Sailing Miami With Team Paradise
Team Paradise is a truly unique corporate sailing organization that gives the disabled community an opportunity to sail whether it is for personal enjoyment or more serious training for Paralympic events. Team Paradise is partnered with Shake-A-Leg Miami sports center and is located in Miami, or more specifically, Biscayne Bay. The Bay's weather and location make it the ideal spot to learn to sail.
The organization was created by Magnus Liljedahl, a gold metal Olympic sailor, who decided to share his expertise with others' through sailing lessons at Team Paradise which he founded in 2005. He has explained that sailing is an ideal sport for people with physical disabilities for it is more of a mental sport, with physical interactions, than it is purely physical. Sailing requires personal strategy, knowledge of the different parts of a sailboat, the wind, the water, and the currents.
When sailing Miami with Team Paradise there is a variety of different events, lessons, and sailboats to hop onto. There is a weekly race on Wednesdays where participants can sail Biscayne Bay in their own boat or in one of Team Paradise's three sailboats for a reasonable fee. Also one can enjoy a cruise around Biscayne Bay, the choice winter venue for professional sailors nationwide. Boats, captains, and safety equipment are all provided for making for a safe, enjoyable, and relaxing experience. Also, every third Saturday one can race on the Sonar boat during the 'Flat Earth' Races.
There are four different types of lessons that Team Paradise offers. The first of which is called the Advanced Basics (RC-16) Course, referred to as the "refresher/certification" course that last sixteen hours and consists of learning to upwind and downwind as well as different sailing techniques that can be used in various conditions on the water. The Advanced Basics Course is taught on one of Team Paradise's 23' Sonar Keel Boat. Spinnaker & Boat-handling lessons are also taught on a keel boat such as the 23' sonar. In this course one learns how to handle the spinnaker or 'kite', that adds a whole other dimension to sailing. The next, perhaps most intriguing, course is YogaSail!, a unique class that combines the dynamics of breathe movement with the movement of the wind. Lastly there is a Ladies Sailing Course that includes an all female crew; this setting can be applied to any of the courses or racing events.
Team Paradise is truly an organization that has something for everyone. Whether you want to learn or play or just sit back and relax Team Paradise has something to offer. Their focus of providing top-of-the-line equipment for disabled persons interested in professional racing, personal sailing lessons, or Paralympic events makes Team Paradise an attraction for people nationwide.