Club 420 Program

CRYC’s post-Opti Program is designed for sailors ages 13-18 and is sailed in the double-handed spinnaker equipped Club 420 (“C420”) sailboat. The Collegiate 420 (no spinnaker or trapeze) is the sailboat utilized in current high school and college competitions. The C420 program at the CRYC focuses on skills such as teamwork, division of labor, as well as sail trim, rig set up, strategy and tactics that will apply to most other boats, big and small, that you may sail during your lifetime.
 
We currently offer learn to sail and advanced racing programs. Intermediates and Racers practice on Friday, Saturday and Sunday with numerous clinics, events, and regattas available to all. Participants get to experience fleet racing, team racing. Our C420 sailors have experienced, fun, and enriching weekend practices; competitive local and national regattas; and have achieved recognition in regattas throughout the country.

Coaches

Romain Bonnaud

Club 420 Fleet Program, Head Coach

Romain Bonnaud at a very young age quickly became one of France’s top Optimist sailors followed by success in the 470 dinghy. Romain quickly transitioned his skills to coaching where he served as the US 470 coach, Great Britain’s 470 coach and China’s 470 coach. During this time, he had the pleasure of coaching at the last two Olympic games. Romain is head C420 coach at CRYC

Ian Robinson

420 Coach

Ian Robinson is a professional sailor, coach and waterman with over 15 years of experience in the sport of sailing. Growing up Ian competed in the Optimist, Club 420, and International 420 classes, as well as numerous other large boats including Melges 20, 24, 32, Tartan 10s, NA 40s, U20s, J111, J120 and many others. He is a North American champion in several different classes with other highlights including 1st at C420 Midwinters and 1st at Buzzards Bay. Ian’s goal is to make sure sailors exiting his program are well-rounded sailors who can go out and perform in any class. He puts a large priority on hard work believing that anyone can be good at sailing especially when dedicated to being as efficient as possible in their training. “A smart man learns from his own mistakes; a wise man learns from the mistakes of others.”
 
 

Club 420 Intermediate Program

Intermediate 420 Racing is for sailors who have recently graduated or aged-out of our Opti Racing program, sailors who have recently completed CRYC Summer Camp and are looking to race, or for sailors looking to develop their 420 techniques. Sailors will have the opportunity to learn the finer points of sailing and racing a 420. The coach will review all things 420 from rigging and tuning, to maneuvers, skipper and crew communication, race courses, etc. The sailors will be continually challenged so as to bring them to a level that they would be comfortable racing the full regatta schedule. The Intermediate 420 Race Team will gear up to race one or two events in the fall session as a means to practice goal setting and learn the basics of what it takes to travel as a member of a 420 team.
 

Practice

The Intermediate 420 team practice Saturdays and Sundays from 12:00am to 5:30pm. The more consistent sailors are with their attendance, the more excited they will be to compete as their skills will be developing to a place where they are confident sailors.
 

Club 420 Race Team Program

Practice

Practice is scheduled to be held on Saturday and Sunday from 12:00pm to  5:30pm each week, weather permitting.
 

Regattas

Regattas will be per our calendar. Our goal is to attend as many of the local Florida events as possible, but at the very minimum, we would like perfect attendance at the Naples Cup in November. Fortunately, two of the largest and most important 420 regattas are local. The Orange Bowl Regatta hosted by Coral Reef and Club 420 Midwinter in Jensen Beach. Because the 420 season ends in mid February after Midwinters, the first session of the program will run from September through December. Session 2 will continue to work on 420 skills in preparation to compete in the Club 420 Midwinters, US Sailing’s Jr. Double Handed Championship (Bemis ladder event). US Sailings Women’s Jr. Double Handed Championship (Ida Lewis) and US Sailing’s Youth Championships as well as any the major summer C420 events such as Nationals, North Americans, Buzzards Bay etc.
 

How to Sign Up

Please contact Waterfront Director Stuart deLisser at waterfront@coralreefyachtclub.org for questions about signing up for the C420 program.