JibeTalk

McIntyre boasts exciting team racing

The McIntyre Team Race event was once again held at SUNY Maritime in a provided fleet of 18 Zim 420’s. Coaches Brian Clancy (Cornell University), John Pearce (George Washington University) and Chris Klevan (US Coast Guard Academy) led the event with support from local coaches Will Holz, Alec Taylor, Beka Schiff, JJ Monro, Brendan Shanahan and Alex Curtiss.

 

Brian, John and Chris were in unanimous agreement that this was the best in the three years they had participated in the event. It was a lot of fun.

Monday began with a clinic session focusing on passback drills on the water, followed by debrief over lunch. The first round robin was completed in a SW breeze ranging from 6 to 12 mph. AYC came out strong and led after day one.

Tuesday began similarly with great breeze all day, right from the start. The clinic session focused on execution at mark three and team racing in current. Again, local coaches gave support in facilitating the drills and debrief at lunch. Round two brought another SW breeze ranging from 12 to 15mph.

Wednesday, the final day called for less than ideal sailing conditions and the plan was to start the third round right away taking knowledge and discussion from the previous two days into account. It was a light Westerly about 5 to 8 mph and was dying. Once current kicked into full ebb, it became quite difficult to navigate the racecourse. Sailors and coaches headed in for an earlier lunch break after completing 17 of 21 anticipated races (81%).

Breeze never materialized from that point forward and teams were unable to head back out to complete the round. However, the team racing appendix allows for incomplete rounds to be counted so long as 80% was completed.

Noroton and AYC tied for the lead with a 13 to 4 win-to-loss record. Noroton won two of three head to head meetings and took the championship. Riverside was not far behind and after a slow start (3 to 3), managed to finish the event with a 9 to 1 record and overall record of 12 to 5, just behind the leaders.

Racing was challenging but it was clear that competitors enjoyed team racing against their JSA rivals. New teams joined in on the action this year. One can only hope that more will follow suit next year. Big thanks to SUNY Maritime and Rob Crafa for hosting for three days and providing motor boats and marks.

- Contribution from McIntyre Head Coach Brian Clancy

See photo album here.

View results here.

JSA’s McIntyre Team Race Next Week

 

Junior sailors on the East River at last year's McIntyre Team Race

Sail in the McIntyre Team Race!

Whether you are a veteran team racer or new to team racing, the McIntyre Trophy Team Race clinegatta is the perfect event for you to kick off the summer racing season. 

The clinegatta takes place at SUNY Maritime College in the Bronx, New York on July 6 to 8, Monday to Wednesday.

Part of the time includes a clinic to enhance your team racing skills. The rest is devoted to intense racing on the East River. 

If you want to go, be sure to ask your club to make arrangements for its team of six sailors by end of Friday, July 3. The NOR is available here. 

If your club has enough sailors for more than one team, you may be able register two teams. Or, if your club does not have six sailors for a team, you may combine sailors from your club and another club to form one team.

The coaching team of three top-notch college coaches is a great reason to attend. Brian Clancy, head coach at Cornell University will lead the clinegatta, along with John Pearce from George Washington University and Chris Klevan from the US Coast Guard Academy. Biographies of these coaches may be read here.

All you need to bring is your personal sailing gear and lunch; SUNY Maritime provides equipment and 420 boats, and your club provides a coach with a support boat.

Do you want to compete in the McIntyre Team Race Championship? Talk with your head instructor and have your team registered by July 3. Or email to JSA office [email protected] to see if we can help match you in combined teams of six sailors from various clubs.

We'll see you at SUNY Maritime on July 6.

Head Instructor Workshop prepares instructors to coach sailors

Head instructing sailing means more than teaching sailing. It means managing other instructors, working with parents and more. At the Head Instructor Workshop on June 11 at Beach Point Club, this year’s 35 head instructors, program managers and other senior staff learned from experienced coaches on how to instruct in order to prepare for a successful summer season.

Beginning the meeting, Jeff Bresnahan, head coach at Connecticut College’s sailing program discussed difficulties about teaching to the whole class. Instead of teaching to the top level sailor, he advised instructors to consider all sailors and their different learning styles.

Additionally, Jeff discussed instructor liability and strategies for handling water bottle and trash situations in sailing programs.

Following, Clemmie Everett, former Sailing Director at Noroton Yacht Club and JSA Board Member talked about working with types of sailing instructors as a lead instructor.

