Here in St. Thomas it sure is good to start a season without any hurricanes. It really makes a difference. The islands are green, most houses and hotels are back together (or almost), and we are seeing planning, construction and optimism.
And at the St. Thomas Sailing Center, we are taking steps to make sailing more fun and more available to more people than ever:
There are about 30 incredibly beautiful anchorages or mooring areas within a two hour sail of the Club. We have added sun shades for our IC-24s, so you can swim or snorkel off your boat and hang in the shade for hours without worrying about the sun.
January 6, we had our first Open House of the season where we invite everyone to come for free sailing and refreshments. We took almost 180 people sailing!! As usual, there were smiles everywhere and people who don’t normally get to sail got to sail — and loved it.
Our Saturday afternoon racing series got off to a good start on January 5 with some excellent close racing. Bill McConnell is the early leader, results here. There is still space for those interested in crewing and perhaps one boat still available for a whole team.
New this year for sailors who don’t only like racing, we have scheduled meet-up events for members of the club to come sailing as a group. 27 members and their guests showed up for the first one December 22. 40 members and their guests are signed up for a sailing excursion to a beach barbecue on Sunday, January 13.
Please see our Calendar for a more comprehensive schedule of upcoming courses and events.
Hope to see you on the water!
Dave Franzel, Director
