Youth Sailing, STEM
Magnus Liljedahl
SYSTEM S7-E2

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.

SYSTEM S7-E2
Youth Sailing
Magnus Liljedahl
Saturday Youth Sailing S6-E7

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,….

Saturday Youth Sailing S6-E7
Veterans Sailing
Magnus Liljedahl
Veterans Sailing S2-E10

Miami Fleet week

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 …

Veterans Sailing S2-E10
Veterans Sailing
Magnus Liljedahl
Veterans Sailing S2-E9

PERFECT DAY ON THE BAY!

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,..,

Veterans Sailing S2-E9
Veterans Sailing
Magnus Liljedahl
Veterans Sailing S2-E8

Home, sweet home!

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.

Veterans Sailing S2-E8

Saturday Youth Sailing S6-E5

Saturday Youth Sailing S6-E5

Several classes were scheduled to race this weekend, including the J-24, Snipe, Ilca, Sunfish, and Finn. The US Sailing Center was very busy. The weather forecast for today called for sustained winds above 20kt. It was predicted earlier in the week, so it was no surprise. 

When planning a successful day, it's often best to figure out what can go wrong first! My risk assessment was easy to make. Boats would capsize, sails could rip, and masts could brake, but we would survive. There was no significant, solid benefit to going sailing today…

Veterans Sailing S2-E9

Veterans Sailing S2-E9

PERFECT DAY ON THE BAY!

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,..,

Saturday Youth Sailing S6-E4

Saturday Youth Sailing S6-E4

Several classes were scheduled to race this weekend, including the J-24, Snipe, Ilca, Sunfish, and Finn. The US Sailing Center was very busy. The weather forecast for today called for sustained winds above 20kt. It was predicted earlier in the week, so it was no surprise. 

When planning a successful day, it's often best to figure out what can go wrong first! My risk assessment was easy to make. Boats would capsize, sails could rip, and masts could brake, but we would survive. There was no significant, solid benefit to going sailing today…

Saturday Youth Sailing S6-E3

Saturday Youth Sailing S6-E3

Today was a beautiful day for sailing on Biscayne Bay. The warm temperatures and moderate winds made it a pleasant experience. Although the kids from the Camillus House Verde Gardens housing project couldn't make it due to transportation issues, we had good attendance from both coaches and our regular students. 

Coach Josh led the intermediate group, sailing the RS Fevas as usual. The rest of us stayed with the beginners in the RS Ventures. It's interesting to observe how the beginners are improving and catching up to the intermediates and how some intermediates are becoming skilled enough to belong to a more…..

Saturday Youth Sailing S6-E2

Saturday Youth Sailing S6-E2

Today was great in Paradise! The kids returned their homework and began the day with a written test on parts of the boat and sails. While we were sailing, Ms Susan reviewed their work, and at the end of the day, she gave everyone small rewards. Weather conditions were ideal: sunny with blue skies and breezy. Despite the small craft warning, none capsized, and everyone stayed upright. Sailing skills have come a long way. The new RS Venture sails look good and are a significant upgrade. Our new compact VHF radios, so generously donated, provide for much better safety. Ten units with private channels enable us to communicate between the Ventures, coach boat, and propeller-less safety boat without anyone listening in or interrupting our messages. Despite a few kids not attending, we had a sizeable group. Camillus House added one new student to the program. As such, she is required to perform our water-comfort test. At first, she hesitated to jump in despite the shallow clear water and sandy….

United Corporate Regatta

United Corporate Regatta

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…

Saturday Youth Sailing S6-E1

Saturday Youth Sailing S6-E1

The first Saturday of the SYS Spring session was postponed for a week due to "nuking" wind conditions a week ago, The first Saturday of the SYS Spring session was postponed for a week due to "nuking" wind conditions a week ago, but it happened today. We had a smaller group of kids because of spring break and the Easter holiday. Our students from Vera Gardens could not attend due to transportation issues. Nevertheless, today was an extra special day for us. The RS Fest is going on in Regatta Park. It's the first-ever multi-class RS event in North America. Team Paradise entered the regatta with one RS Feva, but they could only compete for one day. The rest of our team used our RS Ventures to sail around and watch the racing. ..

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Spring Break with the Miami Waterkeeper

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Spring Break with the Miami Waterkeeper

During spring break, we took a day to introduce our Sailing + Youth + STEM (“SYSTEM”) initiative. Partnering with the Miami Waterkeeper organization, we had student-sailors, coaches, and three graduates from the University of Miami's Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science participating in the class. We began the day with a presentation on water quality monitoring. 

MCA Corporate Regatta

MCA Corporate Regatta

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……

FUN DAY ON THE BAY S1-E7

FUN DAY ON THE BAY S1-E7

Students from the Miami Learning Experience returned for another Fun Day Sailing today. it was a small group with big hearts, four students and two teachers. It was windy with chilly temperatures. we stayed close to shore. For the most part, it was a harbor cruise. I could not have had better volunteers to command the two Sonar sailboats. Randy and Kenny grew up in Miami, and I have known them since 1980.….

Saturday Youth Sailing S5-E6

Saturday Youth Sailing S5-E6

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….

Veterans Sailing S2-E4

Veterans Sailing S2-E4

Today, we had two new veterans in our weekly Thursday Sailing program. In all, we had one Sonar sailing with a crew of five Veterans aboard. The wind and weather were perfect for our sport. The wind dropped as they sailed along, but they returned to port as planned at 2 PM. The event was delayed because of an 18-wheeler Coca-Cola delivery truck accident on I-95. Some veterans travel a long distance to be a part of our sailing. We appreciate their effort and are humbled by the fact.