Sloop/Sonars Continued memorizing sailing jargon on Tuesday while, um, hiding from lightening bolts, but then went sailing (surprise!) on Thursday, getting old-school with such classical nautical pastimes as "Down By the Bay" while the sloops took turns steering with a tiller roughly twice as big as their bodies.
Intro to Junior Sailing got some time in on the Sonars Tuesday and, after getting "the parts-of-the-boat down pat," headed to Marblehead rock. Thursday morning saw carefully organized "precision opti training," with some kids even opting to sail solo (a task they're not expected to be capable of until Opti II).
Opti I played "follow the leader" through the harbor, a deceptively simple game that gave the students a chance to relax and build confidence while subtly honing their own trimming and steering skills. Later, they practiced their upwind sailing at Riverhead with two kids to a boat - one steering, the other trimming the mainsail. Liza said the kids showed "ripsnortingly good adaptability."
Opti II set up a windward leeward "sausage" run: a drill that demands both down-wind running and zig-zag upwind strategizing. Later, the more advanced Rectangle Drill continued their exploration of reacing. The class finished the week strong with Tacking on the Whistle, a drill that forced the kids to think fast. Tori says she was "impressed" with their enthusiasm and sense of camaraderie.
Opti III: With Race Week looming on the horizon, and more kids than ever participating in regattas across the commonwealth, our most advanced class serves as a reminder of just how amazingly awesome this program has become. If your kid is in this class, then trust Tucker when he says "they know what's what, and you know what? They dig it."
SPECIAL BULLETIN: Our very own Eliza Hancock, who graduated to Pleon at the end of the 2008 summer, came in 1st place in the MSA Opti Green Fleet Regatta this week. Miss Hancock, we raise our shoes to you.
