This season we are excited to be bringing together some of our top NZIODA coaches to lead this live-in clinic. This highly experienced coaching team will work together to provide four action packed days designed to connect our sailors at all levels of competitive Opti sailing; from Green fleet and White fleet right through to our top international sailors in Open fleet.
By bringing our national fleet of Opti sailors together in this way we hope to provide a forum for sailors and coaches to connect as a community for the betterment of all.
This clinic is designed to help foster sailor independence and build resilience; important elements that allow sailors to push their sailing to the next level in large and competitive fleets. Don’t miss this opportunity for a dedicated training block to help prepare your sailor for the upcoming major events in the Opti season.
Our initial coaching line-up introduce themselves below :
Gauthier Thomas – Clinic Lead
I am a former French Champion with several other national medals, and since 2012 I have dedicated myself fully to coaching Optimist sailing. I served as coach of the French National Optimist Team, guiding a young sailor to a World Championship title, and later coached in Switzerland where my athletes achieved top‑5 and top‑10 results at the European Championships.
Over the years, I have also trained young sailors from many different countries during international camps, which has broadened my perspective and enriched my coaching approach. My strongest expertise lies in the technical mastery of the Optimist, but what drives me most is transmitting knowledge and seeing young sailors progress.
A phrase I live by is: “When training, success is not guaranteed; without training, failure is certain.” I am passionate about performance, about watching young athletes push their limits, and I am fully dedicated to coaching the next generation of sailing talents.
Andrew Wills – Highly Experienced Performance Coach
Kia ora everyone,
I’m really looking forward to meeting you all at the Willow Park clinic. I was the head coach of the very first Willow Park clinic back in the early 2000s.
I’m passionate about helping young Kiwi sailors grow—not just in results, but as people. I’ve coached both boys and girls, and I’ve been fortunate to work with successful sailors not only from New Zealand, but also internationally. Many of them went on to become national, world, Olympic, and America’s Cup champions, including Optimist World and Women’s World Champions, as well as Optimist Team Champions.
I’m also a multiple world, national, European, and North American champion myself, and I work full-time in the sailing industry, giving me strong technical knowledge to support developing sailors. After stepping back while my kids were young, I’m loving being involved again. Recently I coached the NZIODA Europeans Team for two years.
I’m excited to work with you all, share what I can, and help you take the next steps in your sailing journey. See you soon!
Naiomi Ferrissey – Green Fleet Lead
Hi, I’m Naiomi Ferrissey, and I’m really excited to be part of the NZIODA coaching team this January. I’ve been involved in sailing for many years, both as a competitor and a coach, and I love helping young sailors grow their confidence, build skills, and enjoy everything the sport has to offer.
I’ve spent the past four years as Head Coach of the Murrays Bay Green Fleet and have been coaching Starling and Feva sailors at Murrays Bay Sailing Club for over six years. As a sailor, I’ve been fortunate to achieve results such as Starling Nationals runner-up, ILCA National Champion, and ILCA 6 Youth Worlds representative. More recently, I’ve enjoyed leading programmes as Head Coach of the YNZ Girls Starling Accelerator Programme and the NZIODA Girls Development Team for the past 2 years.
Craig Keenan
I have been coaching youth sailors since 2018, specialising in developing independence and confidence both on and off the water. I have coached across multiple yacht clubs in Auckland and overseas in the United States, working in fleet and teams racing across classes from Optimists to 420s and 29ers.
I have guided sailors from Green Fleet through to NZIODA travelling teams competing at European and World Championships, and have been coaching New Zealand travelling teams for NZIODA since 2023.
Passionate about developing sailors nationwide, I am dedicated to helping lift New Zealand’s overall sailing performance.
Sophie Eaton
Hi sailors and parents, I’m Sophie, and I’m very excited to be coaching at the North Island Optimist Clinic at Eastern Beach again this year. I started sailing ten years ago at Glendowie Boating Club, racing Optimists and Starlings, where I grew up competing in local regattas and national championships.
Once in high school, I fell in love with Teams Racing 420s, where I was a crew for five years. I now race keelboats (mainly as a trimmer, tactician, keyboarder and helm), on an Elliott 1060. I also work on 50ft Pride of Auckland Boats and the 80ft ex-America’s Cup yachts, taking tourists out sailing around the Hauraki Gulf.
My love and passion for coaching are why I am studying to become a Primary School Teacher at the University of Auckland. I look forward to coaching the next generation of sailors; helping them achieve their goals, improve their skills, build their confidence, and share my passion for the sport.
These passionate coaches will be joined by other awesome NZIODA coaches if registrations allow, so please get your registration completed ASAP to allow us to engage some more great coaches for you.
Remember, that registrations close on FRIDAY 12th December to allow us time to order T-shirts and plan for this epic event. For more information about this clinic please visit
You must be logged in to post a comment.