The first J7 has been ordered, and she will anchor our fleet! This is big! Now we will have a boat to demo. “Seventh Heaven” will be delivered to the US SAILING CENTER in November of this year.
US Sailing Center - City of Miami Parks Department Sailing
Team Paradise appreciates the confidence and trust the US Sailing Center has in our ability to safely conduct Summer Camp Experiences for kids from ten different City of Miami parks. Each day brought a new group of campers. The challenges were many: weather, wind, thunderstorms, lightning, current, and Sargassum, just to name a few.
Strategic Alignment - TPS Legacy Plan
My Olympic dream took 29 years to become a reality. It likely would never have happened without finding the right partner to team up with. Mark Reynolds had a proven record and had already earned Olympic gold and silver medals. Together, we embraced the motto “Faster, Higher, Stronger - Together.” In the end, that shared belief carried us to the top of the podium at the Millennium Games in Sydney.
City of Miami Parks Summer Sailing
What makes our summer camp so unique is that we have different kids every day. Only a very small percentage of them have ever been in the boat before. We are fortunate to have talented sailors in our coaching staff, and with our focus on safe, fun and learning, it makes all the difference in the world. The campers get to drive the boat, hike out, and hang in the trapeze….
Great minds think alike!
With the recent news that Sail Newport was upgrading their J/22 fleet to J/7s, and the immediate and growing demand from other community sailing programs and yacht clubs to replace their aging keelboats, it’s timely to make people aware of successful funding strategies that have helped cash-strapped organizations fulfill their missions.
Saturday Youth Sailing: S12-E8
Twelve seasons in, and our Saturday youth sailors continue to amaze us. This past weekend marked the end of another unforgettable chapter, capping off a school year filled with immense growth, new friendships, and endless breakthroughs on the water. We captured so many joyful moments from our final day, and celebrated even more wins with our talented sailors!
Saturday Youth Sailing: S12-E7
Saturday Youth Sailing: S12-E6
The Ransom Relay Race
How much fun did we have? A small craft advisory was in effect throughout the evening. The forecast called for east winds 15 to 20 kt. Given our location and the contestants' high skill level, the conditions were ideal! What made it even easier for Team Paradise was to have such a high-level coaching staff from Ransom. Nikki Barns and her husband, David Bagher, both Olympians, are simply awesome people. So are coach Augustin Vidal and the student assistant coach, Marcus. They all became engaged, taking the initiative to move markers around, while Nikki and David controlled the dock. Combined, they ultimately made our event even better. We managed to run five races in 75 minutes, which kept us on schedule.
SYSTEM S12-E1
Today was the first lesson of the Spring session. Except for a couple of the kids, none had sailed since the end of the Winter session on February 21 st. That is way too long. We all become “rusty” if we don’t sail on a regular basis. Once a week is not enough, but that is all we have, so we make the most of it. A small craft advisory was in effect, and we estimated the wind at about 15-20 mph. Coach Ella was prepared with various land drills, but we decided to go sailing instead and headed out through the Seaplane Channel.
SYSTEM S11-E6
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
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
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-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 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.
SYSTEM S10-E2
SYSTEM S10-E1
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….
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!