Optimist, Open Skiff, Youth & Olympic Sailing Blog

Here is a blog post about the Laser North American « Grand Prix » with the hope that it would start a reflection about possible improvements for future years. This Grand Prix is aimed at selecting North American sailors to events organized by the Laser class, such as the Laser 4.7 Youth Worlds (U18), Laser Radial Youth Worlds (U19) and the Laser U21 Worlds, taking place both in the Laser Standard for men and Radial for women. The Grand Prix web page, maintained by the North American class, can be found at this link .   Note: we will discuss the question of the Grand Prix at our upcoming webinar - make sure to register on Facebook and share with all those who might be interested . KEY ISSUES 1. Very Long Distances and High Costs Canada and the US are very large countries. The distances between events are huge. At the same time, the number of youth sailors is really low, compared to Europe for example. This is an impediment to youth sailing development in the L...

This is the second part of our article on the Laser 4.7 and the many reasons for youth sailors to choose it. If you have not yet read the first part, please do so by clicking here . XI. Role Models for the Youth Sailors A key element for youth sailors to pursue their career in racing is to be motivated, to be inspired. Often neglected, but critical in this process, are role models. And the Laser has several of them. Here is an anecdote for the purpose of illustrating this. About a year ago, at a big and amazing Optimist regatta on lake Garda, the Ora Cup Ora, after the racing, there was this concentration of young sailors at the club. It was a kind of line up, while there was no official event at that particular time. What was happening? These were youth sailors, from all over the world, waiting for their turn to get an autograph, from no-one else than Robert Scheidt, who was so kind to spend time with all those young sailors.  There was real electricity in the air. Those sail...

Ceci constitue la suite de l’article présentant douze idées pour développer une équipe provinciale au Québec. La première partie, si vous ne l’avez pas encore lue, est accessible à ce lien . Un développement est survenu depuis: la publication de la version officielle du projet d'équipe provinciale de la fédération. Ce document a été transmis par la fédération malgré d’évidentes faiblesses et le peu de consultations dont il a fait l’objet. Ceux qui disposent du document de la fédération pourront constater que l’approche préconisée est très différente de ce qui est suggéré ici - avec notamment pour différences le rôle de l’Optimist, le nombre, la destination et le coût des déplacements en hiver et au printemps, et le type de structure proposé pour soutenir les athlètes. Bien que les parents aient à répondre d’ici deux semaines, espérons que des ajustements pourront être faits pour améliorer le projet de la fédération, qui semble présentement susciter plus de questionnements que d...

Cela fait maintenant quelques années que l’on parle de reconstituer une équipe provinciale de voile jeunesse au Québec. Voici quelques idées pour le faire, qui sont non seulement adaptées à la situation particulière au Québec, où la voile de compétition est un sport peu pratiqué, mais qui reposent aussi sur les méthodes utilisées là dans le monde où l’on produit régulièrement des athlètes de haut niveau. Ces idées portent essentiellement sur les jeunes de 12 à 18 ans et visent à les faire réussir sur le plan sportif, sans porter préjudice à leur scolarité, qui devient typiquement de plus en plus exigeante au fur et à mesure que les années avancent. Les considérations abordées sont diverses, du choix des embarcations à la planification annuelle et au contrôle des coûts. Ces idées sont le fruit de multiples discussions et réflexions sur le sujet au cours des dernières années. Elles forment toutefois un ensemble cohérent, visant à susciter l'engouement des athlètes, des entraîneurs...

VII. Extend the Sailing Season with Training in New England If the sailing season is particularly short in Quebec, it is less so just a few hundred kilometers away, in New England. Already, some athletes from Quebec are training there, for example at the excellent Sail Newport public sailing center in Rhodes Island (see picture). Extending the sailing season for Quebec athletes is fortunately possible by organizing long weekends of training and / or competitions in New England. For example, by missing only two school days on Thursday and Friday, it is possible to have a departure on Wednesday evening by road, and a return on Sunday at the end of the day. From Montreal, it's about 600 km of road and it's very feasible. Logically, the idea would be to have an agreement with Sail Newport or another similar center to bring the boats in the fall, once it is no longer possible to practice in Quebec, and leave the boats there, to organize for example 2 long week...

For a few years now, there has been talk about reconstituting a provincial youth sailing team in Quebec. Here are some ideas for doing so, which are not only adapted to the situation in Quebec, where competitive sailing is a little practiced sport, but which also rely on the methods used where high performance athletes are regularly produced. These ideas focus on youth sailors aged 12 to 18 and aim at making them more successful without hurting their schooling, which typically becomes more demanding as the years go by. The considerations discussed here are diverse, from the choice of boats to annual planning and cost control. These ideas are the result of many discussions and reflections on the subject in recent years. They aim at offering practical solutions that address the needs of athletes, coaches, parents, as well as club and provincial officials. Find here the original document in French. Trouvez ici la version originale en français. ————————————————— CONTENTS I. Strat...