Clemmie warned instructors to stay positive, set goals and communicate, while leading by example in order to manage the veteran, the newbie and other instructor personalities.

Next, Kevin Broome, Sailing Director at American YC spoke on safety and best practices. He noted the importance of setting sailors up for success, including by checking the weather.

“When in doubt, don’t go out” and “If you’re unsure, it’s time to moor” Kevin wrote on the PowerPoint presentation.

Also, Kevin demonstrated to instructors a safety kit, which carries items instructors need on the water.

At last, Alicia Martorella, Sailing Director at the WaterFront Center described ways to stay GREEN in sailing.

Participants exchanged contact information at the end of the workshop.

U.S. Junior Sailing Championships 2014 Preview

A talented collection of the top young sailors in the country have arrived in Northern Michigan and are eager to test themselves this week in single-, double-, and triplehanded competition on the waters of West Grand Traverse Bay. The Chubb U.S. Junior Championships is US Sailing’s most historic junior regatta. Racing at this US Sailing National Championship, hosted by Grand Traverse Yacht Club and Traverse Bay Community Sailing, gets underway Wednesday, August 6 and concludes Friday, August 8.

First sailed in 1921, the championship is recognized as one of the preeminent youth sailing events in the United States. Almost 900 sailors compete regionally to win a place at this championship in one of three fleets. Competing sailors range in age between 13 and 18. Each Area is eligible to send at least one sailor / team to compete in each of the fleets.

US Sailing Area B sailors participating in the event are:
- Triplehanded: Dwight Greenhouse, Collin Alexander and William Gallagher 
- Doublehanded: Matthew Kaplan & Sean Walsh and Timothy Greenhouse & Oliver Parsons
- Singlehanded: Jared Gaynes and Sam Morrell 
and we wish them the best of luck over the next three days.

Racing will take place in the Interlake, Club 420, and Byte CII. The equally matched Club 420 and Byte CII are supplied by Zim Sailing, one of the sponsors of the championship.

There are 2015 U.S. Youth Championship implications on the line this week. The top two single- and doublehanded teams not already qualified and finishing in the top 30% of competitors will receive early acceptance to the 2015 U.S. Youth Championships in a doublehanded boat of their choice. Teams must apply for the 2015 U.S. Youth Championship to be eligible. 

There is much more to this championship than racing. A one-day racing clinic led by US Sailing’s Junior National Coach Richard Feeny will be held prior to the start of the championship on Tuesday, August 5. Feeny will be joined by an impressive roster of coaches from around the country, including Cappy Capper (University of Minnesota Head Coach), Matt Lindblad (MIT Co-Head Coach), Mike Kalin (MIT Co-Head Coach), and John Pearce (George Washington University Head Coach). Instruction will cover charter boat assignment, rigging and handling of the boats, starts, and practice races. 

 

A College Sailing Night, sponsored by Gill, is scheduled for Thursday, August 7. This is a special opportunity for these young sailors to learn the ins-and-outs of college sailing and what it takes to race at the next level.  

For more about the Junior Championships, check out the US Sailing event website. 

 

McIntyre Team Racing Clinegatta: A Coach's Perspective

by Brian Clancy, head coach of the Cornell University Sailing Team

 

The McIntyre Team Race was held again this year at SUNY Maritime College in the Bronx, NY. Registered teams arrived on Monday the 6th, following the 4th of July Holiday weekend. The forecast was better than expected for this time of year and that made for great sailing conditions on the East River. A huge thank you goes out to Rob Crafa, Waterfront Director at SUNY Maritime for supporting the event.

Monday began with a morning briefing and an on the water skills session led by the three college coaches who were brought on board. Brian Clancy, Head Coach at Cornell University led the coaches along with John Pearce from George Washington University and Chris Klevan from the US Coast Guard Academy. The plan for the event was a triple round robin, meaning 21 races for each team.

Racing got underway on Monday around 2pm and just over half of the 1st round was completed. It was clear that American YC team 1 would be tough to beat, but Riverside YC 2, Larchmont YC, and Noroton YC were also sailing quite well. After the first day American 1 led with a 5-0 record.

