The Top Line is Fair sailing
The Bottom Line is Sportsmanship
Such
is the youth sailing program at the Miami Yacht Club. Every Saturday
for 35 years, the Miami Yacht Club has held sailing classes in
Clearwater Optimist Prams. The program is a two-part program, one
for beginners and one for advanced skippers who like to race. The
beginner's class is open to all 8 to 15 year olds who would like
to learn to sail. The basic sailing instructor, Mr. Ray Williams,
has not missed a class (hurricanes excepted) in over twenty-three
years.
Using
twenty club-owned prams, the five month classes begin the last
Saturday in January and July. While the emphasis is on basic sailing
and boat handling, some racing is introduced in an informal way. The
graduation ceremony is always preceded by the class's sailing to
Monument Island, a three-mile round trip, for a cookout.
The
advanced class, taught by Lew Twitchell and Dr. Gid Stocks,
concentrates on on racing. Skippers sail their own boats and compete
for club standing, as well as participating in regattas sponsored by
other clubs. Miami YC sponsors two youth regattas a year with a usual
turnout of about eighty sailors, although a recent regatta registered
103 skippers in Prams, International Optimist Dinghy's and Lasers!
When
Fred Bremen, Jr., recently enrolled his daughter, Mandy, a unique
cycle was completed. Mandy's grandfather, Fred, Sr., was an
instructor in the same program some twenty-five years ago.
As Lew Twitchell prints on every set of racing instructions, “The top
line is fair sailing – the bottom line is sportsmanship.”
The
secret to a successful youth sailing program is the dedication of
those who love to pass on the joy of sailing.
George
Mindling
Sailor's
Gazette, Tampa, FL, April,
1985
