FBYC Hosts 9th Annual YMCA Junior Sailing Program
on Sunday July 15, 2012 02:28PM
Last week, twenty-one area youth participated in the Middlesex Family YMCA’s junior sailing camp hosted by FBYC. Head Coach Eric Bokinsky and YMCA Director Rosabeth Kisman led the program with coaches Nick Baez, Will Bomar, Ben Buhl, Sam Russell, and Conrad Roos managing the mayhem.
Some participants were returning veterans looking to improve their skills, but most of the attendees learned to sail for the first time. This year, two YMCA members who attended FBYC’s Junior Week assisted the YMCA coaches as Counselors in Training. This year the teacher/student ratio was dramatically increased so class could be divided into three sections, according to age. This provided more intensive training and much greater learning accomplishment, as well as improved safety control.
The highlight of the week involved FBYC members Ted Bennett, Karen Soule, and Brad Miller taking the junior sailors on their offshore boats. While enjoying lunch, the children learned the similarities and differences between yachts & the smaller craft being utilized at Fishing Bay Yacht Club.
The collaboration between FBYC and the YMCA is a significant FBYC initiative to provide an impactful outreach to promote the sport of sailing to local youth. Conrad Roos, a leading FBYC sailor who volunteered to teach at this year’s camp, discovered FBYC through the YMCA sailing program, and the Roos family has been extremely active at the Club ever since.
Lud Kimbrough spoke briefly to the youth and their parents at their closing ceremony, saying, “Junior Sailors are the future of our sport. The confidence that builds from sailing one’s own boat is a foundation that pays benefits throughout life. We encourage everyone interested in the sport to talk to us about how they can stay involved and improve their skills, and we will continue to reach out and broaden community participation in the sport.”