing schedule appropriate for our team members. This is not a beginner program, although we encourage teams that are new to the i420 or Optimist who show commitment, determination, and dedication.

Our venue has outstanding access to the best sailing conditions on the Bay

We also will place focus on developing player respect, humility, and appreciation for our sport and all that contribute to it.

Youth training will focus on the following:

Optimist
Double-handed trapeze dinghy (International 420)
Olympic classes (470, etc)

Focus on youth sailors development as sailors and people. Commit to excellence!
Create a positive, supportive environment for competitive growth & foster a lifelong love of sailing.
Serve & support our existing Bay sailing community.
Be positive role models and stewards for sailing’s next generation.

Wow! CLUBSPOT USED BY OVER 100,000 SAILORS

December 18, 2020 by Sail1Design Editor Leave a Comment

S1D would like to welcome our newest team member, Clubspot. When I used this platform for the first time, simply to run a regatta, I was blown away at how intuitive and effective it is. I know that this software also does so much more. If you have not tried this out, you really should. Running a regatta, at a bare minimum, has never been easier.

Clubspot is the first choice when it comes to managing sailing programs. Over 160 clubs choose to run their programs through Clubspot because of its simplicity and effectiveness. We help alleviate many of the pain points caused by using Google Forms or a clunky third-party service with no relevant features to sailing. Our modern platform is built by sailors for sailors. We took our experiences from working at various yacht clubs and built the ONLY perfect platform to manage not only sailing programs, but all junior and adult programs at your club. Our user-friendly and intuitive platform offers program administrators:

Online Registration
Automated waitlist management
Flexible entry fees, discounts, & refunds
Automated e-signatures for waivers
Powerful Payment tools
Email & SMS Text communication tools
Regatta management
Administrator dashboard for class management & more.

To see this one-of-a-kind platform in action, click here to schedule a demo.

Our History

Brendan Kopp and Graham Biehl founded Regatta Toolbox in 2015 because they were tired of paper forms, late payments, clunky scoring systems, and excel spreadsheets. Regatta management was broken, and they set out to fix it. After two stellar years, they were asked by many customers to offer more services because of it’s incredibly modern and intuitive user interface. In 2017, Clubspot was founded to bring that same modern touch to the outdated world of club management software. Clubspot offers every service needed to manage yacht clubs. Clubspot consolidates multiple services into a single platform. Focusing on member facing services, Clubspot can automate member billing, event registration, Point of Sale, website development, marketing, and more. The consolidated services approach with Clubspot means a more streamlined experience for members and staff, and huge cost savings for Clubs that traditionally rely on a patchwork of 3rd party services for operations. Now, Clubspot is the fastest-growing club management software provider. Contact us today to join the hundreds of Clubs who already use Clubspot services today for the staff and member experience you are looking for!

Sailor Profile: Alastair Gifford

December 16, 2020 by Taylor Penwell Leave a Comment

Alastair Gifford is making moves on the New Zealand sailing scene. The twenty-year-old South Island native’s name has consistently been atop leaderboards since his days in the Optimist class, where was a member of the country’s Worlds Team. Alastair competed in popular NZ junior classes such as the P-Class, the Starling, and continues to compete in the Laser class. He also competed in the Youth Worlds. In recent years he has been heavily involved with Youth Match Racing which helped him land a spot on the highly covenanted Royal New Zealand Yacht Squadron’s Youth America’s Cup Team. The event has been canceled due to the pandemic but hopes to be reinstated later in 2021.

The RNZYS received eighty-eight applications for the team, which was then reduced to seventeen, and then ultimately to twelve. Alastair and other members of the team had to endure a rigorous selection process that included intense sailing and fitness testing.

Alastair has been stacking up experience and success with match racing, having won the Price Alfred yacht Club’s Harken International Youth Match Racing Championship in late 2019 at the skipper position. His team bested the number 20 team in the world.

We caught up with Alastair to hear more about his background and some of his thoughts on his sailing and experiences.

Where are you from?

I am from Blenheim, New Zealand. Blenheim is a small town on the top of the South Island known for its wine.

What is your home yacht club?

My home yacht club is the Queen Charlotte Yacht Club, located close to Blenheim in the town of Picton.

How did you get into sailing? How old were you?

I was 8 years old and my grandma signed my brother and me up to entertain us one summer.

What boats did you sail in your youth?

I started in the Optimist then moved into the P-Class, then the Starling. After those I moved to sailing Laser Radials and then team racing in 420’s for the Marlborough Boy College.

What factors do you credit for your success in sailing?

Early on I had good role models that were succeeding internationally in the sport from our club. Taylor Burn was one who was a few years older than me and he was the first South Islander to win the Optimist Nationals. On days that I did not have organized club trainings, I trained on my own. My dad would bring me down to Picton almost every day after school so I could go sailing. This allowed me to develop my skills on my own and value the time with coaches and training partners.

What people played a major role in your sailing career?

