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Our SYSTEm
Our SYSTEM is an abbreviation of Sailing+Youth+STEM. In total, there are two groups: the STEM sailors and the Next Level sailors. The Fall Session began on September 5th and ends on October 24th.
Sailing on October 31, 2026
Sailing on October 24, 2026
Sailing on October 17, 2026
Sailing on October 10, 2026
Sailing was canceled on Thursday! Here is why:
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The US Sailing Center is remodeling before co-hosting the Star Class World Championship November 8-14, 2026. On Wednesday, it was still a construction zone, and no one could guarantee what it would look like on Saturday. The second-floor breezeway, the classroom, and both the men's and women's bathrooms were being upgraded. The boatyard was about to be resealed and restriped. All the boats had been moved up next to the building to make room for the upgrades. Team Paradise's fleet of RS boats and the propeller-less safety boat had been moved outside of the fence. The front parking lot and area around the building were being landscaped, and a permanent shed was built to house the tractor and golf cart.
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We also learned that the 2026 Club 470 State Championship would be held at our venue, and many additional boats would arrive from around the State. As it turned out, this event was smaller than expected.
The Columbus Regatta was also happening on Saturday, so we could expect ten boats to be launched and later retrieved by the crane. We had no idea what our small, narrow harbor area would look like when we needed it.
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Throughout the week, the weather forecast was less than ideal for us, with a small craft advisory, winds above 20 kts, rain, and a chance of thunderstorms.
Weather forecast for Saturday, Oct 10, 2026: SMALL CRAFT SHOULD EXERCISE CAUTION
TODAY:
S winds 10 to 15 kt with gusts up to 20 kt. A moderate chop. A slight chance of tstms this morning. A chance of showers. A chance of tstms this afternoon.
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Canceling was easier because we were understaffed, given all the challenges we faced.
Some of our key personnel weren't available. A lot of assumptions would have to be made in our float plan.
Today was preceded by five very successful SYSTEM and Next Level Saturdays. I’m not sure that we can do much better than that. I'd rather our students relive those Saturdays than risk something going wrong today.
There is no bonus for taking chances. Sometimes the right call is to cancel, and I’m convinced that the right decision was made.