S1D Optimist Clinic
Sail1Design Performance Coaching
Back by popular demand, Sail1Design is hosting a Fall Optimist dinghy training session on 14-16 September 2018. We are pleased to announce that Sail1Design’s newest member, Bernat Gali Bou, will be our head coach for this
clinic! Bernat is currently a Top National and International Youth Sailing Coach from Barcelona, Spain, and is the Racing and Head Opti Coach at Lakewood Yacht Club in Texas. Bernat started sailing Optis at the age of 8 near Barcelona and placed consistently in the Top 20 on the National Rankings. Also returning are our former Optimist stars. These standout Optimist “Former Star” sailors provide outstanding peer-to-peer instruction and feedback for our sailors!
Sailing will take place on the Magothy River, home of nationally-ranked Severn School Sailing team, just north of Annapolis, MD. Our venue is a perfect place to sail; very short sail out and in, no boat traffic, and great fall winds.
These sessions are for
- “Current Stars“, RWB battle-tested sailors with Optimist racing experience
- “Future Stars” division, for up-and-coming Green fleeters who are ready to make the leap to RWB. Often this transition is tough; we hope to help make it seamless and successful!
Applications are by resume and open until filled. We are excited this fall to blend both experienced adult professional coaching with peer coaches out on the water, who will be able to display
boat handling techniques that made them so successful in the Optimist sailing world.
What’s more, we are elated to announce that McLaughlin will support our clinic, complete with their trailer and charter boats available! Fly into BWI, and go sailing! We are 20 minutes from the airport!!
Space will be limited. Don’t delay registration! This is a GREAT opportunity to tune up for the ACC and New England Championships. Also, if your boat needs a lift to either of these regattas, McLaughlin can help deliver!
S1D OPTIMIST CLINIC REGISTRATION
Training will focus on:
- Boat setup/preparation
- ACC and New Englands!!
- big fleet start simulation / big fleet management and tactics
- boat speed drills upwind & downwind
- boat handling / video feedback
- basic team racing concepts
Sailors will train on the water and de-brief off the water with video. Coaches include experienced adults along with recent top-level graduates of the Optimist class. By providing both adult and peer coaching, we feel this clinic will provide unique and very beneficial insights for aspiring Optimist sailors. Each sailor will leave with a notebook full of notes, goals, and tuning tips designed expressly for them.
For more information, please contact Sail1Design: [email protected] or 443-220-2089
REGISTRATION & APPLICATION
To Register, visit this Google form and complete. Space is limited, so register now to confirm a spot. After registering, you will receive an invoice, which will serve as your confirmation that you have a spot:
S1D OPTIMIST SPRING CLINIC REGISTRATION
SCHEDULE
This is a 2 day training session 24-25 MARCH 2018
- Friday 1600-1800 Introductions, Rigging tips, short sail
- Saturday 0900-1600
- Sunday 0900-1500
FEES
Per day:
- $75 for Friday
- $175 for Saturday
- $175 for Sunday
- All days: $390 for all three days
HOTELS/MOTELS NEARBY
- Comfort Inn, close by and on a budget
- Crowne Plaza Annapolis
- Holiday Inn Express
- DoubleTree Hilton
Coaches
Bernat Gali Bou
Bernat Galí Bou is a Top National and International Youth Sailing Coach from Barcelona, Spain, and is the Racing and Head Opti Coach at Lakewood Yacht Club in Texas. Bernat started sailing Optis at the age of 8 near Barcelona and placed consistently in the Top 20 on the National Rankings. He then moved to Lasers where he sailed from Laser 4.7 to Radial and full Rig, getting his best results on Laser Radial. Twice he became National Champion, getting
outstanding results at Europeans and Worlds, and finishing in the Top 25 for several years. Bernat started a Pre-Olympic campaign when he was 18, and decided to pursue coaching full-time when he reached 21. Starting as Head Coach at Cambrils Yacht Club in Spain, Bernat won the reputation of one of the most talented coaches across Spain. Deciding to further develop his international career, he relocated to Southeast Asia to coach the Myanmar Laser National Team. After participating in the 37th SEA Games, he was finally selected as the Head Coach at Queen Charlotte Yacht Club in New Zealand, followed by Head Coach at Niantic Bay Yacht Club in Connecticut. Bernat’s trainees enjoy tremendous success, including Top 10 Spanish National finishes, International regatta placements, and Top 15 finishes in the Europeans and Worlds. His most recent coaching wins include Món Cañellas, Laser Radial U21 runner-up at the 2015 Worlds, and 1st and 3rd places at the New Zealand Laser Radial Nationals.
Tom Sitzmann
A lifelong educator, professional sailmaker/sail loft owner, and pro sailor, Tom has coached sailing and directed sailing programs from Maine to Annapolis, and after
working with both Tufts and Dartmouth sailing teams, was an assistant offshore & dinghy coach at the USNA, head intercollegiate coach at Bowdoin College, and is now head coach at Severn School, where he founded their modern program with its own private venue, and guided the team to a National championship and many other honors. As a competitor Tom had top regional and national-level success in the Laser, J/24, and J/22 classes.
More recently Tom has coached Optimists at the 2017 US Nationals, Atlantic Coast Championship, among others. Tom has worked hard to learn the ins and outs of Optimist tuning, and given his years of one-design racing and sail-making experience, provides valuable lessons for young, up-and-coming Optimist sailors looking to get to the next level.
Apprentice coaches:
- Sam Bruce (Former Optimist World team race champion)
- Jordan Bruce ( Former Optimist National Team Member)
- Maddie Hawkins (Former Optimist National Team member, current Ida Lewis / 420 North American Champion)
2018 ICSA Team Race National Championship
2018 Optimist World Championship
US High School Team Race National Championship
2018 Laser US Masters Nationals
2018 Laser US Masters Nationals held at Brant Beach Yacht Club in Long Beach Island.
2018 Laser North American Championship
Alamitos Bay Yacht Club is pleased to host the Laser North American Championship, which will also serve as the country qualification regatta for the 2019 Pan-American Games in Lima , Peru.
2018 Laser US National Championship
Laser US National Championship held at Houston Yacht Club.
2018 Sunfish Michigan Open Championship Regatta
2018 Michigan Open Sunfish Championship held at Gull Lake Sailing Club.
Opti Team Race Midwinter Championship
Team Race Midwinter Championship held at St. Petersburg Yacht Club. Race Days are January 19-21st. This is a Qualifier for the 2019 Trofeo Marco Rizzoti Team Race Regatta.
Opti Valentines Day Regatta
Valentine’s Day Regatta held at St. Petersburg Yacht Club. Race Days are February 9-10th. This is a USODA Qualifier for the 2019 Team Trials.
Opti Southeast Championship
Southeast Championship (Spring Team Qualifier) held at Camp Sea Gull and Camp Seafarer. Measurement is required on Friday, October 11th. This is a USODA Qualifier for the 2020 Team Trials and will serve as the international qualifier for the 2020 spring teams, and may be used for the mid-season US National Team invitation.