My dad, he understood early on what kind of travel and training would be needed to succeed. All my coaches through the years who helped me learn and train to get where I am today and of course the fierce battles I had as a twelve-year-old with teammates from my club.

Who are sailors that influenced you?

All of the top NZL sailing team members I’ve followed over the years, such as Dean Barker and Peter Burling.

What are some goals you have for sailing?

I want to compete against the best sailors in the world in the best teams, whatever discipline of sailing that might be.

What keeps you driven with your sailing?

The opportunities that there are in sailing. The sport has so many opportunities to learn, grow, and compete. All the while doing it against the best sailors and traveling around the world to do it.

How did you feel when you got named for the NZ Youth America’s Cup Team?

I was really stoked. The way the application process unfolded I did not think I was going to make the cut. It was extremely difficult and feel fortunate to have been offered a spot.

How are you training for the Youth America’s Cup?

The plans are changing a fair bit at the moment. We are keeping fit and trying to race as much as we can domestically. We have adjusted to sailing and the Moth and the 18ft Skiff along with keelboat and match racing.

What is the plan for the team with the postponement of the regatta?

Keep training for fitness, we can always find things to get stronger on. And for me personally to get more experience in apparent wind classes which will transfer to the Youth AC boats.

What advice would you give younger sailors?

Be sure to have fun and stick at it. Practice makes perfect.

What is your favorite quote?

“When the going gets tough, the tough get going!”

When you are not sailing, what do you enjoy doing?

I like watching more sailing videos!

West Coast Sailing Partners with Ovington Boats to Offer ILCA Dinghy & Spare Parts in North America!

December 11, 2020 by Sail1Design Editor Leave a Comment

Ovington ILCA : A New Era of Winning Boats

PORTLAND, Oregon – West Coast Sailing is pleased to announce a partnership with Ovington Boats to offer class approved ILCA dinghies. Ovington Boats, the UK based builder specializing in high performance sailboats, was approved by the International Laser Class Association (ILCA) and World Sailing in August 2020. A long time supporter of the class and its sailors, West Coast Sailing carefully considered all new builders and sought to find the best ILCAs available. This expansion of a decade-long relationship between the two companies will allow West Coast Sailing to offer race-ready boats, spare parts, and top tier support, while providing Ovington Boats with a leading partner for their North American distribution.

The ILCA landscape has evolved quickly in the past year with several new builders approved by the class. Chris Brown, West Coast Sailing President, is confident the Ovington ILCA will become the boat of choice for sailors looking for high quality spare parts, reliable support, and a strong track record of success.

“Ovington has been building high performance and Olympic level dinghies for many years and has applied the same level of craftsmanship and attention to detail in how they build their ILCAs,” Brown said. “After careful analysis and a factory visit, working with Ovington was a clear choice for us.”

Beyond building a top quality ILCA, Ovington Boats is backed by a great team and a commitment to ongoing support. This is a key part of the equation every sailor should consider given issues with previous builders. Ovington staff members have an average of 20 years of boat building experience, and Chris Turner has been a stable hand at the helm of the business for the last 15 years. Robust warranty and support systems give dealers the latitude to solve problems and keep sailors on the water so they can focus on what they do and enjoy best. Ovington is committed to success from start to finish.

“This is an organized, experienced team that is used to being held to the highest standards of Olympic sailors who demand the absolute best,” Brown continued. “We have chosen to work with Ovington because we believe all sailors should expect the same.”

The first container Ovington ILCA dinghies will arrive at West Coast Sailing the last week of December. Sailors can place a preorder deposit now to reserve a boat, with shipping available across the country starting in early January. A full range of Ovington ILCA sails, spars, blades, and upgrades are available for immediate purchase via the West Coast Sailing ecommerce website. Zim Sailing of Bristol, Rhode Island and Vela Sailing Supply of Dallas, Texas will join West Coast Sailing to collaborate on regional distribution.

Through all the changes with the class and availability of boats and parts, the team at West Coast Sailing remains committed to helping sailors get out on the water and is looking forward to this new era for ILCA sailing. Additional information about West Coast Sailing, Ovington Boats, and the ILCA dinghy, including boat package details and a full list of spare parts, can be found via the link below.

https://westcoastsailing.net/ILCA

2020 i420 (ODP) Winter Miami Regatta Report & Results

December 1, 2020 by Sail1Design Editor Leave a Comment

29 November 2020, Miami, FL — Although US Sailing formally canceled the 2020 Olympic Development Program (ODP) event this year, 20 i420 teams still met up in Miami for a 3-day, eleven race regatta off the shores of Miami, FL. Weather was mostly light/moderate with some wire work here and there. Teams improved over the event under the watchful eyes of top coaches, and the race competition was intense with so many talented sailors on the race course.
Congratulations to Tommy Sitzmann/Luke Woodworth (Annapolis, MD) for the win, followed by Griggs/Emery Diemar (FL) and Justin/Mitchell Callahan (FL) in 2nd and 3rd, respectively.