About 800 kids came to race in the Orange Bowl Youth Regatta this year. The Coral Reef Yacht Club did an excellent job hosting the event. The Opti was by far the largest class. They were divided into two circles: The Opti Green (beginners) sailed closer to home, while the Opti Red, Opti White, and Opti Blue sailed further east. Also competing were the Club 420 on a circle a bit further south and then the ILCA class on the southernmost circle. The ILCA was divided into ILCA 4, ILCA 6, and ILCA 7……

Today was our final lesson of Saturday Youth Sailing in 2023. It was a make-up day for the event we had to cancel in October. The Verde Gardens kids did not attend, so we only had eight students.

The day began with coach Josh teaching in the classroom and reviewing pictures and videos. They proceeded to rig four RS Fevas and headed out sailing. We had many coaches for the day, so Marite, Mo, Joe, and I took this rare opportunity to check out some of the ongoing sailboat racing. First, we passed by the Melges 20 fleet, then the Star boat regatta. That’s the boat type that yours truly sailed for many years (four decades, to be exact). We had so much fun! On our way back to port, we checked in with Josh and the students, taking more pictures and cheering them on…

Today was another great day for sailing! The Camillus kids returned from Vera Gardens, but sadly, most of our intermediate sailors were absent. No worries, we adjusted our float plan accordingly and used both our RS Ventures and one RS Feva. Josh and Mo were coaching the RS Feva while coach Joe and I observed from the safety boat. Coach Marite and Sarajane (our guest coach for the day) taught aboard the RS Ventures. The offshore breeze was shifty and puffy….

Today, we began class with student voice. We checked in with every student on their desires for the day. The good news is that everyone wanted to sail. None wanted to make a stop at a sandbar. We rigged three Feavas and one RS Venture. Our goal became sailing to the Westpoint of Key Biscayne and back. The NE wind made it a long sail tacking upwind. By the time we got there, we turned around and sailed back.

Today was extra special! Bill Johns, the University of Miami sailing coach, sent us a couple of members of the UM Sailing Team to come and tutor our sailors. How about that? It has been a dream of mine for a long time. Like all of our relationships, it’s a win-win situation. Our students get to sail one-on-one with these incredible athletes and learn from them. For the UM students, it creates an opportunity to give back to the community and gain valuable real-life experience. Let’s hope we can keep this going because it makes perfect sense!

It was pretty windy today! How about 16-26 Knots from N-E? That is what we had. Perhaps it was a good thing that our sailors from Vera Gardens did not attend. We would have managed either way. Similar to the previous session, everyone sailed, and none rode in the safety boat. To my surprise, only one boat capsized. That is remarkable……

Today was super encouraging! Everyone sailed, and no kids were riding in the safety boat. The sea breeze came up just in time for going sailing. There were lots of boats out there. We lined up sailing and taking pictures. Then we sailed closer to the shore and set a windward and a leeward mark. The safety boat anchored up in the middle of the short course. The object was to practice tight mark roundings while quickly trimming in or easing the sails. Time is of the essence when making these maneuvers……

It was a challenging day, but in the end, it was just another safe, fun learning experience for all of us. Like in other sports, key players are not always available to play. That doesn't mean that the match will be canceled, oh no. Instead, the game plan is adjusted, and the next player is up.

On Saturday, we faced 250 kids competing in a major sailing competition hosted by the Coral Reef Yacht Club, our next-door neighbor. Most boats sailed out of the US Sailing Center, where we are located. It was beyond crowded! We were somewhat under-staffed as well. How do we do this?

Spending time away from mobile devices and computer screens can benefit kids. Reducing screen time promotes healthier habits like physical activities and social interactions. Additionally, water activities can teach kids valuable life skills such as teamwork, communication, and leadership…..

Our 2023 Summer Camp is completed! Each of the four weeks was great, but it’s fair to say that we saved the best for last. This group became smaller as a couple of siblings tested positive for Covid before the week began. Some of the campers attended all 4-weeks. Newbies to our program had never sailed, but they caught on quickly and blended in with our team in a big way. It’s rewarding when the campers develop friendships with each other, and based on how my life turned out, it could last forever.

Another day in paradise! We towed the RS Venture and RS Feva heading for Key Biscayne. Dolphins greeted us along the way. The shifty wind started to fill in, and the campers began sailing. Then we had a shower or two. We anchored up at the sandbar and had our picnic. Campers could not wait to hop in and explore. The sandbar became a classroom as Ed reached scouting skills. Then the skies turned dark over the mainland and to the south. Soon realized the two options we had, seek shelter in Hurricane Harbor….

Arguably the best day of the week! Everyone sailed! Again, the campers preferred to sail around alone instead of playing on the sandbar or chilling in the safety boat. Just what we were hoping for!

The first week of summer camp is in the books. I trust that everyone had fun sailing with us. We had nine campers, and most of them had never sailed before. Impressive is how much they liked sailing and being on the water. They were brave, and most everyone had some tiller-time, steering the boat, trimming the sails, hiking off the boats, or with the trapeze. We managed to sail daily despite a challenging weather pattern, typical for this time of the year.

Our adventure was a shared experience! I can’t say enough about our volunteer staff, who helped make it happen. Valentina, Carolina, Mo, Ed, Dante, Josh, and Ed, thank you for making the week a success!

While we were on the water having fun, Susan diligently held down the fort. She monitored the radar and made us aware of anything coming our way. Thank you, Susan!

Saturday Youth Sailing is completed for the 2022-2023 school year. It began on October 1st. of last year. Since then, we have sailed on 24 Saturdays. It’s been an amazing experience, not only for the kids but for the coaching staff as well. I’m thrilled to have witnessed the transformation the kids have gone through. What began with a water comfort check ended up with the majority of the kids enjoying sailing and everyone loving Biscayne Bay.

It was perhaps our best-ever Saturday Sailing day, and here is why. Kids are awesome and get along with one-and-other. Our team is well-rehearsed. Boats and equipment were prepared well in advance, which is necessary for a quick departure. The sailing was purposeful, and everyone seemed eager to learn. The beginner group sailed the RS Venture all by themselves. The intermediate group caught on to it and sailed another RS Venture. What a sight! If sailing is music, we have begun to sound pretty good!

A great big Thank You to our volunteers and parents/guardians. Our program would not exist without you!

It doesn’t get much better than that. Add boats and great kids learning how to sail. That’s a perfect day! Running our Intermediate and Beginner programs at the same time works great. Our awesome volunteers make it all happen. Kids from diverse backgrounds share this healthy experience and play well together. Our focus is FUN and LEARNING in a SAFE environment. Check out the pictures below and see for yourselves.

New for the spring session of our Saturday Youth Sailing Program is that both intermediates and beginners will be sailing during the same time on Saturday afternoons from 1 PM to 5 PM. There are several reasons for making this change: ….

New for the spring session of our Saturday Youth Sailing Program is that both intermediates and beginners will be sailing during the same time on Saturday afternoons from 1 PM to 5 PM. There are several reasons for making this change: ….