In progress….….

Today, we had 17 kids and seven coaches on the water. The wind was southerly, 10-15kts. We rigged both RS Ventures and four Fevas. Mo and John coached the intermediates using the Boston Whaler. They set a windward-leeward course, and the kids had a blast. They kept going around and around. They seemed to do better with each lap, and there was no quitting. Joe, Leo, and I followed the beginners aboard our propeller-less safety boat. Also aboard was Shuntae, a program director for Cammilus House Vera Gardens. Each of the RS Venture had 470 sailors skippering. Anna and Liam are their names. We are super stoked to have them come and volunteer….

At Team Paradise, we are one happy bunch of people! Every weekend brings challenges in one form or another. But no worries, everything worked out by day's end, and everyone was smiling. Today, we were shorthanded in the coaching staff. If there is a will, there is a way; Jian stepped up as usual, Mo returned, and Joe has not missed a day. Yours truly was assigned to an RS Venture, and so was Jian...

Today, we marked half-time for our Saturday Youth Sailing winter session. Four events are completed, and there are four more to come. Sailing today was completely different from last week. We had light air and a fair bit warmer temperatures. Sixteen students came to sail and have fun in the sun. Jian and Marite skippered the RS Ventures; we also had two Fevas sailing, one with Adrian and Gabriel and the other with Ale and Noah. It was a super busy day with racing in several classes….

Yesterday was another breezy day in paradise! The forecast was for 10 to 15 kt SE winds with gusts to around 20 kt. Bay waters a moderate chop. We had twenty-six people on the water, including twenty kids, five coaches, and one assistant coach. Susan remained land-based as usual, heading up our central command….

The past week proves that the weather forecast is often incorrect. Some people ask me what the weather will do on a given day. I usually say, “I can tell you tonight accurately.” It hurts when we cancel and later realize we could have sailed. Team Paradise canceled events on Wednesday due to windy and chilly weather predictions. We probably could have sailed. Our corporate regatta on Thursday had ideal wind….

Today was our season premiere for Saturday Youth Sailing. We have three sessions scheduled for 2024: winter, spring, and fall. Each session has eight lessons on Saturdays between 11 AM and 3 PM. Our motto is Safe, Fun, and Learning.

Following professional sports in the media teaches a lot about attitude, effort, and what it takes to win. We are not competing, but internally we aim to improve and do better each and every time we sail. It amazes me how professional sports teams often do not have their top players healthy, but they must play, and they still win. How is that possible? The answer is that they have an identity imprinted; it’s about the next man up, adjusting the game plan, and never giving up. At Team Paradise, we have copied tour his attitude. Today wasn’t easy; we were short of coaches, it was pretty windy, and we expected a record number of participants. No problem……

About 800 kids came to race in the Orange Bowl Youth Regatta this year. The Coral Reef Yacht Club did an excellent job hosting the event. The Opti was by far the largest class. They were divided into two circles: The Opti Green (beginners) sailed closer to home, while the Opti Red, Opti White, and Opti Blue sailed further east. Also competing were the Club 420 on a circle a bit further south and then the ILCA class on the southernmost circle. The ILCA was divided into ILCA 4, ILCA 6, and ILCA 7……

Today was our final lesson of Saturday Youth Sailing in 2023. It was a make-up day for the event we had to cancel in October. The Verde Gardens kids did not attend, so we only had eight students.

The day began with coach Josh teaching in the classroom and reviewing pictures and videos. They proceeded to rig four RS Fevas and headed out sailing. We had many coaches for the day, so Marite, Mo, Joe, and I took this rare opportunity to check out some of the ongoing sailboat racing. First, we passed by the Melges 20 fleet, then the Star boat regatta. That’s the boat type that yours truly sailed for many years (four decades, to be exact). We had so much fun! On our way back to port, we checked in with Josh and the students, taking more pictures and cheering them on…

Today was another great day for sailing! The Camillus kids returned from Vera Gardens, but sadly, most of our intermediate sailors were absent. No worries, we adjusted our float plan accordingly and used both our RS Ventures and one RS Feva. Josh and Mo were coaching the RS Feva while coach Joe and I observed from the safety boat. Coach Marite and Sarajane (our guest coach for the day) taught aboard the RS Ventures. The offshore breeze was shifty and puffy….

Today, we began class with student voice. We checked in with every student on their desires for the day. The good news is that everyone wanted to sail. None wanted to make a stop at a sandbar. We rigged three Feavas and one RS Venture. Our goal became sailing to the Westpoint of Key Biscayne and back. The NE wind made it a long sail tacking upwind. By the time we got there, we turned around and sailed back.

Today was extra special! Bill Johns, the University of Miami sailing coach, sent us a couple of members of the UM Sailing Team to come and tutor our sailors. How about that? It has been a dream of mine for a long time. Like all of our relationships, it’s a win-win situation. Our students get to sail one-on-one with these incredible athletes and learn from them. For the UM students, it creates an opportunity to give back to the community and gain valuable real-life experience. Let’s hope we can keep this going because it makes perfect sense!

It was pretty windy today! How about 16-26 Knots from N-E? That is what we had. Perhaps it was a good thing that our sailors from Vera Gardens did not attend. We would have managed either way. Similar to the previous session, everyone sailed, and none rode in the safety boat. To my surprise, only one boat capsized. That is remarkable……

Today was super encouraging! Everyone sailed, and no kids were riding in the safety boat. The sea breeze came up just in time for going sailing. There were lots of boats out there. We lined up sailing and taking pictures. Then we sailed closer to the shore and set a windward and a leeward mark. The safety boat anchored up in the middle of the short course. The object was to practice tight mark roundings while quickly trimming in or easing the sails. Time is of the essence when making these maneuvers……

It was a challenging day, but in the end, it was just another safe, fun learning experience for all of us. Like in other sports, key players are not always available to play. That doesn't mean that the match will be canceled, oh no. Instead, the game plan is adjusted, and the next player is up.

On Saturday, we faced 250 kids competing in a major sailing competition hosted by the Coral Reef Yacht Club, our next-door neighbor. Most boats sailed out of the US Sailing Center, where we are located. It was beyond crowded! We were somewhat under-staffed as well. How do we do this?

Spending time away from mobile devices and computer screens can benefit kids. Reducing screen time promotes healthier habits like physical activities and social interactions. Additionally, water activities can teach kids valuable life skills such as teamwork, communication, and leadership…..

Our 2023 Summer Camp is completed! Each of the four weeks was great, but it’s fair to say that we saved the best for last. This group became smaller as a couple of siblings tested positive for Covid before the week began. Some of the campers attended all 4-weeks. Newbies to our program had never sailed, but they caught on quickly and blended in with our team in a big way. It’s rewarding when the campers develop friendships with each other, and based on how my life turned out, it could last forever.

Another day in paradise! We towed the RS Venture and RS Feva heading for Key Biscayne. Dolphins greeted us along the way. The shifty wind started to fill in, and the campers began sailing. Then we had a shower or two. We anchored up at the sandbar and had our picnic. Campers could not wait to hop in and explore. The sandbar became a classroom as Ed reached scouting skills. Then the skies turned dark over the mainland and to the south. Soon realized the two options we had, seek shelter in Hurricane Harbor….