Sail Mail – Junior Sailing – Issue 2

 Sail Mail – Issue 2

A word from the office:

          We’ve had another amazing week of sailing.  Our Opti beginners are well on their way to understanding the fundamentals of upwind and downwind sailing.  Moreover, their teamwork off the water has been terrific as they have managed to put the boats away in much more efficient and organized manner.  The Opti 2s were able to brush up on their skills and are now in a position to be introduced to more advanced techniques.  Our Opti Race team is now learning the racing rules and what to do in certain racing scenarios.  The Pixel class were able to mix and match partners this week.  In addition, they are learning how to point while still maintaining good boat speed.  Our 420 was finally able to put everything they learned about the 420 to test when they raced several other 420s in the interclub race on Friday.  On Friday, we had America Day, which was filled with fun activities and games for our morning sailors.  Roton Point is proud to announce that our sailors raced extremely well in the interclub race with Norwalk YC, Norton YC, and Stamford YC.  As this season continues to roll through, regattas for the afternoon sailors will start popping up in your calendar.  We look forward to seeing our sailing compete in every regatta.  Just a few reminders:

• This Sunday will be our Junior Sailing BBQ, which begins at 11:30.
• If you haven’t picked up the Roton Point Junior Sailing Packet along with filling out the Sailor Information Form, please do so as soon as possible!
• Please send your child with a bottle of water so they can stay hydrated on the water.
• On days when it is raining, please remember to send your child with a rain jacket or spray top so they stay warm and dry.
• Don’t forget that the sailing instructors offer private lessons after 5:00 PM during the week and throughout the weekend.

 

— Jesse Buccolo

     Head Sailing Instructor

Opti Beginner Class:

The Opti 1s are really learning to sail with style! This week we learned how to adjust our sails to all points of the wind.  Though tricky at first, we are particularly happy with their vastly improved upwind sailing!  We ended the week off with a bang with “America Day” where we split our team into two groups (Team America vs. Team United States).  We are pleased to announce that Team America won the day with an impressive showing during our “capture the flag” sailing game.  During the event sailors had to use all the skills they learned this week in order to capture the flag and return it to their side of the course.  We are VERY impressed with their improving abilities and new sense of confidence.  We look forward to the weeks to come to see where they take their new found skills.

-Tally, Michelle, Sarah, and Jesse

Opti 2:

I am happy to report that the first week of Opti 2 class was very productive. We spent the beginning of the week with some review and a capsize test. Even though it was many of the sailors first time on the water this year it didn’t take long for the Opti 2s to get back up to their proper form. On Wednesday we had a nice long distance sail in a heavier breeze and on Thursday we practiced sailing a triangle course in preparation for upcoming regattas.

- Dylan & Sean

Opti Race Team:

The Opti Race Team had another great week!  The sailors reviewed the basics of racing, focusing on starts.  The sailors also learned the most important rules and penalties.  The beginning of the week brought light wind, the perfect weather for roll tacking.  The sailors all got the technique down in no time!  The end of the week brought more wind and the perfect opportunity to practice racing.  On Friday, the sailors had the chance to sail against Norwalk, Noroton, and Stamford in a friendly inter-club regatta.  Meghan Halloran and Brynley Close did very well, getting top 10 finishes.  It was good practice for all the sailors and served to identify the areas we need to work on before the first regatta.  It looks to be a fantastic summer!      

-Sarah and Jesse

Pixel Class:

We had a stellar week in the Pixel Class! On Monday, we went over spinnaker, re-enforcing the third sail to the sailors once again. Emma Byrne and Emma Janson rocked their spinnaker, flying it without any trouble at all.  On Tuesday, we reviewed tell-tales and the sailors got back on board with reading their sails again. On Wednesday, the wind was hauling and the sailors showed off their ability to handle heavy- wind situations. Lexie Devlin and Sam handled the wind well, keeping their boat down and only capsizing once despite the difficult conditions! On Thursday we went over knocks and lifts, and once again re- enforced spinnaker. Hailey Keelips, Emma Hagey and Andrew showed off their abilities to recognize the knocks and lifts, and exceeded in our long- distance sail. On Friday, we had a great time participating in an inter-club regatta. Emma Janson and Emma Byrne got second place! Overall it was and incredible week, we are highly impressed with the progress the sailors are showing already.

-Tally, Sean, and Michelle

420 Class:

It was another solid week of sailing in the books for the 420 sailors. This week we focused almost entirely on racing to prepare for upcoming regattas. The wind was also more cooperative this week allowing the boys a chance to gain more experience using the trapeze. On Friday, Roton Point met up with Norwalk, Noroton, and Stamford sailors to do some fleet racing. Jack and James placed second.

-         Dylan

Revised on May 12, 2012