Sailing is about lifelong friends on a year-round basis in any location.
Some of the JSA of LIS instructors from 2011 have been studying in Denmark, and they invited others to celebrate Thanksgiving with them in Copenhagen.
The photo shows Pequot YC instructors Bryan Stephan, Sarah Hamm and Morgan Cirillo, with Pequot head instructor Tory Lynch, Cedar Point YC head instructor Brendan Kopp, and Noroton YC head instructor Tim Clark.
The US Sailing National Sailing Programs Symposium is scheduled for January 11-14, 2012 in Long Beach, Calif.
The JSA of LIS board has regularly sent representatives to the NSPS and we encourage our member clubs to think about attending as well.
The NSPS is the premier event for sailing education in the United States, bringing together program directors, instructors, volunteers, parents and industry representatives to share and learn best practices with one another about running, maintaining and improving sailing programs. The goal is to have participants come out of the symposium with ideas to apply to their own sailing programs to make them better and help them grow.
JSA of LIS office has summarized the preliminary agenda so you may easily view the topics to find those that interest you.
See all the details about the symposium on the US Sailing NSPS web page.
With the ICSA now hosting a national match racing championship, and hopeful plans underway to have a national youth championship in 2012, match racing is here to stay for a new generation of sailors.
The Oyster Bay Youth Match Racing Clinegatta was held several weeks ago from July 14-17. Oakcliff Sailing Center and Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club played host to this six team-event sailed in Sonars.
Sailors attended a clinic led by Dave Perry, coach for the US Sailing women's match race team, where they combined on-the-water practice with video and debrief sessions. At the same time, umpires at the clinic received training from Bruce Cook, chairman of the US Sailing Umpires Committee.
The racing portion of the event saw close competition between the teams. In the final race of the event, the team led by skipper Clinton Hayes, a recent UVM graduate, pulled away from the British team skippered by James French to win the regatta.
JibeTalk was able to sit down for a few minutes with Tim Clark, Head Instructor at Noroton YC, and ask him a couple questions about his experience at the event. Tim, an active big boat racer, is a member of the Connecticut College sailing team. He competed at the regatta with several other Conn College teammates, including skipper Peter Miller. Their team finished third at the regatta.
JibeTalk: How did you, and your team, get interested in match racing and this event in particular?
Tim: Earlier this spring, Peter Miller (skipper), approached myself and some other members of the Conn Coll sailing team about doing some match racing regattas this summer. The original intent of our regatta schedule this summer was to practice with the hopes of ultimately being able to qualify for the college match racing nationals. We found out about the event through some adverts that Oakcliff had put out through JSA and some other publications. After participating in the Youth Clinegatta, we all became hooked on this part of the sport, and since then we've been doing as much match racing as possible.
JibeTalk: How did the event go? What were some of the high and low points?
Tim: The event was amazing to say the least. All of us on the boat came out learning more about sailing from in the span of four days than we have in a few years. To be honest, I'm not sure we had any low points. The only time we were bummed out during the regatta was when we went to the wrong windward mark during a race, because nobody on the boat managed to remember which mark we were going to. The high point was on Day 2, at the end of the first day when our boathandling became smooth. There were three people on the boat, none of us had sailed together before, and after Day 1 we were all pretty nervous about how bad our boathandling was compared to other boats.
JibeTalk: What has your team been focusing on as you head into the next event?
Tim: We just competed at our second match racing Clinegatta aboard Swedish Match 40's. We have a strong team, but with bigger boats we're trying to improve our communication within the boat, as well as what's going on around us. After the first regatta, we agreed that communication was our weak point. It definitely makes a difference, and that's our main focus as of now. With more efficient communication will come better information regarding tactics and course strategy.
JibeTalk: How was the practice and competition at the regatta different from what you might normally encounter in college sailing?
Tim: The main difference between the Youth Clinegatta and college sailing is that everyone was there to get better, and we had a fantastic coach helping us accomplish our goals. College sailing can be cutthroat, it was nice to see all the teams working together to make the entire 6 boat group better as a whole. The days were long, some days we would spend 12 hours at the club doing debriefs with Dave over pizza, and at no point were any of us bored.
JibeTalk: As a coach, how do you think can junior sailors get into match racing? What are tangible elements kids can take away (or that coaches can incorporate into lessons) from match racing to help them with the day-to-day dinghy racing that they focus on in their programs?
