
Junior Sailing Program
MAUI SAILING NEWS
SPECIAL REPORT
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by
Bruce Olsten, Maui Sailing News
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June 2011 Lahaina Yacht Club Youth Sailing Program Report (text follows photos)


THE KIDS
Thirty one joyfully stoked kids participated in Lahaina Yacht Club's Youth
Sailing for Beginners program which was held last week in the LYC clubhouse and
on the water. As the children arrived at the club on Monday, it was evident
that they were very excited and eager to get started!
The kids were divided into three groups which rotated between three classroom
stations/topics. Curtis Robb used a large model of a dinghy to begin teaching
each of the three groups in turn about the parts of a boat and rig and some of
the nomenclature of sailing. Mike Sowers was across the room with a big diagram
and a small model boat that he used to teach the groups about the
points-of-sail, tacking, and gybing. Dan O'Hanlon was on the upper deck with
short lengths of rope and some blocks to teach the groups to tie a figure-8
knot, a square knot, and a bowline.
After all three groups rotated through the morning's instruction stations, it
was time for the swim test -- a make it or break it requirement of the class.
The children lined up, some very confident, and some a little nervous as they
waded out to deep water to the swim-test "course" that had been set. The swim
was a little bit difficult because of the footwear requirement (reef walkers),
but some of the kids proved to be strong freestyle swimmers nonetheless. The
youngest ones doggie paddled their way down the line. They were the last ones to
finish, but they all made it un-assisted and everyone passed the test! From
here on out it would be smooth sailing (pun intended).
Everyone climbed the stairs from the water back up into the club and were served
a hearty lunch by the excellent staff of Lahaina Yacht Club. The kids were
paired off, assigned life jackets and lined up for a boat assignment. This is
when the fun really started! For the kids AND the volunteers. And I will get
to that in a minute, but first some background details.
Lahaina Yacht Club literally overhangs the water on Front Street in Lahaina. A
stairwell in the club leads directly down to the water. The club has 7 Sabots
and 8 Open Bic dinghies. Both types are designed for kids. Of the two types,
the Open Bics are more "high tech" and preferred by the bigger kids, but
everyone got to sail in both boat types throughout the week. The sailing area
for the kids is directly in front of the club inside of Lahaina's fringing reef
and is shallow enough for most of the adult volunteers to wade around and assist
when needed. The volunteers also had an inflatable dinghy with outboard motor,
several kayaks, two stand-up paddle boards, and a Laser to follow the kids
around. Safety was the number one priority.
THE VOLUNTEERS
There was an amazing total of 23 adult volunteers helping to assure the success
of this year's session! For event leader Curtis Robb this is a family affair.
Curtis' three kids all came up through LYC's Junior Sailing program. Curtis has
taken charge of running LYC's Youth Sailing for the past 6 years straight. His
son Parker and daughter Haley, both high school students, played an integral
role as adult volunteers this year. Mike Sowers is another dedicated volunteer,
not just helping out with the classes, but along with Curtis, sanding, grinding,
repairing, and prepping the boats before and after each season -- the kind of
behind the scenes grunt work that often goes unrecognized. Dan O'Hanlon and
sons have played an important part in the program every summer since the two
boys participated as children. Nathan O'Hanlon is now a high school student and
Sean O'Hanlon is studying mechanical engineering in a college in New Mexico --
both young men able and willing to give back. Phil Sneed is another LYC
die-hard volunteer and this is his second year working with the kids. He is
also a volunteer for the upcoming Vic-Maui race. Brothers Mike and David
Atkinson were on hand again to help out, as they are with other club ventures.