On Tuesday the forecast was expected to mimic Monday, and it did. Racing began earlier in the day with the plan of finishing round 1 and also a 2nd round. It's difficult to run 38 races in one day, but the breeze allowed for teams to rotate quickly. On the water umpiring was provided by the coaches and many rules situations were addressed, which is common for team racers. The event was run very similarly to a college sailing event. In total 56 races had been completed at the end of day 2, and each team had sailed 14 races. American 1 led with a 13-1 record with Riverside 2 and Larchmont tied with a 10-4 record heading into the final day. Breeze to this point had ranged from 8-20 mph throughout the days and although Day 3 was expected to be lighter, we still expected to get through another round.

We had a short wind delay in the morning on Day 3 and had the opportunity to go over the rules situations from the previous day of racing. Racing got underway just before lunch with a nice SW breeze filling in. The 3rd round was completed just before 3pm with the winds cooperating and our goal of 84 races was completed. American 1 slipped a bit in the final day with a 3-4 record and a 16-5 record overall. They won on a tie-break over Riverside 2 who also carried a 16-5 record to finish 2nd. American won 2 of the 3 races when the team met head to head. Larchmont YC was standing alone in 3rd with a 14-7 record. 

There was a 3 way tie for 4th between American 2, American 3 and Noroton which was broken by the record when those teams met. All teams from 4th-6th finished with a 11-10 record, but American 2 went 4-2 in those races to finish 4th, while Ameircan 3 finished 3-3 to finish 5th and Noroton went 2-4 in those races to finish 6th. Riverside 1 finished 7th with a 4-17 record and SYC/WFC finished 8th with a 1-20 record. Full

It's important to note that team racing does not take into consideration the competitiveness of each race on the scoresheet, it's simply listed as a W or an L. The racing was highly contested throughout and those teams that finished with more losses than wins were still competing very well. The scoresheet may be viewed here.

Thank you to Chuck McCarthy of the JSA for organizing the event again this year and Rob Crafa for making the facilities available at SUNY Maritime.

 

Jr. Sailors Work With Elite College Coaches McIntyre Team Race Clinic and Regatta

On the top floor of the waterfront center at SUNY Maritime in The Bronx this past Monday morning sailors were looking forward to three days at the 2014 Malcolm McIntyre team racing clinegatta.

A major draw of the clinegatta was the coaches who were running the event. The coaching team of three top-notch college coaches consisted of lead coach Brian Clancy - head coach of the Cornell University Sailing Team; coach John Pearce - head coach of George Washington University’s sailing team; and coach Chris Klevan - assistant sailing coach at the US Coast Guard Academy.

"It's not all the time that you get to work with college level coaches," said LYC sailor Anna Robling "these guys know how to deal with junior sailors, and I think all of us will have an amazing three days out here."

The clinegatta, which is a combination of a clinic and a regatta, lasted three days and attracted eight teams, each with six junior C420 sailors of all experiences. While most of the teams drew sailors from a single club, one team combined sailors from two nearby clubs. Two clubs had so much interest they were able to make additional teams.  The teams competed in collegiate-rigged C420s (no spinnaker or trapezes), with three boats per team.

While conditions were near perfect on the first day, the sailors were at the will of the notorious East River current. “You have to watch out,” Hector McKemey of AYC told me. “You can be sailing along and suddenly your boom could swing over and hit you across the head thanks to the current.” 

While the final two days of the event turned into a heated regatta, at the end of the day, it was all about becoming a better sailor. Andy Rochart told me what he thought about the event as a whole. “I think there’s a lot you can get out of this event that isn’t race related. We’re all junior sailors looking to improve our skill, and despite wanting to win, I know that the real reason behind [McIntyre] is to help us become better sailors.

The American YC 1 team won first place in a tie breaker with Riverside YC 2 that was second place, each had 16 wins and 5 losses. Larchmont YC took third place with a 14-7 record. The fourth, fifth and sixth places were also ties among American YC 2, American YC 3 and Noroton YC, each with 11-10 record.

Full results are posted on the regatta documents section of the JSA LIS website (http://www.jsalis.org) 

2013 Vineyard Race Corinthian Challenge for Youth Sailors

Have you heard about the Vineyard Race Corinthian Challenge that is open to high school and college sailors?

The 2013 Vineyard Race starts at noon August 30 off Stamford Harbor. 

