About Brooke

Sail Newport’s annual Advanced Racing Clinic is dedicated to the memory of Brooke Emmens Gonzalez. “Excellence” is the word most often articulated when those that knew Brooke Gonzalez reminisce about her. Her life cut short in a tragic accident in 1997 at age 17, Brooke left a lasting impression on those that knew her. The Gonzalez Family and Sail Newport have acknowledged that; tenacity, sportsmanship, drive and determination are what set her apart from her peers.

About the Clinic

The 3 day program will consist of lectures and on-the-water drills with an emphasis on boat-handling technique, boat speed, and strategy. This will be combined with information on what it takes to reach your goals in sailing. We maximize our time on the water and can find a variety of conditions…flat water, ocean swells, current, and breeze in all directions and speed.

On Saturday night of the clinic, sailors are treated to a speaker from the highest levels of the sport. Prior speakers have included: Gary Jobson, Dean Brenner, 470 Gold Medalist Kevin Burnham, Olympic Team members, America’s Cup veterans, and Volvo Ocean Race competitors Ken Read and Jerry Kirby. In 2019, New York Yacht Club’s American Magic was represented by Terry Hutchinson and Andrew Campbell.

The most important thing to remember is that when you get here at Sail Newport, there will be no reason to leave. Meals, spare parts, etc. will be here. Our coaches want your undivided attention. The more you put into this clinic, the more you will advance because of it, So we expect full commitment from all sailor athletes!

“These youth sailors receive the highest level coaching from some of the best dinghy sailors and coaches in the country,” says Brad Read, executive director of Sail Newport. “Emphasis is on speed producing factors and techniques that work on long courses where speed is at a premium.”