Youth Sailing, STEM
Magnus Liljedahl
SYSTEM S11-E6

With the Olympic opréning ceremony taking place in Italy last night, hosting our own Olympic Day was a great idea. The classroom was decorated with Olympic memorabilia. Olympian Nikki Barnes and her crew, Ryan, and coach Pat Downey were in attendance. giving motivational speeches to all of us.

SYSTEM S11-E6
Youth Sailing, STEM
Magnus Liljedahl
SYSTEM S11-E5

Another cold front was supposed to descend on us today. It would bring rain, thunderstoms and windy conditions. It was suggested that we may need to cancel the day before. Looking at the weather radar this morning, it didn’t look good. The SYSTEM sailors stayed inside the classroom doing lab work, while our Next Level sailors did chalk talks and some land drills.

SYSTEM S11-E5
Youth Sailing, STEM
Magnus Liljedahl
SYSTEM S11-E4

What a Day!

Today was a very good day, perhaps the best day we ever had in our youth sailing program. I know, it's a big statement. We have had many good days before, and I can't remember ever having a really bad day. What made today so extra special was, in no particular order: watching kids who had never skippered a boat before now wanting to sail singlehanded or with any number of crew; and the camaraderie between the kids and the coaches: By now, the coaches are basically our best friends. Susan, our Executive Director, called for a debrief at the end of the day. We all need to stay on top of our certifications, such as Red Cross, SafeSport, and US Sailing; Team Paradise is the only Accredited Community Sailing Program on Biscayne Bay. We are honored to be in the position we are in, and we care about protecting….

SYSTEM S11-E4
Youth Sailing, STEM
Magnus Liljedahl
SYSTEM S11-E3

Despite the lack of wind and cooler temperatures both in the air and water, Team Paradise delivered on a safe and fun-filled day, both on land and on the water. While waiting for the wind to pick up, Coach Ella and Coach Justine had the Next Level sailors teach the SYSTEM kids about the Thin Ice Challenge while the volunteers prepared and launched the sailboats. Eventually, we towed out behind our Boston Whaler and our propeller-less safety boat….

SYSTEM S11-E3
Youth Sailing, STEM
Magnus Liljedahl
SYSTEM S11-E2

Team Paradise picked up where we left off at the King Mango Strut. Today, we cleaned Paradise Island 305 to prove a point. We are the Defenders of Biscayne Bay!

Before we began the cleanup, we lined up for a photo. It’s a valuable sailing skill that will eventually lead to a sailboat race. It’s all about awareness of time and distance, forward progress, and how your boat moves compared to other boats. Are you on a parallel course, merging, or diverging? Adjust your sails accordingly. Trim the jib to perfection….

SYSTEM S11-E2

ciena CORPORATE REGATTA

ciena CORPORATE REGATTA

The sailing conditions were about as good as it gets. E-SE 10-15 mph. We had three short races scheduled, but we managed to run a fourth in one hour. The corporate participants from ciena arrived shortly before Noon. The team members for each boat were selected in advance. They had all read up on the most basic sailing knowledge, so all we had to do was the introductions, a safety briefing, and then we were off to the races. The scoresheet is included in the Sailing Instructions below. The Sonars finished second, third, and fifth, beating the J-70s, which finished first, fourth, and sixth……

The Kevin Burnham Memorial Award

The Kevin Burnham Memorial Award

Magnus, our founder and executive program director, was awarded the Kevin Burnham Memorial Award during a ceremony at the New York Yacht Club on February 12th, 2026

The award is a prestigious honor in competitive sailing, established to honor the Olympic gold medalist Kevin Burnham. It is designed to recognize athletes who embody the spirit, passion, and competitive drive that Kevin was known for throughout his career.

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SYSTEM S11-E5

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SYSTEM S11-E5

Another cold front was supposed to descend on us today. It would bring rain, thunderstoms and windy conditions. It was suggested that we may need to cancel the day before. Looking at the weather radar this morning, it didn’t look good. The SYSTEM sailors stayed inside the classroom doing lab work, while our Next Level sailors did chalk talks and some land drills.

,

SYSTEM S11-E4

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SYSTEM S11-E4

What a Day!

Today was a very good day, perhaps the best day we ever had in our youth sailing program. I know, it's a big statement. We have had many good days before, and I can't remember ever having a really bad day. What made today so extra special was, in no particular order: watching kids who had never skippered a boat before now wanting to sail singlehanded or with any number of crew; and the camaraderie between the kids and the coaches: By now, the coaches are basically our best friends. Susan, our Executive Director, called for a debrief at the end of the day. We all need to stay on top of our certifications, such as Red Cross, SafeSport, and US Sailing; Team Paradise is the only Accredited Community Sailing Program on Biscayne Bay. We are honored to be in the position we are in, and we care about protecting….

