Gusty winds out of NW!
Looking at the wind and weather forecast too far in advance can sometimes be intimidating, especially when we know that our coaching staff will be short-handed. I may take a peek at the forecast a few days out, but other than that, my final plan comes about the morning of the event. Coaching sailing is not much different than coaching any other team sport. Who is available to play and who are the coaches to assist me?
The condition today called for north-westerly wind, gusting above 20Kts. The local topography made the wind very shifty, but the water was flat, clear, and inviting. With coaching staff being down to a minimum number, we decided to stay close to shore and use fewer boats than normal.
Intermediate Sailors - Morning Session
We had 8-sailors participate in the morning session, so we rigged four Fevas with main and jib. My goal is for everyone to get better so that we eventually can start racing. To do so we must be able to stay close together and learn how to accelerate at the same time. It involves boat handling and eye/hand/body coordination. It’s a slow process, but we are making gains. “My kids” sail once per week on average and that is not enough.
After School Sailing Wednesday
Kids in our Intermediate class are invited for special tutoring on Wednesdays 4 pm - 6.30 pm. We have access to some of the very best youth sailors in our area and they are willing to help. This is an awesome opportunity, free of charge! Schedule your sail using promo code SAIL-FAST.
Beginner Sailors - Afternoon Session
Kids from Camillus House joined in with our regular group today. Due to the challenging weather forecast and short-handed staff, some adjustments had to be made. Yours truly skippered the lone RS Venture and we only used one RS Feva. We stayed close to shore and eventually anchored up outside Mercy Hospital.
We made it back to shore in time so that boats and equipment could be stored away. Coach Joe did the Keep-Start-Stop debriefing. This is the best opportunity for the Student Voice, which is one of the five Sibel Sailors Program’s Habits of Excellence.
Homework
In order to speed up the learning process, I’m encouraging the kids to visit www.teamparadise.org/classroom in order to prepare for their next lesson!