Sailors enhanced their skills during the 2022 clinic

The JSA of LIS Preseason Clinic for Club 420s, Fevas and ILCAs (Lasers) all rigs will be held at Stamford Yacht Club for two days on Saturday June 24 and Sunday June 25, 2023.

Sailors will learn from experts, enhance performance skills and gain advice at the start of the summer sailing season. JSA’s clinic features college sailing coaches and champions, who have competed in the Olympics and national intercollegiate championships

The clinic will have sections for sailors who are:
– Developing their skills after moving to Club 420s, Fevas and ILCAs (Lasers) from other boat types.
– Preparing to compete at regattas early this summer, like the Law Trophy regatta on June 26-27.
– Striving to succeed at JSA’s Club 420, Feva and ILCA (Laser) champs in July.

The JSA of LIS has been teaming up for almost thirty years with the Oyster Bay Sailing Foundation to sponsor this clinic.  Anyone who has benefited from this clinic is welcome to support the OBSF with a donation mailed to P.O. Box 720, Oyster Bay, NY 11771.

Programming to prepare sailors for this summer season and beyond will consist of conditioning, on-the-water drills, and interactive discussions about boat speed, tactics, and rules. The JSA has recruited a great group of coaches who will bring their enthusiasm, knowledge, and racing experience to lead this year’s clinic.

Registration: Parents of boat skippers may register directly with JSA using the Clubspot system at http://bit.ly/JSA23Clinic. Questions about the clinic may be directed to info@jsalis.org or phone/text (570)441-9737. The event is bring-your-own-boat. Clubs may assist by arranging use of a club boat at the clinic for sailors who do not own a boat. Housing is not provided. Clinic fee per boat is $175 for singlehanded and $350 for doublehanded.

Meet the Coaches – four experienced coaches will be running the clinic:
– Leading the clinic will be Henry Millette. Henry is the Sailing Director for Indian Harbor Yacht Club and Head Coach for the Greenwich Country Day School Sailing Team. He led the Greenwich HS Varsity Sailing Team to a CT State Girls Fleet Racing Title in 2021 as well as a top finish amongst public schools at the 2019 New England Schools Sailing Association Team Racing Championship. He also was School Year Sailing Director for Venice Youth Boating in 2021 and 2022, and coached the top blue fleet sailor for the JSA Optimist Season Trophy in 2019, and the White Fleet Champion at the 2017 JSA Opti Championship. Henry served as the Feva Coach at this clinic during 2019 and 2021 editions

– Brendan Feeney, assistant coach at the United States Merchant Marine Academy, Kings Point since August 2020. Previously, Brendan was assistant coach at Eckerd College. Here he led them to their Match Race Conference Championship, paired with a top 10 finish at the 2019 ICSA Match Race Nationals. He led USF to 3 National Final Coed Dinghy appearances, including 2 Top-12 finishes. In 2019, he was selected to the United States Etchells youth team. Brendan also did a short stint in the 470 Olympics Class placing 2nd at the 2016 470 US Nationals, as well as finishing 3rd in the US Team at the 2017 ISAF World Sailing Miami (US Sailing Team Selection Trials).

– Cori Radtke, Bowdoin College assistant coach since the fall of 2015, will be the ILCA coach. During her tenure, the Polar Bears received their first All-American honors and have appeared in 12 national championships. In fall 2022, Cori worked with Christine Reimer who finished 3rd at the College Sailing Women’s Singlehanded National Championship. Outside of college sailing, she most recently has coached the US Sailing junior circuit. This has included girls clinics in New York, Michigan and Rhode Island, in addition to the Bemis Trophy (US Junior Sailing Doublehanded Championship) and the Leiter Trophy (US Junior Women’s Singlehanded Championship).

– Also at the clinic will be the Feva coach Ben Cripton. Ben is a third year coach of the double handed racing program at Seawanhaka Corinthian Yacht Club. Hailing from Halifax, Nova Scotia, he has five years of skiff racing experience. He competed at the 49er world championships in 2022 and is coming to train in the 49er with eyes on 2028 Olympic qualification. He has won the Nova Scotian provincial championships in both Club 420s and 29ers. Ben is currently studying environmental and atmospheric science at Dalhousie University.