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Training and sailing schools in Finland
Minna Aalto participated a seminar for professional coaches arranged by the International 470 Class Association, in Istanbul, Turkey, on 29.6.-4.7.2005. The seminar was arranged in co-operation with a local sailing club, Istanbul Yelken Kulübü. The chairman of the 470 Association, Yalcin Gürkan, was the chairman of the seminar, and a team of top coaches were responsible for the contents of the seminar: Viktor Kovalenko (AUS), Ilias Mylonas (GRE), Hamish Wilcox (NZL) and Skip Whyte (USA). The team has achieved tens of Olympic, World Championship and European/other championship medals as coaches. Hamish Wilcox has also an own list of championship achievements in different sailing classes ranging from ISAF Youth Championship gold medal to offshore grand prix successes. Currently he sails in the Prada project in America's Cup and coaches the New Zealand optimist World Championships team.

There were 43 sailing coaches from 22 different countries participating the seminar, including coaches from several classes, from junior classes to olympic classes, and head coaches from several country federations.

"It was a privilege to participate such an international high quality seminar and meet old friends from sailing courses and coaching assignments, and of course to meet new professionals from all around the world", said Minna in her conclusion statement in the seminar. "I'm filled with new ideas and can hardly wait to be able to improve my own sailing team even further. It was also satisfying to see that my own training philosophy is well aligned with the thinking of coaches who have achieved excellent results in their careers. The contents of the five intensive seminar days can be chrystallized into the statement 'Let's have fun and fight for the glory!'".


This page was last updated on 10.7.2005