On the Water

'Green fleet' sailors get to test the waters

Each year a new crop of kids learns to sail at sailing centers, clubs and community programs.

As few as three or four to as many as 300 from 5-18 learn from volunteers or professional instructors.

Most of the new sailors simply want a fun thing to do for the summer. But for a few, perhaps 10 percent of the new students, sailing becomes a favorite sport. So several local venues have racing classes for kids.

Last weekend's Bruce Watters Regatta off the St.Petersburg Pier was a chance for some of these newcomers to show off what they have learned. It's a race set aside for the so-called "green fleet," those new to racing.

First-year sailors 15-and-under compete together. The more experienced kids sail in age groups for individuals up to 10, 11-12 and 13-15.

The boat of choice for these and other young racers worldwide is the International Optimist Dinghy. It is similar to the Optimist Pram designed by the late Clark Mills of Clearwater.

A Danish captain saw the boat and knew it would be a good one for the youth of his part of the world. A few changes were made, and the boat caught on everywhere. Actually, this country was late to totally convert to the IOD, as the U.S. still was using the original Pram until the mid-1980s.

This is not Dad's boat or Mom's boat. This is the kids' very own vessel.

Mom or Dad probably wouldn't fit. Kids weighing as little as 40 pounds sail these boats.

In the Bruce Watters competition, kids from the St.Petersburg Sailing Center Optimist Dinghy fleet handled the race committee duties.

They organized the pizza party, made sure the regatta equipment was ready, set the turning buoys and starting line and handled registration of boats.

As it turned out, the conditions were difficult for even the most experienced of committees.

After the initial morning breeze burned off on Saturday, Tampa Bay was left with light air and lumpy seas - a difficult combination for 8-foot boats with 35 square feet of sail.

Since the youngsters did not have the experience to know how difficult it was, they simply did the job and did it well. The adults supervising were left with little to do.

There were 19 sailors, six of them girls. Trophies are not awarded in this fleet. Everyone who participates gets a medallion.

INTERCLUB RACING: Cooperation among area clubs to combine regattas has become a trend in organized sailing.

The annual feeder race from Davis Island Yacht Club in Tampa down to the Labor Day Regatta in Sarasota was an early example.

The Tampa Bay Yacht Racing Association is a grouping of Davis Island, Tampa Sailing Squadron and St.Petersburg Sailing Association.

A new race from Davis Island in upper Hillsboro Bay to Clearwater Pass, ranging 65-100 miles depending on the course, will be held Saturday.

The Clearwater Challenge is the next weekend. Then Clearwater Yacht Club offers a single-handed event from Clearwater to the Southwest Channel on Nov.3. Details are online at www.clwyc.org

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