Week Four

Week 4 was filled with beautiful days and nice sailing conditions. We have a large group of sailors, with many new faces to Island Sail. Looking back on this week it was the best instructional week for our program to this point. After the larger numbers in Week 3 we were able to adapt how we arranged the morning and afternoon sessions to better facilitate all skill levels. I have a sense that instructors are becoming more familiar with my approach as a leader and their own teaching and leadership skills are building with each week.

We had the annual Spaghetti Supper on Wednesday of this week. It is a big event and the help of many volunteers and the Board members made it a great success. We sold out all tickets and many compliments have been made to me about how much people enjoyed the evening. The highlight was the Sailor's Rap that the instructors put together and used to entertain the crowd. I was particularly surprised how Ian performed... usually so quiet, but with the mic. in hand he was "wicky-wicky wicked".

Our afternoon session provided higher winds this week and I spent some time working with our Instructors in Training to graduate some (Taylor, Katie, Buzz and Joanna) up to Jr. Instructor status. They have been with Island Sail for some time and their skills and maturing attitudes are qualities that have enhanced Island Sail. It is our hope that these people will lead our efforts in the future. Seeking more advanced water and safety related certifications in the off-season will be important goals for them to attend to in order to continue the growth of skills that enhance their performance as sailing instructors.