Tim: First off, if any junior sailor wants to get into match racing, they should do the Youth Clinegatta. They will be astounded at how much they learn over the course of four days. Second, I believe that JSA and US Sailing should shift Sears Cup away from a triplehanded fleet race event towards a match racing event. I'm looking forward to doing some fleet racing after this because some of the tactics I learned from match racing directly translate to fleet racing, and how to catch boats if you're behind, or defend your lead if you're ahead.
Photo credit Oakcliff Sailing Center
In the past few years, states have been cracking down about cell phone use – particularly texting – while driving. But what about while boating?
While it may be tempting for instructors to send a quick message to coworkers, program staff, parents, or friends during those long days on the water, it is imperative to stress the importance of cracking down on cell phone use while on a powerboat or other craft.
At a number of JSA of LIS regattas this summer, parents and spectators have been shocked to see instructors spending more time texting and less time paying attention to racing. This safety issue is magnified tenfold when texting takes place while the engine is running and when an instructor is driving the boat.
The dangers of cell phone use while boating have recently been in the eye of the national press in the aftermath of two incidents involving the matter. Last summer, a tug pilot talking on a cell phone steered into a stalled tourist duck boat on the Delaware River in Philadelphia. The collision resulted in two fatalities. In two separate situations two winters ago, Coast Guard vessels hit small family boats during holiday parades in San Diego and Charleston. Recent investigations into both incidents revealed that drivers and crew members were found to be texting moments before the collisions.
The US Coast Guard, in conjunction with the National Transportation Safety Board, released a statement last summer prohibiting the use of cell phones by operators of CG boats, and restricting the use by crew members.
In a press release, NTSB Chairman Deborah Hersman said, “The use of wireless communications devices while operating vehicles in any mode of transportation poses an unacceptable distraction.”
Just as in a car, cell phones are important items to have on a boat in event of an emergency. Features ranging from weather notification systems to the smartphone app for the Racing Rules of Sailing can also be great on-the-water advantages.
However, it is important to set parameters limiting the use of these phones for safety's sake.
“It's such a huge safety issue. The New York state law says no texting and driving – the same should apply on the water,” says Allison Simkins, JSA Board Member and former longtime program chair at Centerport Yacht Club.
“This is a new thing we need to deal with,” said Simkins. “I'm an advocate of having your phone out there, in case there's an emergency, but the bottom line is that there should be no texting when that boat is underway or when that engine is turned on."
An instructor, who wished to remain anonymous, said, “Phones can be distracting and it might be tempting to respond right away to a message or call. But the priority should definitely be, as it always is, coaching the kids and making sure everyone's safe.”
We urge programs to begin, or continue to have, open dialogues with instructors and staff about restricting cell phone use in powerboats to appropriate professional situations, as the number one priority should always be maintaining responsibility for the safety of young sailors on the water. Driving and texting does not compute into this equation.
Image credit Dane Granlund
It was an action-packed day for the 200-plus instructors who met for the annual JSA of LIS All Instructor Symposium, held yesterday at Larchmont Yacht Club.
We were fortunate to have a fantastic lineup of speakers, including Amanda Callahan, Tom Coleman, Rob Crafa, Rob Crane, Ned Crossley, Jamie Deming, Terry Hutchinson, Scott Ikle, Amy Gross-Kehoe, Wes Oliver, Russ O’Reilly, Lori Shector, Adam Werblow, and Lincoln White.
Speakers covered a range of topics, providing tools, tips, and techniques to help instructors become better teachers, coaches, and mentors to sailors. There were presentations on coaching kids of different ages, keeping programs fun, teaching team racing, connecting with parents, windsurfing, incorporating environmental education, and running big boat programs.
Presenters also addressed technical details of coaching, with hands-on discussions on powerboating, on-the-water towing, instant repairs and coaching equipment, and rigging and tuning tips in the Opti, Pixel, Laser and 420.
Terry Hutchinson gave the lunchtime keynote presentation about “Developing the Lifelong Sailor.” Hutchinson drew on not only his experience as a professional sailor, but also as a sailing parent, to talk about making youth programs fun, engaging, and successful for all athletes.
He advised to instructors: “Make sure at the end of the day what you’re doing is more than just a paycheck. 15 years from now, the kids you teach in these programs will come back there and pass it on.”
A big thank you goes out to all the organizers, speakers, and of course, attendees, for coming together for another informative and successful symposium to kick off this summer’s season. Thank you also to the following sponsors who donated gear for raffle prizes in support of this workshop: Helly Hansen, Landfall/Dinghy Locker, Laser Performance, McLaughlin Boat Works, Sailfast, The Boat Locker, The Dinghy Shop, UK-Halsey, and Terry Hutchinson.
