US Sailing National Coaching Symposium Feb 17-19, 2026 Brings Hands-On Melges Sessions

US Sailing hosted the National Coaching Symposium at the Melges Watersports Center in Merritt Island, Florida, Feb 17–19, 2026, bringing presentations, workshops and on-the-water demos with Melges boats to coaches, program directors and stakeholders. Attendance included national-level coaches, professional trainers and experienced community volunteers who ran classroom sessions and waterborne demos over the multi-day gathering.

Program copy emphasized practical skill development: “Presentations, workshops and hands-on sessions with the leading sailing coaches in the country,” and the schedule paired shore-based briefings with “on the water sessions and demos featuring Melges boats.” The event listing also notes “Attendance and presentation by Zhik CEO and two-time Olympic 470 Gold Medalist Mat Belcher.” US Sailing gratefully acknowledged support from Risk Strategies, Zhik and Zim, and the Sail-world listing reiterated logistics with the statement, “Note: This event will be held rain or shine.”

Organizers and presenters were described in event materials as “national-level coaches, professional trainers, and experienced community volunteers,” and US Sailing’s broader event pages frame the National Coaching Symposium alongside other programs such as the National Sailing Programs Symposium, which is billed as “Three days of inspiration, education and skill development.” The Sailing Leadership Forum tagline appears as “Connect. Discover. Grow.” and invitation language urged participation from RSA Representatives, Local Sailing Organization leaders, US Sailing Board members and Staff Directors.

There is a wording discrepancy within US Sailing materials: one U.S. Sailing line states, “The National Coaching Symposium is two days of workshops and hands-on sessions with some of the leading sailing coaches in the country,” while the event calendar and multiple listings show the dates Feb 17–19, 2026. The original internal report included a truncated date fragment; the full calendar dates used across event pages remain Feb 17–19.

US Sailing programmed regional follow-ups as well: the Northwest Regional Symposium ran Feb 21–22, 2026 at the Corinthian Yacht Club of Seattle with “US Sailing CEO Charlie Enright Keynote Speaker,” sessions on College Sailing Pathways and Expectations, Race Management Hot Topics, Junior Sailing Programming, and an “Insurance Q&A presented by Risk Strategies, part of the Brown & Brown team.” Additional regional symposiums were listed as to-be-confirmed for Wisconsin in March 2026 and Texas in late spring 2026.

The Symposium’s emphasis on team management, performance technology and athlete development kept the focus practical and tactical. As Sail-world noted, “US Sailing looks forward to engaging with sailors and leaders across the United States in 2026, focusing on the unique needs and priorities of each region.” Rooster 2025Lloyd Stevenson - AC ETNZ 600x500px appeared as a page artifact on the event listing.