- Youth Corinthian Challenge Teams: The Corinthian Challenge, created in partnership with David White, head sailing coach at Sacred Heart University, Fairfield CT, is open to all high school and collegiate sailors between the ages of 14 and 24. At least two thirds of the crew for each entry in the Corinthian Challenge must fit in the age range. In addition, each boat will be required to have two advisers aboard, at least 25 years old and experienced in overnight distance racing. Training at night in man overboard recovery and reefing is required. See full details in Section 3.3 of the NOR.
 
There will be separate scoring for eligible boats, details to be announced in the Sailing Instructions.  “This is a great opportunity to grow interest in offshore racing for high school and collegiate sailors,” White said. “The Vineyard Race, which takes place at the start of the school year for most students, provides an early season opportunity for team building and bonding.”
 
- Youth Crew/Boat Board: The Vineyard Race will also be helping those high school and college sailors who want to participate but can’t field a team entry. “We will be encouraging those sailors to use our crew/boat board to let owners know they are experienced and available,” said White. “All Corinthian sailors should indicate their age, experience and school affiliation in the optional field when filling out their crew board information.”

For full details about the Corinthian Challenge and access to the Crew/Boat board, see the Stamford Yacht Club's event website and select “Registration and Notice of Race (YachtScoring).”
 
For more information on forming a youth team or participating as an individual youth crew, email David White [email protected] 

 

Elite Coaches Lead 3-Day McIntyre Team Race Clinic and Regatta

 

Coaches Brian Clancy, John Pearce, and Brian Swingly pause for a photo before going out to run the last day of racing.

With college out for the summer, Long Island Sound junior sailors took over the sailing center at SUNY Maritime July 8-10 for the annual Malcolm McIntyre team racing clinegatta.

The clinegatta, which is a combination of a clinic and a regatta, lasted three days and attracted over 60 moderately advanced to advanced junior sailors.  Sailors were grouped into eight teams of six to eight sailors, and while many of the teams drew sailors from a single club, one team combined sailors from three clubs into one group.  Sailors competed in collegiate-rigged C420s (no spinnaker or trapezes), with three boats per team.

One of the major draws of this year’s clinegatta in particular was the quality of the coaching staff. Lead coach Brian Clancy is the head coach of the Cornell University Sailing Team; assisting him were Brian Swingly, the head intercollegiate sailing coach at the US Coast Guard Academy, and John Pearce, the head coach of George Washington University’s sailing team.

“I think it’s nice that instead of PROs that you can’t really talk to, you have these great coaches instead,” explained Colin Alexander, a participant from American Yacht Club.

“The coaches were very informative,” Lindsey Guadagni, a junior sailor from Sea Cliff Yacht Club, shared after the event.  “Their engaging and helpful teaching style is amazing.”

For many sailors, team racing was not something familiar.  A good number of sailors found the clinegatta a nice way to explore a new kind of sailing.

“It’s a nice break from fleet racing,” shared Alexander.  “It’s a good change of pace.”

“It’s cool being able to work with the rules and outsmart your opponent,” described Chris Graves, a sailor from Noroton Yacht Club.  “That’s what I really like about team racing.”

American Yacht Club sailors make their way to the racecourse Wednesday morning.

The breeze was moderate for most of the regatta, but held up well enough for three full series of races.  Current was also a bit of a significant factor due to the regatta’s location on the East River.

“We’re dealing with a lot of current,” explained Clancy, the lead coach.  “However, we've been fortunate to have great breeze and a lot of time on the water.”

Clancy normally coaches at the college level, so this clinegatta was something a bit unusual to him as well; however, he considered it “fun to do.”

“It’s different teaching younger sailors,” explained Clancy.  “At these events there’s just so much to learn; a lot of these sailors have not done team racing before and you deal with a lot of experience levels.”

Sailors faced a new set of challenges each day. Current prevailed over wind in day one where the left side of the course created a passing lane which made unthinkable comebacks possible.

Day two had a consistent strong southrly breeze with a side sweeping current from the west. The playing field was much more even on both sides which created more tactics and less strategy in getting around the race course.  The day ended with a three way tie between Amercan Yacht Club, Noroton Yacht Club, and a team with a combination of sailors from Oyster Bay (Cold Spring Harbor Beach Club, Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club and The WaterFront Center).

Day three was similar to day two with the same breeze direction but current moving in the opposite direction. Boats that made it off the line first got to the pressure first and the gaps between boats on the first upwind grew quickly.