,

SYSTEM S11-E3

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SYSTEM S11-E3

Despite the lack of wind and cooler temperatures both in the air and water, Team Paradise delivered on a safe and fun-filled day, both on land and on the water. While waiting for the wind to pick up, Coach Ella and Coach Justine had the Next Level sailors teach the SYSTEM kids about the Thin Ice Challenge while the volunteers prepared and launched the sailboats. Eventually, we towed out behind our Boston Whaler and our propeller-less safety boat….

ISAC CORPORATE RACING EXCURSION

ISAC CORPORATE RACING EXCURSION

Today, we had the pleasure of hosting 20 corporate guests from Aviation ISAC, a global nonprofit dedicated to cybersecurity in the aviation industry. The weather forecast called for southwesterly winds around 5 kn, which is the lower limit for keelboat sailing. With only four hours to complete the program in marginal sailing conditions, I was pleased that we had chosen the Racing Excursion format, instead of the 3-race Regatta format. The Racing Excursion is designed to be more flexible in its course configuration, allowing us to generate apparent wind that produces……

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SYSTEM S11-E2

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SYSTEM S11-E2

Team Paradise picked up where we left off at the King Mango Strut. Today, we cleaned Paradise Island 305 to prove a point. We are the Defenders of Biscayne Bay!

Before we began the cleanup, we lined up for a photo. It’s a valuable sailing skill that will eventually lead to a sailboat race. It’s all about awareness of time and distance, forward progress, and how your boat moves compared to other boats. Are you on a parallel course, merging, or diverging? Adjust your sails accordingly. Trim the jib to perfection….

The Orange Bowl Regatta 2025

The Orange Bowl Regatta 2025

The true honor Sportsmanship Award belongs to those who embody its spirit. It is incredibly fitting that this year’s recipient is someone who finds genuine joy in helping a competitor succeed. That selfless perspective—having the ability to be happy for someone else—is the very definition of a champion. There were ten sailors nominated for the sportsmanship award. It’s a relatively low number, but much of that had to do with no wind and no racing for the first couple of days. Luckily, the wind picked up for the final two days.

Veterans Sailing 11/13, 2025

Veterans Sailing 11/13, 2025

THERAPEUTIC SAILING

Today, we had six veterans out on the water, sailing in two boats with Coach Ella and me.

The wind forecast called for northeasterly winds of 10 to 15 knots. We started the session by sailing on a long port tack towards the west point of Key Biscayne, then turned north towards downtown.

As it turned out, we ended up sailing directly underneath the Rickenbacker Causeway bridge. We made it all the way to Brickell without taking a single tack! I’m not a golfer, but this is precisely what a hole-in-one feels like when you’re sailing.

Veterans Sailing 10/23, 2025

Veterans Sailing 10/23, 2025

Our scenic float plan included a long port tack towards Stiltsville, then Nixon’s Beach and Hurricane Harbor. On our way back, we sailed past Nixon’s Helicopter platform and other landmarks, such as the home featured in the movie Scarface and the Key Biscayne West Point. The sail home across the Bay was beautiful. We docked as scheduled at 2 PM. We continued our event on the second-floor breezeway of the US Sailing Center with some healthy snacks and refreshments. Time flies when having fun!

Veterans Sailing 10/16, 2025

Veterans Sailing 10/16, 2025

Veterans Sailing is back, and the enthusiasm is infectious! After a long stretch, we're finally seeing a spark of excitement that hasn't been this bright since before COVID.

We originally had six veterans signed up for this week's outing, planning to use two boats. As it turned out, we had a perfect four-person crew make it out onto the water in one boat, and what a session it was!

Safety at Sea

Safety at Sea

The sailing community in Miami is a family, and we've all been deeply affected by the tragic accident that occurred during the summer camp near the Miami Yacht Club. Our thoughts and sincerest condolences go out to all the families and individuals impacted by this devastating event. In times like these, it's more important than ever to come together and reflect on what we can do to ensure the safety of everyone on the water. This blog serves as our contribution….

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USSC-City of Miami Parks Sailing 2025 Week-2

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USSC-City of Miami Parks Sailing 2025 Week-2

Week two of SummerCamp was a huge success, packed with just as much adventure as the first! Our mission was to provide a safe, fun, and educational experience, and that's exactly what we did.

For most of our campers, it was their very first time exploring the beautiful waters of Biscayne Bay. To ensure everyone felt comfortable and secure, we kept our adventures close to shore and away from heavy boat traffic. Our special propeller-less safety boat, equipped with a big awning, was a huge hit, providing a cool and shaded spot to relax and take in the sights….

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USSC-City of Miami Parks Sailing 2025 Week-1

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USSC-City of Miami Parks Sailing 2025 Week-1

Team Paradise is thrilled to be delivering the ultimate Sailing Summer Camp, on behalf of the US Sailing Center Miami (USSC)! Get ready, because starting July 21st, we're welcoming kids from twelve different parks across the City of Miami. For the next couple of weeks, each day will bring new groups of excited campers from selected city parks. By the time it's all said and done, we'll have had the pleasure of hosting approximately 150 young sailors as they discover the thrill of being out on the water!