California International Sailing Association
Advanced Racing Clinic April 5-8, 2008
Alamitos Bay Yacht Club Long Beach, Calif.
March 18, 2008America’s top youth sailors set for CISA Clinic
LONG BEACH, Calif.---The core of America’s best young sailors will assemble for the California International Sailing Association's 31st annual Advanced Racing Clinic April 5-8, Saturday through Tuesday, at Alamitos Bay Yacht Club.
About 300 applied but, with participation limited, only 118 boys and girls ages 13 to 18 were accepted on the basis of their résumés in youth sailing that they hope someday to extend into global success---think the 2016 or 2020 Olympic Games.
All are skilled in the basic techniques, but now they have an opportunity to develop the refinements demanded to compete at a world-class level.
Over three typical 12-hour days world-class competitors, including Olympic medalists Kevin Burnham and Charlie McKee, will enlighten them in the fine points. The program will consist of lectures and on-water drills including tactics, strategy, sail trim, boat speed and organizing a successful Olympic campaign.
The fourth day Tuesday will be pure racing, with awards following in mid-afternoon.
Richard Feeny, Youth Sailing Director at San Francisco Yacht Club and a two-time all-American at Brown University, is the clinic director after serving several years as an instructor. He assembled the 18-person coaching staff.
“It’s nice to be a part of it,” Feeny said. “It’s exhausting but it always refreshes me to rub shoulders with people who are doiing some pretty interesting things in the sport. I’m invariably invigorated and excited by something that one of the other coaches has up his or her sleeve. I remember when Pete Melvin brought video from New Zealand of PlayStation’s sea trials.”
The instructors, besides Burnham, McKee and Feeny, will be Mikee Anderson, Cameron Biehl, Molly Carapiet, Adam Deermount, Casey Hogan, Steve Hunt, Isabelle Kinsolving, Elizabeth Kratzig, Zack Leonard, Andrew Lewis, Zach Maxam, John Pierce, Stan Schreyer, Genny Tulloch and Skip Whyte.
Evening program speakers will include Julian Bethwaite, the Australian developer of the 49er and 29er skiff classes, and Lewis, a former national Laser champion and Volvo Ocean Race competitor from Hawaii.
Groups will be assigned among Lasers, Laser Radials, Club 420s, International 420s, Club FJs and 29er skiffs.
CISA, founded in 1971, supports amateur sailors by providing travel grants for regional, national and international competition and funds local sailing programs and racing clinics. With assistance from CISA, 39 sailors attended the most recent Orange Bowl Regatta in Miami.
Unlike other nations, the U.S. has no federally supported assistance programs for its amateur sportsmen or for the development of young talent. CISA, a 501(c)3 organization, relies on contributions of corporations and individuals to provide support of amateur sailors. Because it is non-profit and tax-exempt, all contributions are tax deductible.
The CISA Advanced Racing Clinic is supported by Vanguard Sailboats, Gill North America and Kaenon Polarized.
More about CISA
Clinic daily schedule
List of participants by classes
CALIFORNIA INTERNATIONAL SAILING ASSOCIATION
P.O. Box 17992
Irvine, CA 92713-7992
www.cisasailing.org
CISA ADMINISTRATION
Marylee Goyan
P.O. Box 180580
Coronado, CA 92178
PUBLICITY
Rich Roberts
310.835.2526
cell 310.766.6547
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Clinic daily schedule
Participants by classes