(SUNY Maritime Waterfront Director Rob Crafa leads a powerboat safety checklist inspection)
How can instructors safely and effectively manage powerboats at their programs? What are the best activities for Opti classes on no-wind days? What’s the most diplomatic way to respond to angry parent e-mails? How can we recognize the jellyfish that actually sting? How to respond when the instructors want to take the class tubing?
All these questions, and more, were answered at the JSA’s annual Head Instructor Workshop yesterday at American Yacht Club in Rye.
Approximately 40 head instructors and senior instructors attended, with some clubs sending multiple members of their instructing staff, for a day of discussion and training to prepare for the upcoming season.
Guest speakers covered a wide range of topics. Carolyn Nye, who has been head instructor at Pequot and Larchmont yacht clubs, kicked off the day with an interactive discussion on how to manage peers and say no. She presented instructors with series of hypothetical situations, which led to constructive discussions on how to best assume a positive and firm leadership role.
Dawn Riley introduced the innovative development program at the Oakcliff Sailing Center. Riley, the Executive Director of the Oyster Bay-based training facility, spoke about Oakcliff’s professional sailing apprenticeship program, a holistic curriculum for young people that covers everything from competition, to business management, to boat maintenance.
Clemmie Everett, Program Director at Noroton Yacht Club, spoke about the responsibilities of a JSA head instructor and developing good communication between sailors, peers, staff, committees, board members, and parents. She emphasized that maintaining good lines of communication is key to having a successful summer, and led a conversation about the best ways to keep in touch with everyone involved in a junior sailing program.
Lori Shector of Appdrenaline.com walked the instructors through JSA’s online Navigation training application, a new platform that enables online and classroom preparation for the Navigation and Seamanship test. The website and training will be available to everyone at the beginning of the season, including younger sailors who want to learn basic seamanship skills.
Following the lunch break, SUNY Maritime Waterfront Director Rob Crafa led a lively talk about powerboat safety and maintenance. Crafa also had instructors go through a safety checklist and inspect a coach boat for safety hazards. Crafa is the northeast coordinator of the US Sailing power boat safety program and encouraged all instructors to hone their powerboat skills by attending a Safe Powerboat Handling course.
Rounding out the great lineup of speakers was Alicia Martorella, Sailing Director of The Waterfront Center. Martorella’s talk, “How to Add Some Fun To Your Program,” generated discussion and brainstorming about games and activities both on and off the water for kids of all ages and levels. Martorella also talked about the unique level of engagement that sailors have with marine ecosystems, and how programs can take advantage of this responsibility to educate kids about the water they sail in.
Event speakers covered a number of interesting topics that we at JibeTalk hope to spotlight as the summer goes along, so stay tuned for more in-depth information and resources!
Along the same vein, the Head Instructor Workshop provided a wonderful opportunity for instructors to meet and share ideas. This was the first of two big workshops that the JSA holds for its instructors to prepare for the season. We look forward to another day of training next week on Wednesday, June 22 at the All-Instructor Symposium at Larchmont Yacht Club. Full details for this event are available here.
With the accessibility and convenience of the Internet on phones, virtually any and all information is at one's fingertips.
The revolution of the iPhone and its applications, or apps, has taken the technology world by storm and leaves no field of interest unexplored, including all elements of sailing. Apple & iTunes supplies an app for every need, concern, want, and interest for sailors.
Whether you're learning the ropes or have had a lifetime of experience, 'there's an app for that' on the iPhone. Listed below are a few of the top sailing applications for iPhones, check them out and see which ones best fit you!
For the Skipper-in-Training:
- SailX
Simulating a full-featured sailing environment, learn the ins and outs of sailing and racing through this communally interactive app. Through the SailX tactical trainer, get access to real-time regattas and communicate with other online sailors in addition to simulated sailing environments. The app features three racing formats (fleet, team, match-race), five boat types (laser, catamaran, skiff, team, keelboat), and tons of simulations ranging from wind effects to sheet control. SailX allows you to get access to live regattas while simulating real life scenarios, so you can be knowledgeably ready for anything.
- You-Tack Pro
For those who still need to brush up on their racing rules, You-Tack Pro is any captain's dream. The app is a comprehensive way of learning and reviewing all the ISAF Racing Rules of Sailing through illustrations, explanations, 3D animated quizzes, definitions, and description. This easy to use app tests your sailing knowledge through simulations of real life scenarios; some of the quizzes include 'Sailing Upwind', 'Windward Mark', and 'Learning Signals'. An added bonus: the quizzes are taken from the International Sailing Association Federation Case Book for 2009-2012. Save your quiz results and specific rules in the favorites folder for a quick brush-up before any race.
