Summer Sailing Session 4 kicked off fast with so many of the sailors working hard to get on and off the water, and learning at such a fast pace. Enjoy this update! More to come!
Mercury Mentors
Wednesday we Mercury Mentors had our first sail of the session! Each sailor in Coach Isa’s boat got a turn to steer and Coach Dae’s boat focused on introducing sailing techniques and parts of the boat. We also even got a chance to jump into the water on the sand bar! We also filled in the blanks to label each boat part in the classroom and even played Captain’s Coming with the Green Fleeters in the morning.
Beginner Opti
The Beginner Opti sailors took some big steps today! The sailors learned about the points of sail, which are upwind, reach, downwind, and the no go zone. They also learned how to apply this when they are out on the water, which means learning when it is appropriate to ease or trim the sail. They practiced this by doing the “sausage drill,” which is when the sailors need to sail back and forth between two marks, whether it was an upwind, downwind, or reach. So, you can say, the Beginner Opti’s were super productive!
Green Fleet
This morning, Green Fleet practiced their starts. They focused on their boat maneuvers on the line, meaning they had to learn to keep their boat from going above or below the line despite the constant wind shifts and current (and other boats). This also includes staying on the starting line the entire time within the last minute of the starting sequence. Green Fleet also did the “Mystery Starts” drill. This means that instead of having a proper countdown to the start, the Coaches would randomly blow a whistle (indicating thirty, twenty, or ten seconds), making the sailors practice their last second starting skills.
420s
This morning, the 420 sailors practiced a few starts with the Green Fleeters. After, they sailed around the bay, focusing on their boat’s angle in reference to the wind direction, along with the proper sail trim. Sailing these upwinds and downwinds also helped the sailors to practice their boathandling skills. Some sailors even had the chance to hike because there was so much wind! We also had volunteers hop in the boats with some sailors to help give some one-on-one mentoring!
