Sailing Clinics

Bill coaching optimists at
Texas Sailing Association (TSA) regatta in Dallas, Texas

Bill's sailing, sailmaking and coaching background has given him the opportunity to run over 100 clinics throughout the world.  From Optimists to Olympians and from Washington State to the Cayman Islands, the teaching never ends.  At the upper end, there was video coaching for J.J. Isler and Pease Glazer just in advance of their Olympic Silver Medal in the 470 Class at Sydney.  Additionally, he was sort of a "sailor-coach" the first year of Paul Foerster's 470 Olympic silver, the gold medal run.  It didn't take long for Paul to learn everything about the 470 Bill had to offer and it took even less time for Bill to realize that trying to be a 470 crew for the first time at the age of 38 was a bad idea!

Over the years, many of the clinics have been in the Thistle, Flying Scot and J/22 classes.  However, there have been clinics for the MC, C-22, C-15, 470, Sunfish, Laser, 420, and J/24.  Bill has also done clinics for various yacht clubs and was even a guest speaker one year at what was at the time Americas largest regatta, the Red Lobster Cup in Sanford, Florida.

Currently, Bill is spending most of his available coaching time with his son, Stewart and his friends in the Optimist class.  Most of them are 10-12 years old and pick up techniques in a hurry!