Looking at the wind and weather forecast too far in advance can sometimes be intimidating, especially when we know that our coaching staff will be short-handed. I may take a peek at the forecast a few days out, but other than that, my final plan comes about the morning of the event. Coaching sailing is not much different than coaching any other team sport. Who is available to play and who are the coaches to assist me?

Our Team was almost back at ‘full strength’ today. We used five RS Fevas of which three boats sailed singlehandedly with mainsail only and the other two boats sailed doublehanded with jib. We had perfect wind conditions for what we wanted to accomplish. The day began with a short chalk talk on the Safety Position, continued with a Land Drill, and then hands-on Sailing Practice. In my view, this focus skill is the beginning of racing. The Safety Position is where you slow the boat down, which is perfect for waiting for other boats to catch up so that everyone can Line-Up and sail together, just like when Racing. What’s equally important is to learn how the get started quickly so that other boats do not have to wait for you. Otherwise, it could take all day to Line-Up!

All the boats were on the first run when I realized that none of them had a stern plug! Boats started to float lower and lower. Everyone capsized numerous times, and some more than others. I was glad to be in our propeller-less safety boat. I was very close, motivating the kids to keep fighting! Each boat had to be rescued and towed back in, one by one.

Today was extra special! The US Sailing’s Siebel Sailors Program Manager, Blair Overman, took part in our afternoon programming. Our Regional Headcoach, MacKenzie McGuggin was also in attendance. They contributed both on and off the water. We always learn from MacKenzie when she coaches visit us. She is the best!

Thanks to the Siebel Sailors Program, we have plenty of stuff to do on days when we can’t go sailing. We spend almost 3-hours in the classroom this morning and the kids were focused and engaged the entire time. The classroom lessons are much-needed because we normally do not have a lot of time for this during a 3-hour sailing session.

Our intermediate students are being tested on the beginner level knowledge base to ensure that we all fully understand each other. Our Siebel Coach, MacKenzie McGuggin, has created a series of Jeopardy games which was very well received by the kids. We also handed out a couple of worksheets on Knot Making and Points of Sail. Their scores will be entered into the new app, Skill-Up, by US Sailing. Skill-Up tracks the progression of each student and it contains valuable information with videos and lectures on sailing. The Siebel Sailors Program is Awsome!

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 epic center of where all the sailing happens.

Kids from Camillus House Vera Garden joined in with our regular group today. A few kids from Breakthrough Miami and Big Brothers Big Sisters, who we now consider regulars at Team Paradise also joined in.

We observed how the current flows around fixed objects in the water. Then we wanted to prove that the earth is round. The kids were asked if they could see Soldiers Key, which is the first island south of Key Biscayne. The water was flat so we aimed south for about 20-minutes. Sure enough, the island popped up and we hung around for a while catching up on knot-making. Everyone was signed on the important Bowline and Square knots.

The weekend was pretty unusual for Miami! The weather forecast for Saturday looked windy and cold. I was concerned that kids would not be able to stay warm unless they brought layers of proper sailing gear. But they did! We communicated well with Parents/Guardians and shared the “What to wear when sailing” blog.

Some say that rowing is impossible without oars and others say that sailing can’t happen without wind! But that’s not true and we set out to prove it. Check out the video above and see for yourself. By fanning the sail and rolling the boat while using the rudder in a specific way, it is most definitely possible to sail without wind.

Kids from Breakthrough Miami and CARE Elementary joined in with our regular group today for a sail across the bay. Just like in the morning we sailed one long port tack to the West Point of Key Biscayne. Indifference to the morning, we anchored up and had some in-the-water fun! The weather was threatening all along. After a quick weather check with the office, we lifted anchor and reached back to port while being chased by a big black cloud. There was no lightning, but we needed to get back quickly.

Yes, today was the final Siebel Sailors Program day of 2021! Kids from Breakthrough Miami joined our weekly-attending youth sailors, with most of these Breakthrough kids returning to us on a near-weekly basis. It’s encouraging to see how their young lives are impacted by learning to sail on any given weekend. Biscayne Bay has so much to offer!

Today we had kids from the Camillus House come for their final sail of 2021. It was nice to also welcome kids from Breakthrough Miami who had parents/guardians bring them to us. Some of them are actually returning on a near-weekly basis and it is encouraging to see how their young lives is impacted by a real change in what’s available for them to do on any given weekend.