Pre-Season Race Clinic – Open to the Public

High Performance Opti & 420 Clinic

Pettipaug Yacht Club • June 22-24, 2026

Opti Coach Luke Ingalls & 420 Coach Brendan Feeney

Topics to be covered:
< Sailing Mindset >
< Picking the best gear to optimize performance >
< Rigging for maximum performance in all conditions >
< Upwind, reaching, and downwind boat speed >
< Down speed boat handling: Starts, mark roundings, high density situations >
< Starting strategy >
< Managing large fleets >
< Dave Perry Rules Seminar (separate event but included in the clinic) >

What to bring:
Boat, Sail, Blades, Spars, Notebook, Pen/Pencil, Sailing Gear,
and an Eager Attitude!

Tuition:
$300 - Optimist (one boat, one sailor) / $480 - 420 Team (one boat, two sailors)

Clinic Application:
Limited to 12 qualified Opti sailors and 12 420 teams.
Acceptance is based on experience to determine the most qualified applicants.

Dave Perry Rules Seminar
June 23, 2026, 6-8pm, North Cove Yacht Club, Old Saybrook
Simple cookout. $20 each.
(Included with clinic. Others must register.)

Dave Perry – national and international rules expert

Dave Perry is well known for his enthusiastic and engaging teaching style for sailors of all ages and levels, as well as highly respected for his deep knowledge of the sport of Sailing. He is one of the sport’s leading coaches and rules experts, serving on the US Sailing Appeals Committee and being the Rules Advisor for several recent America’s Cup teams and the US Sailing Team at the 2008, 2012, 2021 and 2024 Olympic Games.
Dave will lead the rules seminar designed for young racers and junior instructors, breaking the rules into simple, memorable concepts that students can immediately apply on the water. Youth participants learn how to make smart decisions, avoid penalties, and race more strategically.
Instructors will gain proven methods for teaching rules in a way that is interactive and easy to retain. Instructors leave with tools, presentation, and teaching frameworks that bring the rules to life for young sailors. Through real-world scenarios, discussion, and practical examples, the seminar emphasizes understanding over memorization.
While focused on young sailors and instructors, anyone interested in the presentation is welcome to attend.

Meet the Coaches

Opti Coach – Luke Ingalls

A native of Little Compton, Rhode Island, Ingalls grew up racing competitively from the age of 10 and demonstrated exceptional talent early — winning the USODA National Optimist Championship at age 13, dominating a fleet of 300 top-level youth sailors. He went on to compete at the collegiate level at the University of Rhode Island, where he served as team captain and became known for his knowledge of boat speed, wind reading, and tactics. Ingalls now channels that competitive foundation into coaching, organizing and executing advanced racing clinics for Optimist sailors throughout the Northeast region, and is widely regarded as one of the most skilled and knowledgeable Optimist coaches in the country.

420 Coach – Brendan Feeney

Brendan is Head Coach at Fordham University, taking the helm of their program for the Fall 2025 season. Previously, he served as Head Coach at the United States Merchant Marine Academy (Kings Point) and as assistant coach at Eckerd College, where he led teams to numerous national championship runs, top-20 national rankings, a Match Race Conference Championship, and a top-10 finish at the 2019 ICSA Match Race Nationals. A graduate of the University of South Florida, Feeney competed for the Bulls and helped lead them to back-to-back National Championship titles and three National Championship podiums. He later led USF to three National Final Coed Dinghy appearances, including two top-12 finishes. A accomplished competitor in his own right, Feeney was selected to the U.S. Etchells Youth Team in 2019, placed 2nd at the 2016 470 U.S. Nationals, and finished 3rd representing the U.S. at the 2017 ISAF World Sailing Miami selection trials.

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