FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Eastern Yacht Club to host 3 Sailing Seminars

The Eastern Yacht Club will host three nights of sailing panel discussions geared for all types of sailors; large boat, small boat, young and old.  These free sessions are open to everyone and will be held Thursday, February 17^th, Monday, March 14^th and Thursday, April 21st.  All three panel discussion will begin at 7pm and last about 2 hours.

February 17^th - The evening will feature a moderated panel discussion of "Go Fast Perspective" with nationally and internationally renowned racers from Marblehead: Jack Slattery of North Sails, Jud Smith of Doyle Sailmakers, and Bill Lynn of Atlantis Weathergear.  Among them, Slattery, Smith and Lynn have won an impressive list of big boat around the buoys and offshore races, including the Gibbs Hill Light House Trophy 1^st overall Bermuda and the Kenwood Cup, Hawaii. 

Additionally, each has won a long list of National and International one-design regattas including the Championship of Champions, The US Men's Nationals, IC, Sonar and E22 titles. During the February 17th clinic, they will walk the audience through race-day priorities and areas of focus, from pre-race prep to the finish. 

March 14^{th -}Eastern's Sailing Director, Greg Wilkinson, will lead a panel discussion focusing on perhaps the biggest challenge facing big boat owners & skippers: attracting strong crew and building a cohesive team.  The evening entitled "Wednesday Night Races to Key West : How to Build a Successful Team at All Levels" will feature panelists who have built successful teams and kept consistent crew at all levels of sailing - from the new boat owner racing locally; to the seasoned veteran campaigning multiple boats on the regional, national, and international level; to the pro sailor competing at the highest level with the best in the world.   Greg Wilkinson will moderate the evening and share the pitfalls and successes he has experienced coaching the National Champion Boston College Sailing Team.   Take of advantage of this opportunity to learn what the competition is doing to build strong teams. 

April 21^{st -} Bill Gladstone of North Sails will discuss four topics on racing boat handling:  Sail Trim and Boat Speed, Spinnaker Trim and Spinnaker Handling, Strategy in Wind Shifts (upwind and downwind), and Strategy in Current.  Each topic will be illustrated through a series of examples.  All of his examples are important contributions to winning a race; the trouble for weekend warriors and pros alike is that some are so counterintuitive.

Bill knows how to talk about racing and why these particular topics are important.  Bill is the author of Performance Racing Trim, the North U classic.  Bill has been developing his communication skills by teaching racing for over thirty years to many thousands of sailors.  Bill has learned what is important on race courses.  Bill's racing experience covers the entire spectrum of sailing crafts, venues, and positions.  Local sailors may have seen him at Key West Race Week, the SORC, Block Island Race Week, Chicago to Mackinac, the Annapolis Fall Series, NYYC Race Week, and Queen's Cup.

For additional information Contact:Greg Wilkinson, greg.wilkinson@easternyc.org