Let’s go sailing!
There were a lot of boats on the bay today. The regatta season has finally returned to Miami as states and countries are opening back up after the pandemic. I’m excited to show off our fabulous Siebel Sailors Program and to be in the epicenter of where all the sailing happens.
Intermediate Sailors - Morning Session
This program is only 3-hours long, so we appreciate that all five kids sailing with us this morning arrived on time. The breeze was up initially, but it gradually faded as the day progressed. We had the two RS Fevas sailing double-handed and one sailing single-handed.
Coach Ed and I followed the kids out, giving pointers on how to trim the sails and where to sit in the boat. The goal is to have the sails look the same and for the boats to point in the same direction. I call this “lining up”. Boats gradually get to the same speed and then keep sailing. Those who are late trimming in, or can’t keep their “lane” will quickly drop back.
We also worked on mark roundings. The crew must turn the boat and trim/ease the sails quickly and point the boat in the new direction.
Homework
In an attempt to speed up the learning process, we now have a resource page on our website. I have asked the kids to visit this page in order to study and be better prepared for our next sail. Visit www.teamparadise.org/classroom to learn more!
Beginner Sailors - Afternoon Session
Kids from Breakthrough Miami and Big Brothers Big Sisters joined in with our regular group today. One kid from the intermediate morning session was able to stay and help. Our coaching staff was a bit shorthanded, but we found a way to circumnavigate the challenge.
The wind was light, but we made it out using two RS Fevas, one RS Venture, the Boston Whaler coach boat, and the Castoldi Safety boat (see more info on our boats). Our destination was the Twin Sisters sand bar by the Deering Channel, but we had to cut the sail short and settle for #Paradiseisland305 instead.
We returned to the US Sailing Center at about 4.20 PM. Everyone helped with the de-rigging and putting the boats and equipment back in resting mode. One of our awesome volunteers performed the “Keep-Start-Stop” sequence of the program. This is where kids can voice their opinion and make an impact on what we might do the next time they come.
The group was released at 5.15 PM. That’s 15-minutes late, but I trust it was worth it. It’s nice when the kids say to one another, “see you next week”!