For the savvy navigator & tactician:
- iNavX
Looking for an easier way to keep your charts handy? The iNavX app keeps all the official NOAA RNC US water marine charts in the palm of your hand. iNavX covers all West Coast, Gulf Coast, East Coast, Great Lakes, Alaska, Hawaii, and US Virgin Islands charts in detail. In addition, the app's built in GPS helps you plot your current position, map waypoints & routes, and track your progress. Plot, zoom, scroll, and navigate with this 5 star rated app!
For the sailing history buff:
- History of Sailing
Expand your horizon of sailing knowledge with this friendly, illustrative app. The History of Sailing app covers the history of sailing through facts, illustrations, and engaging stories. Browse through chapters of sailing physics, history, and points of sail to become a full-fledged sailing history expert. One reviewer testified, "I had my friend who knew nothing about sailing give this a read for 30 minutes, he was able to carry on a conversation with me about sailing physics. It’s a great guide to what sailing is all about."
For the 'can't-get-enough-sailing' enthusiast:
- Live Skipper
One of the first multiplayer sailing games for the iPhone, Live Skipper is a virtual regatta simulator. Create a boat, choose sails, watch the weather, and start competing in races around the world with real virtual opponents. This app brags a 50,000+ player community, with the favorite feature being the real weather conditions simulated. With a new race beginning every Friday, only one of the competing boats can come in first place. Now you can get your sailing fix on or off the water.
- American Sailing Association
Designed for new and experienced sailors, the ASA app is designed to fit and enhance the sailing lifestyle. This app has everything for everyone: learn the art of typing knots, brush up on the identification of nautical flags and vessel lighting, find sailing schools in your area, and tons more. Need to look up a quick term? The app comes with a full sailing glossary for reference. Want to check the forecast? The app has direct access to the ASA Social Media Gateway, featuring national and satellite radars, tropical conditions for US cities, 5-day forecasts, wind data, and tide predictions. Interested in to-the-minute sailing updates? Use the app for direct connection to ASA's Facebook updates and Twitter feed. ASA has always maintained a mission to "promote education and safety throughout the sailing community", and they continue to do so through their extensive app.
Download these apps and become the handiest sailor on or off the water. Turns out, the ultimate sailor can fit right in your pocket.
And here are some other apps mentioned by our Facebook fans:
- Ayetides
AyeTides displays tides and currents for nearly 10,000 location around the world. It is a stand-alone application and does not require internet access to function.
- MotionX GPS
Designed and used by Philippe Kahn during his record setting Transpacific Run. The app has a virtual compass for navigation and a stopwatch to record time, distance, speed and average pace. MotionX-GPS is a great way to compare results from one race to the next and at the end of the day.
- Animated Knots by Grog:
Are you all tied up in knots? Well, this app has been created by re-engineering the content of the very popular website, including all the knot tying animations and descriptions.
- WindAlert
WindAlert is an app that draws from a database that includes over 40,000 weather stations across the globe. Features include favorite lists of weather stations separated into unique user-generated profiles and customizable wind alerts delivered through the iPhone when conditions reach thresholds set by the user.
Did we miss any iPhone apps that you find useful? Or do you prefer Android apps? Let us know by leaving a comment here.
This article was contributed by our guest author, Ali Tortorello, from Boston University, whose family sails out of Cedar Point YC in Westport CT.
If you also have a story you'd like to share, please contact us and we'll get you published on JibeTalk!
The US Sailing Knowledge Base takes a variery of articles that have been published by US Sailing in the past and puts them all in one place where the info be easily accessed. http://home.ussailing.org/KB.htm
We've browsed through the articles and think that junior sailing program leaders may find especially interesting the below articles about recruiting, staff management and program planning:
- Chip Johns of Beverly Yacht Club writes on Recruiting for Junior Sailing Programs
- Summer sailing program Recruiting and Hiring Quality Staff
- General guidelines for Staff Selection, Training & Management
- Modular Program Planner: a 4-part guide to the overall planning and implementation of a sailing program
US Sailing's Training & Education Division also extends a number of Program Management Offerings to help clubs, schools and sailing programs grow and improve.
And while we're on the topic of staffing, take a look at the recruiting tips we have posted in the JSALIS Job Bank Tip Sheet.
JibeTalk is always happy to feature articles written our readers.
