Our float plan is my music
I remember listening to an interview with a rock star. He was asked how he decides what music to play. He said, “I read the audience when I'm up on the stage and look out over the crowd. The feedback that I received prompts me to respond, and then I adjust accordingly”. Our float plan is sometimes decided ahead of time when it's obvious, like time constraints or weather development. Is it a weekend or a holiday that brings out a lot of boats and people? Often, it's better to wait until we leave the harbor, get out there, and see the playing field.
There wasn't much boat traffic today, and the wind direction and strength were perfect for sailing over to Key Biscayne. I realized we could lay Hurricane Harbor on a long port tack. The wind was supposed to increase throughout the day, making a fast reach sailing back to Coconut Grove possible. The last time we sailed to Key Biscayne was before summer camp. We always stay close because of weather, wind, and safety. When we sail across the Bay, our safety protocol includes a coach boat and the group staying close together, representing a bigger picture to alert oncoming boat traffic.
We had a fantastic day on the water, and everyone loved it. If Sailing were baseball, it would have been a home run!
Check out the pictures and video below to see what I'm saying.
Parts of the boat and rigging
The indoor classroom portion of the stem class was about parts of the boat rig and sails. I brought my gold medal from the 2000 Olympics and showed it to the kids. I raced in the Star class, which raced to the bay today. I had the opportunity to talk about this, and on the way back from Key Biscayne Yacht Club, we made a detour to see them in action. Josh was coaching the Next Level sailors. We had radio contact with him and the RS Ventures with the SYSTEM kids aboard.
Today was a special day! Thank you, volunteers and students, for making my dream come true. Have a fantastic holiday season, and welcome back in 2025.
F.Y.I SYSTEM=SAILING+YOUTH+STEM
@healthylittlehavana, @careelementary, @damianpardod2, @coconutgroveelementary
NEXT LEVEL HOMEWORK
Consider this homework. I’m urging the NEXT LEVEL sailors to scroll to the bottom of the page and study what‘s there.
LET’S HAVE FUN, BE SAFE AND LEARN A BUNCH
Lining up! This is what’s you should look like. Each boat is not overlapped, but at the very least, they are in the same picture frame, the sails are trimmed correctly and they are all pointing in somewhat the same direction. Let's do it!
Encourage your sailor to learn more, and please visit our online classroom. https://www.teamparadise.org/classroom and https://www.teamparadise.org/next-level-coaching