The Riverside Yacht Club team won first place, while American Yacht Club’s team took second place, the Oyster Bay team placed third, and Noroton Yacht Club was fourth. Only one point seperated each of the these four places, indicating how competitive the McIntyre was this year. 

Full results are available on the JSA website, and photos from the event are accessible on the JSA of LIS Facebook page.

Tyler Paige contributed to this article.

New Year's Frostbite Regatta in Manhasset Bay

If don't have warm-weather plans for the holiday break, head over to Manhasset Bay to race InterClub dinghies on Dec 30 and Jan 1 (no racing Dec 31).

Ideal 18, Lasers and other frostbite one-design class sailors are also invited. Whatever you sail, you’ll be able to say that you ended 2012 and started 2013 in a boat! 

You’ll be part of the original regatta that started winter sailing back in 1932. In the 82 years since, this regatta has been among the most competitive in the country, attracting many of the best amateur and professional racers.  

These winter regattas led to massive growth in dinghy sailing and ultimately the start of collegiate dinghy racing. Frostbite sailors may take an occasional wintry bath, but they outrace the hibernators when spring and summer arrives, because their summer talents are sharpened by the multiple starts and short courses of winter sailing. 

The InterClubs are doublehanded, cat-rigged, roll-tacking boats that provide excellent short course racing that some say is the best dinghy sailing you can do outside of college. Borrowed ICs may be available, or you may find an opportunity to crew, if you reach out early enough to Peter Beardsley, commodore of the Frostbite Yacht Club, or Pedro Lorson, regatta chair.

 

Frostbite Yacht Club burgee

 

See the NOR with full contact and registration information on the Manhasset Bay YC website.

 

McIntyre Team Race Champs at SUNY Maritime Was Fun, Yet Intense

Sailors head to the course on a C420 for the first round of team racing on Monday morning.

Team race enthusiasts from eight JSA LIS clubs came out to SUNY Maritime College in the Bronx last week for the 2012 Malcolm McIntyre Team Racing Championships.

The teams of 6-8 sailors competed in dozens of races over three days, from July 9 to 11.  The event was technically a clinegatta (part-clinic, part-regatta), although almost all of the time was spent racing. The competitors enjoyed the format, mainly because of the fun yet intense mood of the event.

“It was very competitive, especially in the top 4,” said David Bigelow, an instructor from Norwalk Yacht Club, following the conclusion of the last race.  “I really believe it enhances the sailors’ ability to fleet race as well.”

“I’m here because it’s a fun experience and I want to improve my team racing skills,” Kelly Wiegold, a competitor in the regatta from Riverside Yacht Club who also team races for her high school, explained in an interview before the clinic on the first day.

Sailors return to shore for lunch after completing 14 races Monday morning.

Many other sailors also commented positively on the quality of the coaches who taught the clinic and ran the races.  Returning from last year was Michael Collins, Head Dinghy Coach at Kings Point.  Collins was assisted by John Singsen, also from Kings Point, and Mac Mace, who is a coach at Larchmont Yacht Club and a member of the College of Charleston sailing team that won the 2012 college team racing national championships.

One thing the participants seemed to enjoy particularly was that the coaches provided feedback at the end of each race, mentioning tactics the sailors executed well during the race and citing instances in the race where sailors showed room for improvement.  Competitors also liked the chalk talks given by the coaches on the first day of the clinic.

“I really liked that we were instructed so well about how to team race,” Liam Monarchio, a returning participant in the event from Sea Cliff Yacht Club, said after the awards ceremony.  Monarchio enjoys team racing because he feels it is a nice break from fleet racing, and takes pleasure in being able to work “with my teammates and getting to use lots of cool tactics.”

Members of the winning team from Noroton Yacht Club express their joy Wednesday afternoon after winning the regatta.

“My favorite thing about this event is that it is the 1st college-type of regatta that junior sailors get to experience,” Head Coach Collins commented, recalling how he enjoys returning to coach at the regatta every year.  “It’s a really cool part of the sport”

Noroton Yacht Club took home 1st place this year, while Riverside placed 2nd, and Larchmont received 3rd.  Full results are available on the JSA website www.JsaLis.org on the regatta documents page.

Photos from this event and many others are on our Facebook page (“JSA of LIS”).  If you don’t already “like” us, do so right now to ensure you don’t miss any updates, photos, or videos in the future!  The photos from this event are in an album here, so click the link and check them out!  Also check out the video coverage of the event here!