Youth Sailing Foundation (YSF) opened eight weeks of Summer Sailing Camp on June 7 with twenty-five sailors, ages 8-13, enjoying a week of sailing on the Indian River Lagoon. Sailing eight new 12-foot RS Feva, with green florescent sails, the performance dinghies provide a colorful seascape against the blue sky and waters of the Indian River Lagoon.
Sailing out of the beautiful new Vero Beach Rowing Club Taffy Boathouse the sailors learn the fundamentals of sailing, crew team work, and rules of the road. Safety is paramount. Before the first sail every sailor must pass a basic swim test followed by righting drills where the boat is capsized on purpose and the three-person crew required to right the vessel, reestablish sail trim, and get underway without outside assistance. All evolutions are carefully monitored by a staff of eight highly trained certified instructors utilizing five Boston Whaler safety boats.
Camp Director, Will Monts has years of experience running sailing camps on Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. Will welcomes each weekly class with a reminder that safety is paramont and the goal is to learn to sail while at the same time having fun. New friendships are formed as children spend hours together learning intricacies of sail trim, weight and balance, and rudder control. When it finally comes together, and the boat leans into the wind and takes-off across the Lagoon, sailors experience the unique sense of accomplishment and thrill that sets sailing apart as a sport that often becomes a lifetime passion.
Visiting spoils islands and picking-up trash provides an opportunity to teach the fundamentals of Lagoon ecology. The impact on the life of the Lagoon of various pollutants, from the trash they see to unseen nutriants, is brought home to the sailors. Some are inspired to learn more and become future stewards of the Indian River Lagoon advocating for enviornmental practices that will restore and preserve the beautiful natural resource that impacts our entire community.
The 2021 Summer Sailing Camp will teach about 180 children from across the socioeconomic spectrum how to sail. Through the generosity of Quail Valley Charities, and individual donors, YSF is able to provide sixty scholarships to families unable to afford the tuition. About twenty-percent of the sailors come from across the United States visiting grandparents.
Sailing takes children out of their comfort zone into a new world of wind and waves. Digital gadgets are left ashore. Focus and concentration is required. One can go from sailing to swimming in a heartbeat. Sailing is experiential learning that instills confidence that will endure and provide a building block for a successful life.
Youth Sailing Foundation of Indian River County, Inc. is a 501 (c)(3) non-profit devoted to eliminating cultural and financial barriers to sailing. Numerous youth programs are offered throughout the year, many of them free to participants. For more information or to make a tax-deductible donation, please visit: www.ysfirc.org.
