Feature photos by Ron Simzyk
It’s the most wonderful time of the year – I am, of course, talking about the Fall racing season – and Dinghy Days is just around the corner! If you’re looking for something special to give the dinghy sailor in your life – give them the gift of a racing clinic!
Dinghy Days, our annual regatta where the little boats (19′ and under) get to race on the big lake (Lake Pleasant), will be held November 7-8, 2026. On Friday, November 6th, we’ll have three coaches joining us from California for a classroom clinic in the morning, and on-the-water clinic and practice races in the afternoon. One coach will focus on Sunfish, one coach on Lasers, and one coach will be available to help other types of dinghies (sorry, no big boats allowed for this one). Clinics such as this are invaluable resources for building both boat-specific handling skills and learning overall racing strategy. And then you’ll have two more days to practice those skills on beautiful Lake Pleasant!
Expected fleets for the regatta include Sunfish, Lasers, Buccaneer 18, CFJs, and Portsmouth.
With all that sailing you’ll work up an appetite – we’ll have a BBQ dinner Friday night for clinic participants, and dinner Saturday night will be catered by Don Tacos!
More info and registration for the regatta and clinic can be found on the Dinghy Days page:
Meet the Coaches
Sunfish Coach – Les Piehl
Les began sailing when he was 50 years old and is a self-taught sailor and racer. He has sailed and raced Sunfish, Lasers, Thistles, Schock 35s, Santana 35s, and several medium to large custom sloops. For many years, he has been the Fleet Captain for Sunfish Fleet 632 in San Diego, and he also sails with the Mission Bay Yacht Club Sunfish fleet. He has qualified for eight (8) Sunfish World Championships and successfully competed in five (5) of them. Les’s proven and time-tested expertise with the Sunfish class gives him valuable insights into boat handling, rigging & tuning, tactics, and equipment.
Laser and Other Boats Coaches: Marcus Huttunen and Michael Fineman
Marcus Huttunen is a San Diego–based competitive sailor whose sailingcareer began in Sabots, progressing to Lasers/ILCAs and high-school sailing. He was one of the top U.S. junior ILCA sailors of his generation, and was the 2018 U.S. Youth Champion in the Laser Radial (ILCA 6).
Michael Fineman began sailing at approximately age 7, racing Sabots and Optimists in Southern California. At age 13, he joined the King Harbor Youth Foundation FJ program, developing a strong foundation in competitive dinghy sailing. He was on the UC Santa Barbara sailing team from 2023-2025, including as Team Captain during 2024–25 season.
