I love summer. I love summer because of the seemingly everlasting sunshine, tan skin, flapping sails, and excited, happy voices. Every year I look forward to climbing mountains, driving fast without fear, hot dogs on the grill, and sailing as much on a beam as possible. But fall, well fall, it gives me goose-bumps and butterflies in my stomach. This weekend I noticed a chill in the air and that indescribable smell that seems to ride on its coat-tails.
Then yesterday, Jen, the Education Director, and I met to discuss our plan for fall. It was amazing! I can’t wait for my first fall at the Community Sailing Center. I hear the wind in fall is fast and you better be a good sailor, or at least know how to go dry side, because that water gets cold quick! As we grow, it is a top priority to stay grounded in the community. We want to make sure to take every opinion or experience into account so when we finally get to move into our big, beautiful building we can hit the ground running as one of the premier Community Sailing Centers in the United States. With the introduction of the WAVES initiative and our long standing dedication to teaching everyone to sail, we have everything to offer and nothing to lose. We have the opportunity to help save Lake Champlain from irreversible pollution damage by introducing all people to the endless fun it has to offer. This fall we have a few dedicated instructors happy to get out on the water with you, in addition to rentals until October 11!
And to all my frosty friends with snowflakes on their minds: it’s almost here, fall is in the air.
-Sarah
The subtle intricacies of sailing in 18 knots with 3 foot rollers and chop reminded me why I love sailing last week when I was out with Pete. We beat upwind heading up over the top of each wave and back down the other side; the boat accelerating underneath me felt unreal. Then we set the spinnaker and flew down wind! We caught the waves and surfed down them breaking into a plain and crashing into the next wave and continuing down wind. As I felt the boat decelerate we headed up again and would take off on a plain and soak down as deep down wind as the wind and waves would allow.
Sailing is a sport that is unlike any other, and teaching an adult dingy course was a new experience but one that was enjoyable. Most of the adults in my class had never been sailing and had limited boating experience. We took out 420’s the first day in rough conditions (but not as rough as the day Pete and I were out) and everyone did amazing. Teaching adults is different from kids because progress is much quicker and attention spans are longer. At the end of the two Saturday courses everybody took the rental test and passed with flying colors. We went over the basics of how to steer and rig (put together) the boats. The capsize test demonstrated that everybody would be able to right the boat if it tipped over, and that tipping over is not so scary or dangerous. Then we were able to get out and go sailing. Everybody was nervous as I released them from the docks but quickly nervousness turned into excitement and then the desire to go faster!
-Chris
My favorite night of the week is Friday night. This is not because I get to sleep in Saturday morning. It is because every Friday night at the Community Sailing Center we have 420 races. These races are one of the few times when you can get on the lake for free and are a great way for our former students or other members of the sailing community to casually get together and hone their racing skills. The races are casual and laid back, which creates a friendly atmosphere for beginner racers. Results are not tallied and racers are more focused on improving their skills than on winning every race. Before the races start, each Friday the sailing center hosts a mini-refresher. This mini-refresher is great for people who have sailed before, but need to brush up on how to rig our boats, or have a couple quick questions. After the mini-refresher people grab 420s and head out onto the water. After a few races we start heading in. This part is the best part of the night. The sail in is almost always accompanied by people discussing the races while admiring a beautiful sunset over the Adirondack mountain range.
-Anna
This last Sunday I finally got to go sailing, in a Sonar! I grew up sailing dinghies. At the age of eight, I went to sailing camp for two months and was thrown into an Optimist. I sailed those bathtub Optis until I was 13. When I turned thirteen, I began sailing 420s. I immediately fell in love with the speed and agility of the 420. Everything is fast and fun in these boats, and in high wind there is nothing better than getting out on the trap; it feels like you’re flying. When I finally graduated out of 420s I took a little break from sailing. I wasn’t gone for long though, because by the time I hit 20, all I wanted to do was get back on the water. The Yacht Club I sailed out of had developed a fleet of Vanguard Nomads. One of my best friends bought one, and we began to race every week. It was unbelievable. My experience being a crew in the 420s made it easy for me to crew in a Nomad, the spinnaker was just a touch bigger. The one problem with the Nomad is that it is very beamy and almost impossible to right after a capsize. During one regatta, it took us almost three hours to right the boat, even with the help of the race committee!
