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Team Paradise Sailing is a unique, mission-driven program that prioritizes quality over quantity. We're not in competition with high-capacity summer camps or crowded boat rides. Our purpose is deeper: to create transformative experiences on the water for youth, veterans, and individuals with diverse abilities….
Our sailing program for veterans and first responders brought another amazing day of learning and connection to Biscayne Bay. Bringing together returning teammates with new families, it is beyond rewarding to see how sailing makes an impact on our community. And today, we brought our sailors to the heart of downtown Miami!
Miami has been seeing a lot of rain at the beginning of this summer season. Last week, we had to cancel our Thursday Sailing session due to lightning and foul weather. However, this week opened up to be a perfect day!
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!
Seven Saturdays down, one to go! Week Seven of the 2026 Spring Season was another huge step for our sailors, and we are super proud of how much they’ve accomplished.
Our Corporate Regatta on May 22nd had 14 corporate team members visiting from the Northeast. The group had learned about us through our favorite corporate events planner, BoomPop. The weather conditions were challenging, with easterly winds blowing at 10-16 mph…….
Our Thursdays are gearing up to be the most competitive day of the week! Team Paradise is pleased to begin racing training for our veterans and first responders in the Thursday Sailing program.
With only two more Saturdays left of the 2026 Spring Season, we are excited to finish out the school year with more amazing days of learning with our friends! Here’s what we were up to this past Saturday.
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.
This week, Team Paradise headed to the recently renovated War Memorial Auditorium for the eXp South Florida Regional Rally. Part of a massive nationwide series of events, the rally was designed to spark collaboration, offer high-level training, and foster the kind of community engagement that keeps our industry moving forward….
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……
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.
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.
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.
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….
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….
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……
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….
Coming down the street now, look out for the “TEAM PARADISE SAILING DEFENDERS OF THE BAY! They have one simple rule: “Don’t join the crew unless you’re ready to defend the blue!” Their motto is Fun, Safe, and Learning, but don’t let that fool you -- they are serious about protecting our waters.
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.
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.
Our Thursday Sailing program offers a vital therapeutic experience for our veterans and first responders. The proverb, "You can’t control the wind, but you can adjust your sails," could not be truer. For our participants, the destination matters, but the journey—finding a smooth, soothing course—matters just as much…..
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 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!
A great big thank you to our incredible volunteers and staff members for their dedication in making this event a success. Last but not least, a heartfelt thank you to the event planners and NexPhase for choosing Miami and Team Paradise to bring their vision of an exciting team-building event to life.
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….
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….
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.