Unlike yesterday, this morning was a picture perfect sunrise with mild temperatures (for Florida) and no wind. Those conditions are perfect for an adventure to ‘Whiskey Creek!’
Whiskey Creek is…well…a small creek that runs north and south next to the Stranahan River (Fort Lauderdale’s Intracoastal Waterway) and through an island of Dr. Von D Mizell-Eula Johnson State Park located in southern Ft. Lauderdale and northern Dania Beach. The State Park was created in 1973 to bring equal water access to all people in Fort Lauderdale and in 2016 the Park’s name was changed to commemorate the two individuals who spearheaded the it’s creation.
This extremely beautiful beach on the Atlantic coast has some of the best east coast diving just meters from shore! The ecology of the park includes an array of fish, birds and of course iguanas.
Our sailors had a chance to go for a swim in the cool waters in the morning!
This afternoon after lunch the breeze picked up to a beautiful 8-10 knots, perfect conditions for sailing in front of Lauderdale Yacht Club! There was no time to waste, so all the sailors worked together to get their boats rigged and on the water as safe and fast as possible.
Beginner Opti had coaches Anna, Chase and Joey with counselor Daniel helping as well. Today had the most wind of the week, so sailors learned in new conditions! For many of the youngsters today was the first day they sailed by themselves! The Beginner Opti’s did a follow the leader drill which helped them master the concept of steering.
In 420’s Coach Dae helped the sailors learn how to round a mark. They also learned proper sail trim and tacking while going against the wind. Coach Stephen with Green Fleet did a drill called “jaws.” This drill helped the kids understand wind direction and boat handling while going upwind and downwind.
It was a great end to the 1st week of session 1. We can’t wait for Monday to start week 2!
