Issue date
Interview with optimist coach Susannah Pyatt
Susannah Pyatt competed in the 2012 Olympics, as bowman in the women’s Elliot 6 match racing class. She has since made the switch to a Laser radial which she is now campaigning towards the 2016.
Susanna is also one of NZ’s top optimist coaches and is currently coaching the NZ optimist team at the North Americans in Mexico. I caught up with Susannah while she was defending her NZ National Women’s Match racing title.
1. What coaching are you doing at the moment
I’m coaching the Optimist North Americans team. I was also the head coach for Murrays Bay yacht club open opti team and the coach for the Westlake girls school sailing team
2. How did you get into coaching
I started coaching straight out of Optimist
3. What do you think makes Murrays Bay such a strong club
Kohimarara was the strongest club at the Optimist nationals. I think Murrays Bay is strong because it has a very good and robust Learn to sail program, also it has a clear pathway to open fleet with a very strong coaching program.
Good results help strengthen the club as top sailors from other clubs migrate to the clubs getting good results
4. What were your thoughts on the 2014 optimist Nationals
It was a huge event, it felt like a top international event which was a great experience for the sailors. It has been really good having Toyota as a sponsor. The sailors really enjoy the event.
5. Thoughts on Schools Teams Racing nationals
This was my first time at the regatta, I thought it was very well organised. Very similar to the Olympic match racing format. Once again great to see such a big event.
6. What is the opti training program like at Murrays Bay Yacht Club?
The basic program for the optimists’ team going to the nationals was, one night a week pre Christmas, plus Sundays, then two times a week and Sundays after Christmas, plus regattas.
7. What is a typical session?, times ,drills, focus, how many coaches/sailors
We would do 3 hour sessions, with 2 hours on the water, there would be a focus for each night, the group of 15 sailors would split up into smaller groups of 4 or 5 depending on sailing ability. We would have a coach for each group, we would then rotate coaches.
Sometimes we would have stations a bit like a circuit class at the gym where one coach might work on something like mark rounds, another upwind speed, another holding position; sailors would then spend 20mins at each station.
We would focus on boat handling early in the season then move to starting and advanced tactics later in the season.
8. What overseas coaching are you doing and how did you get into it?
I am the Queensland optimists’ coach so I spend a lot of time in Australia; I also do a bit of coaching in Sydney. All this came through contacts I have made over the years.
9. How many coaches at MBBC
Four coaching the open opti, plus learn to sail green fleet maybe 9-10 altogether.
