World-class sailors at the International Sailing Academy… Vaughn and Colin thrive in La Cruz.
What happens when world-class Laser sailing athletes come to La Cruz de Huanacaxtle… they open a Laser sailing school, train winners, and have fun bringing magic to the experience. For those that don’t know, a Laser is a class of dinghy.
Clinics include 6 days of coaching in paradise and charter of the ILCA sailboat. For more information on upcoming Laser sailing clinics in La Cruz click here.
Often, I hear that La Cruz is for old folks, I resent that as I’m not old, hehe, but more so there are so many vibrant young people doing amazing things! I adore exposing those folks! Meet the dynamic team who run the International Sailing Academy (ISA).
What brought you to La Cruz?
Vaughn: ISA is a seasonal sailing location for people in colder climates that want to improve upon their sailing skills. La Cruz ticked all of the boxes;
- Accessibility;
- Climate, really nice wind;
- We wanted a place where we could have our clients be fully immersed in sailing with accessibility to top notch coaching.
Colin: I first heard of La Cruz in the winter of 2012/2013. I was searching for a way to improve my laser racing skills and sought out the best program that included elite level coaching, warm weather, an organized and professional overall structure and good sailing conditions, i.e., reliable wind and waves. I attended a clinic and progressed immensely. I for an extended trip based on my incredible experience at ISA and to improve further upon the gains I had made in my sailing abilities. I started to get a feel for the place, venturing around on my own when I could, and getting to know the local scene in La Cruz a bit too. At that time I did a little consulting for ISA and helped out a bit, but was still mostly in the role of client. I met many other sailors as they came and went during my extended stay and things started to feel a bit more like home.
When asked if I would like to make a move from the client role to partner, I couldn’t have been more thrilled. The role was a great match to my professional background: long time dinghy sailor with an eye for coaching, 250 ton yacht captain, and a decade of other professional instruction and development experience in the water-sports industry. Another key aspect was that of company culture – we all race boats, surf, and have a similar “vibe” that lends to a like-mindedness which I believe is a requirement in such a close working relationship, particularly in such a niche industry. I knew the company, a fair number of clients, and the key players involved… also, I have a passion to grow the sport and share my knowledge with others, so it was an easy and natural decision.
Vaughn is a ‘top shelf guy’ on both personal and professional levels, and that too was an important factor for me in the decision to partner with ISA and relocate to La Cruz.
By the sounds of it, moving here and opening the international sailing academy has proven a good choice?
The fellas told me: “La Cruz is a fantastic choice, the infrastructure for what we do is phenomenal, and it has kept its Mexican charm and keeps evolving into a town that shows responsible tourism. Aside from the marina, our clients love walking around town and getting to experience the feel, sounds, smells and tastes of real Mexico. On our end, we can provide a world class training facility that serves up great sailing conditions. So, indeed, a great choice.
Colin shared “La Cruz is a great little town with a huge range of people from varying backgrounds and means – a cultural mosaic of sorts even.
Video Training
Great additions to the offerings at ISA include the creation of Video Trainings. Colin and Vaughn literally locked themselves in a studio apartment to get these made. Colin told me “Visualizing is best, describing only goes so far. It’s powerful, teaches/shows modes of behavior, it is focused practice and deliberate practice. We made them during COVID since clinic bookings were low and we were both motivated to get an online product out to sailors. We wanted them to be able to train on their own. The videos show them step by step instructions with HD, stable video examples and voice over narration. They also provide the sailor with drills and feedback loops that help them assess their performance without a coach.
Paul Swan helped further develop the coaching program and the online videos utilizing his PhD in instructional design and a lifetime of coaching experience. He also experienced many, many of our clinics firsthand so was able to synthesize much of that information and create systems that were a further evolution of what we were already doing.
40+ HD Instructional Videos at learn.internationalsailingacademy.com
Rewards, challenges and overwhelming moments…
We’ve developed good relationships with reliable suppliers and contacts helping things to run smoothly! For the most part, we’ve just done our job to adapt to the more laid-back culture, and we always add a couple of buffer days into the planning.
We’ve exceeded expectations since the first clinic in 2009. Since then we’ve had 3 of the last 4 Olympic GOLD medalists train here in preparation for their Olympic games.
The local sailing community here is fantastic and very helpful. It’s been great to take part, volunteer and host many different championships here! We all share a passion for the sea, and the marina is extremely supportive in the goal of making this a world-class sailing destination.
Initially we may have stood out, now we have a mutual respect. The people of La Cruz make their living with the sea, and so do we. Our clients love the laid-back feeling of La Cruz, the experience they have here, and the sailing conditions are always so good. We’ve never missed a day of sailing because of lack of, or too much wind! It’s perfect for training and mimics racing venues around the globe.
90% of clients return within 2-3 years. We train nearly 100 clients per year.