Two Pequot YC boats did very well in the Beach Point Overnight Race on August 17-18. Strategery skippered by Morgan Simmonds was first overall and in Division A, while Loki skippered by Bryce Kopp was third in Division A. Here is their regatta report:
To begin, we would like to thank two very generous members of Pequot Yacht Club, Jack Forehand and David Rosow, who lent their boats this summer season to allow us to compete across the sound. This donation of time, effort, and equipment lead to 5 successful practices, supplemented by 5 navigation classes, the famed Storm Trysail Safety at Sea seminar, and three very successful regattas (not to mention the character we all built!)
In past years our big boat program, as I am sure is true at many other clubs, has been left on the back burner, because many other JSA and non-JSA events and even other sports pull kids away from this excellent program. This year, we made it a point at Pequot to change this. We scheduled wisely and made a selection criterion so there would be a lesser feeling of joviality, and instead a more interested and receptive crew actively engaged in broadening their horizons onto big-boat sailing.
Luckily for us, our boats were both J109s. This made practice quite interesting, as we were able to match-race and enjoyed seeing each other’s progress.
In the few hours leading up to the Beach Point Overnight scheduled start at 3:30pm, it was clear to the owners and instructors that staying in pressure would be key, but would our kids figure it out? With four of the crew looking at Sailflow and a large GPS prior to the race, I breathed a sigh of relief when they came to the conclusion to “go fast and stay in the pressure.”
After a two hour no-wind delay the Beach Point race committee called for the start at 5:30pm. We agreed, having been halyard jumping for the past hour. We knew there would be no point in canceling the big-boat distance race that many yacht clubs had prepared for all summer because of too little breeze. We lined up for the usual five-minute-sequence and Strategery was looking great, traversing the down-wind starting line on starboard tack and to leeward—all the rights in the world! However, without full acceleration at go, we found ourselves fourth off the line and stuck with a mediocre start.
However, the breeze began to fill to a steady zephyr and our teams got their game faces on as we started out the eleven hour adventure. After the mediocre start Strategery suffered, we looked deep. Loki, the other J109 from Pequot, Sundari from American, and Strider from Beach Point all decided to head high, making us look even worse. The skipper and tactician on Strategery decided to stay a little above the rhumb-line, keeping the big kite full and hauling down the sound towards Stratford Shoal. Constantly looking back, the skipper connected the puffs from behind and we made up lots of ground before the sun set.
Making up enough ground to be within covering range of Loki, we were faced with a predicament. Go high and lose time on High Noon from Noroton and Sundari, or go low and risk stalling. The tactician on Strategery decided to head high a little and quickly dip low. This gave us the advantage of surprise, allowing us to create lateral separation below Loki.
Unfortunately, the steady pressure we had sailed with through the daylight shut off a few miles from Stratford Shoal. But the crew aboard Strategery was able to keep their heads in the game and they continued to talk about the forecasted weather, what they saw on the water and body position on the boat (all weight forward on the leeward rail). When the light breeze did fill in again around midnight and we started to near Stratford Shoal, the kite tangled on the furler in a light-air gibe causing a bad tear. Unfortunately, Strategery did not have two halyards or tack-lines, making peels impossible and sail changes slow.
As we rounded the shoal, the breeze went further west and the kids saw more pressure towards Long Island. When we were clear, we tacked and saw another shift leading to a change to the Code 0. The skipper decided strictly middle-rhumb for the sail home; making it hard to keep the Code 0 up for long. The kids decided together that sailing high with the Code 0 would not be as beneficial as sailing the rhumb-line would be. During these many difficult decisions, we had the stress of the other Pequot boat, Loki, having rounded about ten minutes behind us, working hard off Connecticut and gaining on us!
With a stern decision from skipper Morgan Simmonds, we then switched to our reaching kite and sailed the rhumb line for hours (at one point, almost nailing the mid-sound mark!). Throughout the four hours we stayed on the rhumb-line with our screacher up, the adolescent leadership never allowed the other kids to become side-tracked and we maintained our focus. That focus lead to fantastic spinnaker trim, steering and speed all the way to the finish. As we neared the finish, we were excited and proud to realize we had beaten Pequot’s other boat, Loki, filled with many more-experienced sailors. The finish was so close with Morning Glory from Larchmont, a J105 in the B division, we thought we had sailed to second overall.
In the end, we found out we had clinched victory instead of second place. The margin was no more than two minutes and thirty seconds, in a fifty-seven mile, eleven hour race up and down the sound.
In conclusion, every member onboard both Pequot boats had a great time, and learned a great deal about big boat sailing. We would all like to thank Beach Point for a great regatta and we hope that exciting stories like these will help foster growth for more big-boat programs throughout Long Island Sound.
Russell Clarida Main Trim, Strategery
Carl Segen &Tory Lynch Co-Head Instructors
