The more we do it, the better we get! Today was the second of eight lessons in our fall session of Youth Sailing. Each Saturday will look the same. We are divided into two groups: the beginner sailors, ages 9-12, who attend our STEM class, the SYSTEM, and the intermediate sailors, ages 12-17, who attend our NEXT LEVEL program. Both groups began at 10 AM and finished at 3 PM. The SYSTEM classroom is indoors, and the NEXT LEVEL meets in the second-floor breezeway. The SYSTEM is based on REACH (US Sailing's STEM education series), while the NEXT LEVEL is based on US Sailing's Intermediate curriculum.
The weather in Miami, and many other places, follows a pattern: one day looks like the next. The weatherman calls for southeasterly winds of 5-10 knots, but it's calm in the morning. Then, as it gets warmer throughout the day, the land heats up, and the sea breeze kicks in. The wind on the water is affected by local topography, where land, buildings, and other structures block the wind and create turbulence. Also, there is usually a big difference between the highest and lowest wind speeds. We refer to this as puff and lull. Today, the puffs (gusts) were much stronger than 10 knots. In reality, after the fact, when we all know what happened,….
Today was a big Fleet Week celebration next door at the Coral Reef Yacht Club (CRYC). Hundreds of young sailors were invited for fishing, sailing, and boating. The first busload showed up at 0645 hours for a lovely breakfast buffet. As luck has it, the day coincided with our regular Thursday Veterans Sailing. Two uniquely named veterans, who had never sailed with us, arrived at about 1000 hours. The weather and wind were perfect for sailing across the Bay and joining the festivities at Stiltsviille. We tied the boat next to an anchored sailboat in what can best be described as a small lagoon behind the building. The CRYC dockmaster was on hand to ferry us to the lapidated building. We mingled with the sailors for a while and had some snacks and refreshments before heading back to the US Sailing Center. We had to leave before the current started ripping. The sail home was smooth and very relaxing. It was …
Perhaps I might be getting forgetful, but today felt like the best Veterans Sail ever! We had two boats, six veterans, one veteran family member, plus me. Two of the veterans had never sailed with us before. Today was a perfect day on the Bay. The weather conditions were ideal, with just the "right" amount of wind speed. We aimed for the Biscayne Bay channel as we left the Seaplane channel behind, spotting some Dolphins along the way, then tacking through Stiltsville, we turned around and headed back home with the flooding tide pushing us along Bill Baggs State Park, Nixons Beach,..,
Old friends meet new friends. Today, a young man who had just returned from active duty in Syria was visiting. It was super rewarding to offer him and his significant other a soothing and relaxing experience sailing on Biscayne Bay. As always, thank you guys for serving our country.
This event was a milestone in many ways: it was the first time we staged the boats and sailed out of CRYC, the first time we had an event on Monday, the first time we attempted a corporate regatta with only a three-hour window to execute, and the first time only two points separated the winner from the fifth-place finisher. Talk about tight racing!
The weather was not the only concern leading up to this event. Our landlord, the US Sailing Center, has wanted to dredge out their harbor for several years. The permitting has taken a long time. They planned to do it in late August or early September when there was low traffic at the center, but they could not. Finally, dredging began last week. As a result, we had to think out of the box. If there is a will, there is a way! We turned a negative into a positive. Rugs will sometimes be pulled out from underneath…….
As the founder and program director of Team Paradise Sailing, I could not be more pleased with our performance hosting the SUBWAY Corporate Regatta. It was our sixth corporate event in 2024. Practice makes perfect!
It was an honor to introduce our team during the skipper's meeting. The three skippers (Tom, Fritz, Ken) and the Professional Race Committee (Mark) brought a wealth of experience and a combined 180 years of friendship to ensure the success of our event.
Today was a lot of fun! Team Paradise hosted our fifth corporate regatta for 2024. The group of eleven was amazingly diverse, representing four continents and ten countries. The breeze was up, and we ran three short races, using three Sonar with main sail only. We adhered to the four-hour time limit to near perfection. Our recently donated compact VHF radios featuring private channels helped communicate between the boats and the Race Committee. The After-Sail at the yacht club next door was a hit—it usually is…
Team Paradise hosted the ATC Corporate Regatta today. The group arrived at the US Sailing Center at noon. After a short meet and greet, we continued with the skipper's meeting, followed by a safety briefing.
Five boats came to the starting line, three Sonar and two J-24. Each team had a skipper we provided and three corporate team members aboard. We managed to complete three races in light and shifty wind.
The after-sail de-briefing at the Coral Reef Yacht Club next door was almost as fun as the racing. Everyone seemed to have a good time……
Team Paradise hosted the ATC Corporate Regatta today. The group arrived at the US Sailing Center at noon. After a short meet and greet, we continued with the skipper's meeting, followed by a safety briefing.
Five boats came to the starting line, three Sonar and two J-24. Each team had a skipper we provided and three corporate team members aboard. We managed to complete three races in light and shifty wind.
The after-sail de-briefing at the Coral Reef Yacht Club next door was almost as fun as the racing. Everyone seemed to have a good time……
Team Paradise was honored to host the ROCK STAR Corporate Regatta! It was a great day for what we set out to accomplish: light wind, sunny with a bit of overcast. Twenty guests sailed aboard five boats with an expert sailor on each vessel. The event took four hours from start to finish. The ROCK STAR group arrived in a timely fashion. We met at the US Sailing Center at 10.30 AM for a short meet and greet activity, followed by an introduction to sailing and a skipper's meeting, including the safety briefing….