This past Sunday, I sailed a Sonar. I had never sailed a Keelboat before, so it was almost impossible for me to imagine not capsizing. It was blowing about 15 knots, maybe gusting a little more. I found myself pinching and dumping wind from my sails almost instinctively, only to have my crew yell, “What are you doing! This boat wont flip!” I was perplexed. How could the boat be almost horizontal in the water, sails grazing the surface and yet not capsize? It was frustrating, but also motivating. I can’t wait to get back out there, put mind over matter, and sail that boat with the sails as close to the surface as the boat will allow. A keelboat will never flip, the keel is way too heavy. It’s going to take some mental practice, but I am totally up to the challenge of this new and unbelievably fast boat!
-Sarah
For my first summer in Burlington, I really didn’t know what to expect in terms of Fourth of July celebrations. Back home at the Jersey Shore, there was never a shortage of bbq’s or fireworks, so I was very interested in getting my once-a-year fix. Where’s the downtown party? Where’s the best spot to see the fireworks? Where can I just hang out in peace?
I had heard of Rock the Dock from my friends who had spent previous summers in Burlington, but with no experience of my own, I was curious. The set-up started early, and with an energy that was hard to miss. Volunteers and staff alike were buzzing around the Sailing Center in joyful anticipation of the night to come. The food started cooking early as well, so we had something to look forward to.
Once the evening settled in, the crowds joined us on the docks. Families, college kids and all types could be seen enjoying the epic view from the docks. While everyone waited, a stunt pilot wowed everyone with some aerobatics. As he left to some early volleys of fireworks, the crowd on the dock waited eagerly for the highly anticipated main event. The Lounge at the end of the dock was super nice with DJ Craig Mitchell providing some dancing music all night.
Once the fireworks started though, everyone was silent. Our spot on the dock was so good that I could tell it was the best in Burlington. There was no way to get any closer unless you were lighting them yourself.
If you missed Rock the Dock this year, come on down to the Lake Lovers’ Summer Party at ECHO on Friday! It’s part of the Regatta for Lake Champlain, a non-profit that raises money to donate to organizations working for the health and sustainability of Lake Champlain.
- Chris
I had an adult class one evening that was game for anything. The wind was gusting into the 20s with plenty of waves when we went for our first sail in a keelboat. A keelboat can hold 6-7 adults, so they had the opportunity to socialize with one another and see that high wind sailing can not only be safe and controlled, but an amazing experience. Each participant had an opportunity to get on the tiller. The next day they were rewarded with warm weather and perfect breeze. After a bit of docking practice, we had a beautiful sunset sail out to Lone Rock. The final day of the class we were a little short on wind. This problem was solved with a game of sponge tag. Although the constantly changing conditions were a challenge, it was good to see that by the end of the class they had experienced many different types of sailing. Part of the joy of sailing on Lake Champlain is that you never know what you’ll get!
-Anna
Well, it has been a long awaited summer, but it has finally arrived. I am looking forward to seeing everybody back on the water and all the new faces, curious about our programs and activities. One program that is always a lot of fun is our corporate sailing program. Last year I took a group out and we spent the afternoon sailing around learning the basics. We sailed out to Lone Rock Point experimenting with tacking, jibing, working the sails all as one team communicating together to complete each task efficiently and safely. Once we mastered the basics, we tried their newly acquired skills in a small race around Burlington Bay. Through active communication and teamwork all three boats successfully finished the course with ear to ear grins and a strong sense of solidarity with the team. Concluding the race without any wind, we learned a new trick to move the boats without the usual power if the wind, and with the race concluded, a new race developed to find out who could rock the boat the fastest into the dock. We cheered each other as we reached the dock and found a new bond of friendship through our experience on the water in the CSC keelboats.
-Pete
The summer is in full swing down at the Sailing Center. With the first week of summer camp underway, it’s time for the adults to get down and have some sailing time of their own. Already this spring we have completed both keelboat and dingy courses for adults. With full rosters for both classes, we were really rocking and rolling with some great spring sailing. The wind kept up just enough (and too much once or twice!) and there are now 2 full new classes of Lake Champlain sailors to share the lake with. We have more adult programs coming up, with weekday evening and consecutive Saturday classes, plus free Friday night 420 races.
See you at the waterfront!
-Chris