Anyone who has experience sailing Lasers, from club sailors, youth sailors, master sailors, Olympic sailors. Everyone has the same goal: get better and faster at sailing Lasers. Our clientele is varied; they are experienced Laser racers who have come from around the world to enjoy winter training and elite level coaching. We’ve had sailors from all over Mexico join us, as well as sailors from North and South America, the Caribbean, Europe, Australia and New Zealand.
Vaughn: Olympic sailing has driven this project. Wanting to originally go to the Olympics was my dream. I’ve been coaching for 12 years, and have packed more hours in the coach boat than most top Olympic coaches in their 50’s. My goal is to win a medal(s) in the Olympics as a coach and I think that resonates with our clients. Paving the path to perfection… we’re so practiced and thorough with how to run a training camp, that we see problems, and fix them before anyone notices. The immersion here is 100% without hiccups at this point.
Join other sophisticated and dedicated sailors at upcoming clinics which include 6 days of coaching in paradise and the charter of the ILCA sailboat. For more information on upcoming Laser sailing clinics in La Cruz click here.
What do you see as the greatest change to La Cruz since you came here?
More foot traffic in the marina and we like that.
The greatest change has been more and more inclusion of marine shops and services. We intend to add to this marine community and see the town grow more and more into the boating mecca it deserves to be!
If you could preserve something from when you opened here (why you came to La Cruz) what would it be?
There’s always rumors of massive developments coming through, I think any added or improved infrastructure could be beneficial to everyone, but I think it’s important for La Cruz to keep its feel and roots. The fish market is a great example of this, the marina infrastructure was added, which is great, and the town’s fishing heritage is maintained, and now even more displayed and celebrated.
Vaughn: I would love to be sailing more. We’re pretty tied up with coaching and running clinics, but it brings me closer to my ultimate goal.
What one thing do you think people ‘about town’ don’t know about you?
Our coaches include past Olympic Gold Medalists, World Champions, North American Champions, Masters World Champions, Australian Sailing Team Members, New Zealand Sailing Team Members. There is no other training center that offers the caliber of coaching that we offer consistently year to year. It’s quite literally like going to basketball camp under the guidance of Michael Jordan or Lebron James.
Some of our past sailors are training others at ISA. Bill Symes not only a lover of Laser Sailing, he and his lovely wife, Lauralee have made La Cruz their home away from home. Read more about Bill here.
Do you have a favourite quote?
Vaughn; I have two:
“The vision of a champion is someone who is bent over, drenched in sweat at the point of exhaustion when no one else is watching”
“A non-medalist says, “one day I will” whereas the gold medalist says “today I did”‘
Colin: “Never give up. Today is hard, tomorrow will be worse, but the day after tomorrow will be sunshine.”
If you had a magic wand, what would your wish for the Marina and La Cruz de Huanacaxtle be 5 years from now and beyond?
To become a watersports haven – there’s awesome sailing, paddle boarding, surfing, kiting, plus anything else that requires a boat can be done out of La Cruz.
Vaughn: An airplane hangar filled with sailboats as an internationally known venue for all Olympic classes. Also; to host regattas each year as part of the ISAF World Cup
Colin: I’d like to see a massive uptick in the amount of locals and young people sailing in La Cruz. When good sailing oriented business grows, it creates a culture that promotes everything that’s great about sailing: active lifestyles, connection with nature, leadership, goal achievement, living your dreams and more. I think sailing has a stigma among many that it’s only for high wealth individuals, but there are many examples of clubs and venues where that’s simply not the case. If there are avenues for young folks and locals to get involved in the sailing industry, a culture can develop that makes space for everyone to get out on the water. Long term I see ISA acting as a conduit for this type of community growth in La Cruz.
What is the one thing you’re most proud of in your life, greatest achievement kind of thing.
From Vaughn;
Sparring partner for Tania Elias Calles before the Olympics in 2012 where she placed 10th.
Anything else?
Vaughn: ISA Laser works because it solves two problems:
- Provides easy training facility in off/shoulder season and;
- Gives laser sailors rare access to Olympic caliber coaching.
The International Sailing Academy has a set of Glide Free foils for the Laser and we’ve been experimenting with them. The foils are essentially a wing mounted at the bottom of the dagger board and rudder which lift the boat out of the water once it gains some speed. This allows the boat to “fly” above the water, creating both an incredible feeling and a drastic reduction in friction. Since the boat isn’t slowed down through the water anymore, it can travel much faster. We’ve been able to achieve flight in light and puffy wind, so we are very excited to try it in strong and steady breeze!
If you’re watching the sailor in your life, this is your front row seat.
Added benefits are sailors become lifelong friends meeting up all over the world at various competitions. Sailors often reunite after clinic to share a cold beverage and replenishing meal at one of La Cruz’s many excellent dining options. Spouses often join them creating equally beautiful relationships as they explore the area as their loved ones enjoy the vigor’s of their Laser sailing experience.
