After a day off for Independence Day, the kids were super excited and ready to get back on the water today! It was the windiest day so far and the kids loved it!
The mercury mentors had an awesome day with Coach Dae and Coach Chase. All the sailors practiced their heavy air steering and trimming the main sail. The coaches talked the sailors through the points of sail while each sailor was steering. When its windy, it can be a little intimidating, but the more the sailors practice the more comfortable and fun it is!
The beginner optis practiced their windward-leeward course in preparation for tomorrow! JC (The Sailing Director) will be setting up a race course to test the sailors skills. The coaches introduced the start sequence and how it works for a race. After the Beginner Optis did a couple of races, they finished off the morning with an epic game of tennis ball tag! They were having so much fun in the breeze! In the afternoon, the sailors practiced their long upwind and downwind sailing. They sailed all the way up the basin towards 15th Street Fisheries and back!
The 420 group also practiced some races! The coaches reviewed the start sequence for the sailors to practice on the water. After running through it and couple of starts and races, the sailors practiced a figure 8 drill to work on their boat-handling skills. This drill teaches good tacks, gybes, and mark roundings. They sailors sailed around a buoy and the coach boat while the coach boat constantly changed the angle between the mark and the boat, which keeps the sailors on their toes!