Youth participant fathers Richard Spork (Will & Sam) and Mike Merrill (Ava)
enthusiastically provided on the water support for several of the day's
sessions. James Giroux is the father of youth sailors Jacob and Joy. He and
his kids camped out on dad's new cruising sailboat which is moored at Mala
Wharf, so they literally spent the entire week on the water! And they are still
smiling. Peter Peck's family ran the gamut of roles in the event. Peter was
onshore and in the water along with wife Suzie. Daughter Gracie Peck is on the
Seabury Hall Sailing Team and took second place in the State of Hawaii Laser
Sailing Championship. Gracie sailed her laser around the junior fleet,
offering advice and assistance, while her little brother Ross participated as a
first time sailor in the program. Charlie Hull, a brand new member of LYC just
showed up and said he was here to help, another willing helper whose efforts are
appreciated. Jill Bidoczka races as crew on keelboats, has been working for
Trilogy Charters for a few years, and is getting her skipper's license soon.
She took the time out from her busy schedule to help. Retired Maui fireman,
keelboat owner and racer Ben Bland added an extra layer of security and safety.
Knowledgeable in ocean safety and rescue, Ben conducted the swimming test and
was out on the water helping the kids along with the other volunteers throughout
the week. Cosco Carlbom is another LYC member volunteer who races keelboats,
loves sailing, and wants to pass it along to new sailors of all ages. German
born Carlo Grenger has sailed the world beginning on a 100 foot schooner in the
North Sea, in the merchant marine, and on cruising sailboats. This colorful
character has many tales of adventure and is living aboard his Hans Christian 33
sailboat in the Lahaina Roadstead. Mary Anna Waldrop is a brand new member of
LYC and a very enthusiastic volunteer. A new sailor herself, she got the
sailing bug bad! So bad, that she arranged for her 8th grade class to have a
1-week private session similar to last week's Youth Sailing Program. She
discovered something wonderful and is eager to share it!
You may ask yourself, what do these 23 people have in common that they are
willing to give up a week of their precious time? They are not all sailors.
Some have never sailed. They are not all teachers. Some are gregarious and
extroverted, some are quiet and reserved. They come from very different walks of
life. They have very different sets of skills and personalities. They are
young and they are old; physically fit and not so fit (speaking for myself here,
haha). You would know the answer to what motivates these volunteers if you had
been there on the first afternoon when the kids took to the boats, more than
half of them for the first time in their lives. When I saw the looks on the
faces of these kids as they began reaching back and forth in the gentle onshore
sea breeze and they started to "get it" -- I was awestruck. Some of them
looked truly amazed that they could do it! They were all grinning from ear to
ear -- and so was I.
I have been sailing in Maui waters for over 42 years. My son went through LYC's
Youth Sailing program around 15 years ago. Among the smiling and happy faces of
new young sailors this week was my own 8 year old grandson Kahiau. Watching
quietly from the LYC balcony, off to the side away from the other volunteers, a
tear or two flooded my eyes as I witnessed a new generation touched by the joy
of sailing and messing about in small boats. I am not sure who had a better
week, me or my grandson. We both have perma-grins. Look at the smiles on the
kids. Look at the smiles on the volunteers. A sense of fulfillment was
universally evident. Life is good!
Will I volunteer again in the future? You're damn right I will!
When you carry out acts of kindness you get a wonderful feeling inside. It is
as though something inside your body responds and says, yes, this is how I ought
to feel. ~Harold Kushner
Volunteering can be an exciting, growing, enjoyable experience. It is truly
gratifying to serve a cause, practice one's ideals, work with people, solve
problems, see benefits, and know one had a hand in them. --Harriet Naylor
There are two kinds of gratitude: The sudden kind we feel for what we
receive, and the larger kind we feel for what we give. --Edward Arlington
Robinson
HUNDREDS OF EVENT PHOTOS ONLINE
ON THE WATER PHOTOS COURTESY OF MIKE SOWERS HERE:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/mike_on_maui/sets/72157626779163027/
PHOTOS FROM THE SHORE COURTESY OF BRUCE OLSTEN HERE:
https://picasaweb.google.com/mbyccal/LYCJuniorSailingBeginners2011
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Smooth Sailing,
Bruce Olsten, Maui Sailing News
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