USSCA President's Corner

October 2026

 

Sailors,

 

I am happy to announce the continuation of our webinar series for USSCA with a discussion on Mental Performance at regattas. If you have ever found that you are psyching yourself out of a race, which I know I have done many times, this webinar is for you.

 

The webinar will be moderated by Doug Kaukinen, one of the fastest and most disciplined sailors in our class and will feature Brian Swingly. Brian works with many professional and Olympic-level sailors, helping them build mental agility, emotional regulation, and clarity. He spent 15 years leading top collegiate sailing programs at Stanford University and the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. He guided unranked teams to national championships, helped return historically strong programs to title contention, and built cultures that developed dozens of All-Americans.

 

This webinar is open to members of USSCA, if you have not yet signed up for the seminar please do so by going to www.sunfishclass.org > Members Only Content > or Join the Class first then sign up at www.sunfishclass.org. 

 

Your membership comes with access to previous webinars led by Conner Blouin, Mike Ingham and Dave Perry, a library, videos and the membership directory, as well as $50 off purchases at Zim sailing. You are also supporting all the work USSCA is doing to grow our class and community. Login at www.sunfishclass.org and go to the Member Only Content Drop Down menu. 

 

 USSCA Clinic (1)

 

Perform When It Matters: Mental Tools for Competition

What separates your best races from the ones where a mistake, bad break, or moment of frustration takes you out of your game?

Join mental performance coach and former collegiate sailing coach Brian Swingly for an interactive webinar designed to give you practical tools you can use before, during, and after racing. We’ll explore how the mental side fits alongside technique, equipment, strategy, and tactics, and how to prepare yourself to perform when it matters.

Participants will learn how to:

  • Build a purposeful morning routine

  • Recognize how pressure and frustration show up while racing

  • Reset and reengage after mistakes or setbacks

  • Identify the mental “lies” that interfere with performance

  • Reflect, learn, and release at the end of each day

You’ll build your own Regatta Performance Plan during the session and leave with a personalized set of tools you can put to work at your next event.  More about Brian Swingly CLICK HERE

 
Click Here - Register for Seminar
Philadelphia Cup

On October 3rd the Philadelphia Cup was run on the Delaware River by the Philadelphia waterfront and our Youth of the Year Brendan Mack won the ISCA class. It was a tough sail with massive current. Below are some pictures from the event.

mack #2 unnamed

Left - Amy Humphrey's giving way to a cruise ship, Right - Brendan Mack 1st, Olivia Barbounis 2nd, Valerie Wheatley 3rd 

image (12)

Brendan Mak in the lead

 

Link to full article https://www.sail-world.com/news/300445/2026-Philadelphia-Cup-Regatta

Good Luck to Team USA at ISCA Worlds

Youth/Masters/Women's Championship November 4-8

Open Championship November 9-13

Follow along at IG @sunfishclass or ISCA Class FB Page

 
Team USA (1)


Susan Mallows

President USSCA

ussca.president@sunfishclass.org