Learning hard lessons at the CISA Clinic

by Rich Roberts on 10 Apr 2010 Halfway into the most intense learning experience of their sailing lives, the 109 boys and girls in the California International Sailing Association's 33rd annual Advanced Racing Clinic at Alamitos Bay Yacht Club have soaked up boatloads of salt water, sweat and expertise.

Thursday it was boat handling, Friday boat speed and Saturday would be tactics. Each day the lessons, sailing drills and even the physical training by Harry Legum are geared to certain positions on certain boats, all coming from a staff of coaches who have won or coached others to world championships and Olympic medals.

Legum got Anna Tunnicliffe in shape to win gold in Laser Radials at Qingdao.

So, listen up, kids, these guys and gals know what they're talking about.

Another of them, Zach Railey, collected silver sailing a Finn in China in 2008 and in the Thursday evening program enthralled the student body and staff with his straightforward and pragmatic secrets to success.

Railey, 25, said he found it interesting that he had attended four CISA Clinics himself and that, 'seven years later instead of sitting out there where you are tonight I'm standing up here telling you about doing it.'

Most of the audience took notes. A namesake, Zach Downing, 14, of San Diego, said the overriding message he received was, 'perseverance toward your goals …you aren't going to win all the time.'

Railey said he doesn't even try. 'I plan to peak for about two events a year. In the other events I'm working on weaknesses. I'm terrible at mid-line starts in large fleets,' he said. 'You think, 'A silver medalist and he doesn't know how to start?' But I'm going to get it because I want to.'

Lizzie Guynn, 16, of Chicago, got it. 'I thought he was really strong about setting goals, to be as good as you can be, and how he said, 'Hard work beats talent.'

The youngsters - all 109 of whom were selected from more than 300 applicants - relate to that and the sacrifices it requires of a teenager.

Claudia Taselaar, 14, of New York said, 'One of the worst things I got [from peers] was the people at school who said, 'Why weren't you at the party?'

Alex Whipple, 18, of Long Island, N.Y., said he already lives and sails by Railey's philosophy: 'Don't worry about what people say and let it affect your sailing. Get past that.'

Besides Railey, other coaches are Charlie McKee, a two-time Olympic bronze medalist in 49er and 470, and Brian Bissell, Brendan Casey, Genny Tulloch, Nigel Cochran, Isabelle Kinsolving Farrar, Zack Maxam, Brett Davis, David Wright, Cameron Biehl, Zander Kirkland, Brian Stanford, Graham Biehl, Skip Whyte, Molly Vandemoer and Peter Alarie.

For the first two days the clinic has been blessed with clear weather with temperatures in the high 70s on Thursday before dipping to the low 70s and high 60s on Friday. Even better, there has been good training breeze of 8 to 12 knots even for the morning on-water drills.

The clinic winds up on Sunday with pure racing scheduled to start at 10 a.m.

CISA, founded in 1971, supports amateur sailors by providing travel grants for regional, national and international competition and also funds local sailing programs and racing clinics.

The CISA Advanced Racing Clinic is sponsored by Atlantis WeatherGear, Kaenon Polarized sunglasses, Laser Performance, Gill Sailing Gear and Apparel and North Sails.

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.