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2003 CISA Clinic
Final Wrap-up
April 16, 2003
ANOTHER YOUNG CROP ON THEIR WAY TO THE TOP
LONG BEACH, Calif.-�Andrew Keane, 16, came from White Bear Lake, Minn., to
participate among 118 top North American prospects in the California
International Sailing Association's annual Advanced Racing Clinic April
12-15 at Alamitos Bay Yacht Club. After four intense days of on-shore
instruction and on-water coaching from Olympic medallists, America's Cup
campaigners and other world-class talent, he thought it was well worth the
trip.
"That's what's great about this," Keane said as he hauled out his Laser
Radial. "They've reached the top, and now they're helping us get to the
top."
CISA, founded in 1971, conducts the clinic each year for boys and girls
ages 13 and older who are selected on the basis of their sailing r�sum�s.
Boats used were Laser, Laser Radial, Europe, 420, Club FJ and 29er.
This year's instructors, many of whom were once CISA Clinic students:
Laser---Nick Adamson, Andy Lovell and John Torgerson; Laser Radial---Carisa
Harris, Adam Deermount, Andrew Lewis; 420---Simon Cooke, Brian Doyle, Zach
Leonard, Nicolas Winograd, James Spithill; 29er---Kevin Hall, Charlie
McKee; Europe---Rob Dean; CFJ---Jon Rogers, Jaime Malm.
Cooke, from New Zealand, is the current 470 world champion. McKee is a
double Olympic medallist and sailed for Seattle's OneWorld America's Cup
team with Hall and Spithill. The latter was a late recruit for the clinic
after finishing third in the Congressional Cup one day earlier.
"He's only 23," said clinic director Casey Hogan, "so for the kids to see
someone so near their own age who has been to the America's Cup was
special."
Spithill was the featured speaker at dinner one night, following Dave
Dellenbaugh the previous night.
Forty participants were from out of state, including eight from Canada.
Every region of the country---Louisiana, Florida, New York, Connecticut,
Maine, Illinois, Minnesota, Washington and Hawaii---was represented. The
average age was 16.
"It was a younger group than in the past," Hogan said, "and it seemed to
be a particularly good group of sailors."
She noted that even the weather cooperated with a variety of light to
heavy wind conditions that featured a rainstorm on the third day. Many of
the youngsters got practice in righting capsized boats.
"Monday was unbelievable," Hogan said. "It was pretty windy and cold, but
the race day [Tuesday] was incredibly good. It's too bad we couldn�t have
stayed out there longer."
That was graduation day, when the sailors put everything they had learned
into practice with five or six races, depending on class, in winds up to
14 knots and brilliant sunshine.
Cooke, 26, said the program was beyond anything available to youth sailors
even in New Zealand, the cradle of some of the world's top talent.
"The national program is probably on a par with this," Cooke said, "but
generally we just have clubs, go down and sail and learn it ourselves. I
plugged away and it took some time. These kids should be way ahead, but
it's up to them what they do from here."
Case Hathaway-Zepeda, 16, of Pasadena, finished in the middle of the Laser
Radial fleet racing but first in environmental practice. She spent her
time between racing and drills picking up plastic bags, Styrofoam cups and
other trash off the water.
Asked if she ever did that while racing, she replied, "Please don't tell
my coach."
CISA supports amateur sailors by providing travel grants for regional,
national and international competition and funds local sailing programs
and racing clinics. 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.
Racing winners: LASER (14 boats)---Emery Wagner, Seattle; LASER RADIAL
(23)---Matthew Pies, Santa Barbara; 420 (21)---Martin Sterling/Brooks
Reed, Waipahu, H.I.; I-420 (3)---Zachary Brown/Melanie Brown, San Diego;
CFJ (9)---Parker Mitchell/Katlin Hall, Malibu; 29ER (6)---Cameron Biehl/Ryan
Lorence, San Diego; EUROPE (3)---Lauren Bernsen, Coronado, Calif.
Photos and complete racing results:
www.cisasailing.org and
www.abyc.org
CALIFORNIA INTERNATIONAL SAILING ASSOCIATION
P.O. Box 17992
Irvine, CA 92713-7992
www.cisasailing.org
President Tim Hogan
3090 Pullman Ave, Costa Mesa, CA 92626
(714) 434-4400
[email protected]
PUBLICITY
Rich Roberts
(310) 835-2526
[email protected]
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