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SAILING DIRECTORS: SOMETIMES THEY REALLY GET IT RIGHT (quite often, actually!)
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|  Meet Danny Wiedenhoft, Sailing Director of Manatee River Pram Fleet. The Pram Fleet is the junior sailing organization for Bradenton Yacht Club in southern Florida. Danny is one of those great Directors who understand his mission is not just to teach sailing or ensure regatta wins for his club (and he does both of those quite well!).
After reading the following stories written by a couple of his young sailors you'll see that his approach is helping kids grow as well as creating life-long sailors.
The Pram Fleet in action on a hot summer day...
...more action...
That's the way to cool off!
Why do I love Sailing??? By: Hannah Cantolino, age 14
Think fast! Metal rod swinging 50 mph coming at you 10 o'clock...ouch that
would've hurt! That's definitely NOT my favorite part about sailing, but I can
tell you what is. To start I can't soak enough of the freedom and still haven't
fully grasped the fact that I can sail wherever I desire. I also love to get
competitive and play a tough game!
"There's so much to sailing that it's amazing they only use one word to
describe it."
"Boys are so much more humiliated by a girl when she beats them without cheating"! - Hanna C.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE OF HANNAH'S STORY.
*****
My Favorite Part of Sailing
By Brooke Conrad, age 15
Knowing my favorite part of sailing is one of the most difficult things to do.
To me there isn't just one. There are so many things that I enjoy about sailing
so I can't pick one specific thing. There is a lot of hard work and sometimes
some of your coaches get so frustrated that there head might explode, but even
though that happens, its what can make sailing great. Sailing has so many concepts that make it
great. Probably the most important are the life lessons you learn and
take with you into adulthood.
"Having gone through this helped me search within myself and figure out what I wanted and
not only doing what my peers were doing." - Brooke C.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE OF BROOKE'S STORY.
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CHARTERING AN OPTI - WE MAKE IT EASY
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| McLaughlin was the first to provide charter Optis at regattas in the US. Over the years we have perfected it and now service over 30 events each year. Our "big rig" can move 56 Optis and gear at a time! The result is more kids sailing nation-wide and increased regatta/event participation.  Our success stems from an overall philosophy of SERVICE. Check out the main charter page at OPTISTUFF.COM. There you'll find a listing of most of the large regattas we service throughout the year. You can also request a charter for ANY event and we will try and arrange a boat and gear for your sailor. It's SIMPLE - Give us a call at 800-784-6478, e-mail or better yet...simply do an online order. Your charter will be available on the day before racing begins unless other special arrangements are made. Your boat will be waiting for you on a dolly ready to go.
Top cover and dolly will be tagged with your skippers name. All the
requested gear will be under the top cover. It's CUSTOM and INCLUSIVE - Charter just a hull or anything else you need from blades to spars to race sail. Hulls come complete with Harken blocks, airbags, sheet, bowline, 2 bailers, top cover and OPTIPARTS dolly. It's AFFORDABLE - For mot events the hull* is $300, spars - your choice! - $50, blades $50, Olimpic or Windesign Sail $100. It's COMPETITIVE - It's a fact that more championship regattas are won by McLaughlin than any other Optimist and often that Optimist was a charter! Your hull will be brand new or a hull on it's second charter with a guaranteed fast bottom. Check out our charter page here McLaughlin.
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IT'S OK*! GO AHEAD AND SCULL, ROCK, OCH, TORQUE AND PUMP
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| *OK, but better know what your doing.
Below is a document from ISAF outlining the "Most Common Breaches - Optimist - Rule 42"
PRINCIPLE:
The judges will give sailors the benefit of the doubt, however, when they are sure a sailor is breaking rule 42 they must act to protect the sailors that are complying with the rule.
CLASS RULES AFFECTING RULE 42: NONE
Class Specific Techniques and Breaches:
Clear breaches of Rule 42 in Optimist class are easy to notice but the problem is that nowadays sailors and their coaches develop the techniques to explore the limits of the rule.As a result judges may have to spend more time observing a boat in the yellow light area before deciding whether to penalize.
STARTS
1. Sculling
This can be both forceful and gentle as Optimist's rudder is very efficient for sculling
READ THE ENTIRE PDF DOCUMENT HERE
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LIKE AN OPTI, BUT NOT AN OPTI
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| Looking to start or expand a junior sailing program? Buy four OPPI polyethylene trainers and McLaughlin will send* you 2 more for a fleet of six!
WHAT'S AN OPPI? Check out these 2 videos...(click the pics)
The first one shows how the skills learned in the OPPI easily transitions to Optimist excellence as a young Optimist "rock star" puts OPPI through her paces.
This next video proves OPPIs are not just for kids!
sbp9635 |
September 25, 2009 |
1,121 views
OPPI Video includes 3 capsizes and recoveries. The Windlasses are
intentionally capsizing the boats to see if they can be righted easily.
OPPI's are used as a pre-OPTI trainer, and for summer camps. They are
built of material similar to that used for sit-upon kayaks. The hull is
virtually indestructible. The deck is two layers, with air in between,
enabling them to be self-righting. There are two drain holes to enable
the boat to be 'sailed dry' after a capsize. The OPPIs in this video
are ~5 years old, and have required no hull maintenance. As many as 300
kids use them each summer at the US Sailing Center in Jensen Beach, FL.
Special thanks to Mr. Alan Jenkinson for inviting us to the sailing
center.
For more OPPI info CLICK HERE! ...and CLICK HERE!
*Ready, set, order (limited offer on the Fall Special). Call Spencer for details 800-784-6478 or e-mail to SPENCER
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UPCOMING GREAT GREENFLEET EVENTS
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| Optiguytom GreenFleet clinics and coaching will be available at the following events:
Aug 28,29 - Rock, Paper, Scissors - Birmingham SC
Sept 4-6 - Tunnicliffe Labor Day Clinic/Regatta - Norfolk
Sept 11,12 - USODA MidWest Champs - Pewaukee YC
Sept 24-26 - USODA Southeast Champs - Lake Norman YC
Oct 8-10 - USODA Atlantic Coast Champs - Tred Avon YC
Nov 12-14 - Bermuda Optimist Open Nationals - RHADC
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HOW ABOUT BERMUDA?
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November 12-14 - Gotta be the greatest place to be in November! US Opti sailors are invited to the 2010 Bermuda Open and National Championship at the Royal Hamilton Dinghy Club. GreenFleeters are also welcome for the Tom OPTIGUYTOM Coleman clinic 11/11, clinic/coached racing 12-14th. Charters available through McLaughlin. BODA Website with NOR.
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HOSTING AN OPTI REGATTA OR EVENT?
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| If you are hosting a regatta, clinic or other sailing event for Opti sailors we've got some goodies for ya!
Aside from sending "Optistuff" for raffles and giveaways, we have a 4 x 6 zip lock bag with cool stickers and things of interest for each Opti sailor. This year's special item is the only RRS #26 - START SEQUENCE decal designed especially for Optis.
This high quality vinyl decal will serve as a quick reference on the five minute starting procedure and associated flags. But wait! ...THAT'S NOT ALL... on the back peal off is a coupon for 20% off any OPTIPARTS OR WINDESIGN brand product
You can purchase these great decals HERE!
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We hope you enjoy our newsletters and if you do, won't you please forward to your friends? We appreciate that!
Simply click on the bright blue Forward email hot link below. Thanks!!
Sincerely,
Tom Coleman
Mclaughlin Optimist / OPPI / Optiparts |
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