Arguably the best day of the week! Everyone sailed! Again, the campers preferred to sail around alone instead of playing on the sandbar or chilling in the safety boat. Just what we were hoping for!
SUMMER CAMP WEEK 1
The first week of summer camp is in the books. I trust that everyone had fun sailing with us. We had nine campers, and most of them had never sailed before. Impressive is how much they liked sailing and being on the water. They were brave, and most everyone had some tiller-time, steering the boat, trimming the sails, hiking off the boats, or with the trapeze. We managed to sail daily despite a challenging weather pattern, typical for this time of the year.
Our adventure was a shared experience! I can’t say enough about our volunteer staff, who helped make it happen. Valentina, Carolina, Mo, Ed, Dante, Josh, and Ed, thank you for making the week a success!
While we were on the water having fun, Susan diligently held down the fort. She monitored the radar and made us aware of anything coming our way. Thank you, Susan!
Season Finale
Saturday Youth Sailing is completed for the 2022-2023 school year. It began on October 1st. of last year. Since then, we have sailed on 24 Saturdays. It’s been an amazing experience, not only for the kids but for the coaching staff as well. I’m thrilled to have witnessed the transformation the kids have gone through. What began with a water comfort check ended up with the majority of the kids enjoying sailing and everyone loving Biscayne Bay.
Saturday Youth Sailing S3-E4
It was perhaps our best-ever Saturday Sailing day, and here is why. Kids are awesome and get along with one-and-other. Our team is well-rehearsed. Boats and equipment were prepared well in advance, which is necessary for a quick departure. The sailing was purposeful, and everyone seemed eager to learn. The beginner group sailed the RS Venture all by themselves. The intermediate group caught on to it and sailed another RS Venture. What a sight! If sailing is music, we have begun to sound pretty good!
A great big Thank You to our volunteers and parents/guardians. Our program would not exist without you!
Saturday Youth Sailing S3-E3
It doesn’t get much better than that. Add boats and great kids learning how to sail. That’s a perfect day! Running our Intermediate and Beginner programs at the same time works great. Our awesome volunteers make it all happen. Kids from diverse backgrounds share this healthy experience and play well together. Our focus is FUN and LEARNING in a SAFE environment. Check out the pictures below and see for yourselves.
Saturday Youth Sailing Program
Saturday Youth Sailing Program
Orange Bowl 2022
Eleanor was nominated for her perseverance and toughness in her first regatta since suffering an injury at the Atlantic Coast Championship in October. Lara Dallman-Weiss selected Eleanor and presented her with the award during the Tuuci OBIYR award ceremony on December 30th.
During the award ceremony, Lara remarked, "It was an absolute honor to announce the 2022 Magnus Liljedahl Sportsmanship Award recipient. Eleanor Moore exemplified courage in many ways: after breaking her arm while helping a parent at the boat ramp, she gave her boat to another competitor with a damaged boat. Thinking of others while injured shows sacrifice, inclusiveness, and bravery. The sport of sailing must encourage our community to be happy for others'’ success; it is completely possible to teach and lift each other up and still be the fastest boat on the race course!" Congratulations Eleanor!
THE MURAL AT USSC
The final week of Summer camp belonged to the US Sailing Center - City of Miami Parks Sailing Program. Coach Lauren was new on our volunteer staff, but no stranger to our community. She grew up sailing on Biscayne Bay and fell in love with our sport. It was no wonder that I jumped on her offer to help us for the final week of Summer Camp before heading back to college in Main.
As normal when kids arrive at the US Sailing Center (USSC), we gather on the second-floor breeze-way for an introduction and a float plan of the day. Yours truly prepared a whiteboard and handed it to Lauren saying “if you can improve on this, please go ahead”……
USSC - City of Miami Parks Sailing
These are exciting times! The US Sailing Center (USSC) chose Team Paradise as their vendor to take the children of Miami out sailing for a Summer Camp experience on the beautiful Biscayne! This week, the USSC hosts 75+ kids from five different parks within the City of Miami. Each day brings 15 unique named kids out for adventure sailing. Only a few of them have any prior boating experience. They love it! Check out the pictures below and see for yourselves:
Summer Camp week 3 & 4
The final two weeks of our Summer Camp were very inspiring for the coaching staff. as well as camp counselors. All the kids seemed to really enjoy the sailing and more so than ever before. It’s nice to hear “I want to sail”, “I want to trapeze”, “let’s fly the kite”, it’s so quiet out here” and “I love sailing”!
Summer Camp
Our Summer Camp is all about having fun while learning how to sail. It begins with water safety and comfort, then moves on towards sailing more and more. The campers spend as little time in the classroom as possible. We follow US Sailing’s small boat beginner student-level skill evaluation and use the scope and sequence parts to build our curriculum. It works really well.
After School Sailing
Special Sailors
The term, Inclusive Sailing, is very fitting for what it is. It brings the parents of special sailors and their children together with Team Paradise volunteers for a play-day sailing on Biscayne Bay. The purpose of inclusive sailing is to bring people from different backgrounds together to create an understanding of one another in order to better appreciate who we are.
Give Miami Day 2020 IS NOVEMBER 19th!
We are so thankful for the support we receive each year. Your generous donations help us build on our existing infrastructure of diversity, equity and inclusion in the sport of sailing. We recognize that part of our role as a community sailing organization is to lift up all voices in the sport and provide a welcome and inclusive environment for all.
Siebel Sailors Program Premier in Florida
The Opportunity of a Lifetime
We couldn’t be more excited about the challenges ahead and the increasing opportunities to help others and do better. With the support of our community, Team Paradise has managed to deliver on its mission for the past 15 years, having proven itself many times over. “Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, love of what you are doing or learning to do.”
Bay Play Sailing Camp News
With one week of Bay Play Sailing Camp in the books, we are excited to share with you a little bit about how sailing camp is going during these unusual and challenging times. We have limited attendance to accommodate social distancing requirements and begin each day with a digital temperature reading of campers and staff. Our boats and equipment are washed down daily, and Team Paradise offices and high-touch areas are regularly sanitized. Hand Sanitizer with 80% alcohol is provided and frequent handwashing is encouraged.
My Favorite Summer Camp
Our Summer Camp is based on my experience growing up in Scandinavia. it's named "Bay Play" for a reason. Whether kids have prior knowledge of sailing, or not, it has to be fun, safe, and playful. Like in a restaurant or any other establishment, for patrons to return, their experience has to be the best!. Our boats are modern and very well maintained. We do not overload our boats and we prioritize performance. Thanks to becoming a Siebler Sailors Program, we now have a new fleet of RS Fevas.
And the award goes to...
Another Orange Bowl International Youth Regatta is in the books! As with every year, the Magnus Liljedahl Sportsmanship Award is handed out at the conclusion of the regatta. Sailors are nominated for this award by demonstrating courage, respect, integrity, kindness, good judgment, responsibility and self-discipline.